Spring Ant and Insect Prevention Checklist for Columbus

What should you do in March?

March is inspection month. The ground is still cold, but insects that spent winter in your walls, attic and mulch are starting to stir. Walk the outside of the house with a notebook and fix what you find while the weather is still cool.

• Look for gaps around pipes, vents, window frames and siding seams, and seal them with exterior caulk.
• Repair torn screens and replace worn door sweeps.
• Clean gutters, since clogged ones hold water that mosquitoes will use in May.
• Check the crawl space and basement for damp spots and leaks.
• Move firewood and lumber away from the house, off the ground.
• Inside, check under sinks and behind appliances for moisture and droppings.

What should you do in April?

April is when ants appear. Colonies that wintered under mulch, slabs and foundation cracks go looking for water and food as the soil warms. This is the month to remove what they want, before the first trail crosses the kitchen.

Pull mulch a few inches back from the foundation, since mulch against siding is a nesting spot and a bridge into the house. Trim shrubs and branches that touch the walls, and keep the lawn off the siding. Store sweets, cereal and pet food in lidded containers, and fix any drip under a sink.

If ants have already started, wipe the trail with soapy water and skip repellent sprays, which split some colonies into several. Our post on why ants keep coming back explains what to do instead, and our ant control page covers the treatment.

What should you do in May?

May is water month. Spring rain fills every container in the yard, and mosquito eggs hatch as soon as they are covered. A weekly sweep keeps breeding sites from taking hold.

1. Dump and scrub standing water weeklyBird baths, buckets, planter saucers, pet bowls and kiddie pools all count.
2. Screen rain barrels and flip containersA tight mesh lid stops females from laying eggs.
3. Look for early wasp and hornet nestsCheck eaves, porch ceilings, shed corners and grills. New nests are small in spring, and you should stay a safe distance from any nest you find.
4. Trim shrubs near the patioAdult mosquitoes rest in dense, shaded growth by day.
5. Plan your repellent and tick checksTicks are active in spring, so check yourself and pets after time in tall grass.

For the month-by-month picture, read our guide to mosquito season in central Ohio.

Which ticks should Columbus yards expect in spring?

Ohio State's entomology department says the American dog tick is found in every county and the blacklegged tick in nearly every county. The blacklegged tick prefers wooded or bushy areas and turns up where lawns meet woods. It is active year-round whenever temperatures are above freezing, with risk highest in spring, summer and fall. A yard that backs onto woods or a creek corridor deserves a check of the lawn edge and a body check after time outdoors.

What does a ten-minute weekend routine look like?

A monthly list is useful, but insects respond to weather week by week. This short loop catches problems while they are small. Do it every Saturday from April to June:

1. Start at the front door and look at the sweep, the corners and the porch ceiling for early nests.
2. Walk the foundation and check the mulch line, downspout ends and any spot where water pools.
3. Empty and rinse every container that holds water, then flip it over.
4. Look at the first ant trail you find and follow it back to the wall or crack where it starts.
5. Open the cabinet under the kitchen sink and look at the pipe collar with a flashlight.
6. Write a line in a notebook with the date and what you saw.

The notebook matters more than it sounds. If an ant trail comes back at the same corner three weekends running, you have a nest or an entry point to point to. A pest professional can start from that line, and it saves you from guessing in July.

Which spring checks matter most inside your house?

Outside work gets the attention, but the inside tells you whether it worked. Spend ten minutes a month on the spots that show trouble first.

How does the checklist change in an older Columbus home?

Housing age and type change which insects you meet. The median Columbus home was built in 1980, according to ACS 2019-23, and older foundations have more cracks, more crawl spaces and more places for moisture to collect. Dublin's median home dates to 1996, with about 23% rented, so ants and mosquitoes near the Scioto River corridor and newer landscaping beds matter more than basement pests.

In older houses, prioritize moisture and foundation gaps first. In newer builds, put the weight on mulch, landscaping and gutters. In shared buildings, ask the manager about common-area treatment, since your neighbors' habits affect you.