Those charming stacks parked along Anderson Park or in front of your shed on West 38th Avenue may be eye-catching, but they are causing a big headache. Wet leaves not only hold your landscape hostage, but they also turn into five-star hotels for overwintering pests.
At 5,332 feet, Wheat Ridge gets to keep leaves wet longer than you think, with our unpredictable moisture patterns. The result? Pests like rodents, insects, and other unwanted guests are camping right at your doorstep. Regular pest activity around your property means you need to get in touch with pest control services to get rid of pests in Wheat Ridge.
Why Leaf Pile and Damp Leaves Are Common in Wheat Ridge?
In autumn, these trees shed tons of leaves. Top that off with an occasional October and November snow that quickly melts, and/or morning dew from Clear Creek running through the area, and you have leaves that are kept constantly moist.
The leaf canopies along Applewood and in the older neighborhoods surrounding Lutheran Medical Center are so thick, the sun can hardly shine through for everything to dry. The microclimate — coupled with Wheat Ridge’s plentiful shade — keeps those leaf piles wet for weeks, unlike some even drier Colorado cities a short drive to the south.
Why Do They Attract Pests?
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Moisture Creates Ideal Living Conditions
Only when pests have all three resources, food, water, and shelter, can they survive. And damp leaf piles hit all three criteria. As Colorado’s dry winter air gets underway, humidity captured in decomposing leaves reaches just the perfect level for insects and rodents, many of which prefer to live near moist locations.
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Decomposition Generates Heat and Food
Microbes break down the leaves, and this process creates heat. While temperatures inside can shoot to 140°F in a leaf pile three feet high, the outer layers hover closer to 50-60°F. It is ideal conditions for pests seeking a warm haven during Wheat Ridge’s cold evenings, when temperatures dip to the 20s. The process of decomposition is also going to create fungi and bacteria for your insects to snack on, so in essence, your leaf pile is an all-the-bad-bugs-can-eat buffet.
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Protection from Predators and Weather
Layered protection from pests is irresistible when it comes to leaf piles. Its thick structure protects them from birds, cats, and other predators, as well as acting as insulation against temperature fluctuations. For rodents such as mice and voles, burrowing into a leaf pile close to your foundation offers security and direct access to the warmth of your house.
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Perfect Breeding Grounds for Insects
Many insects look specifically for wet and rotting organic debris to deposit their eggs. And in the wet environment, mosquitoes, gnats, and flies proliferate. Well, research shows that every neglected leaf pile can house up to 1,000 insects — spiders, centipedes, beetles, and more — which can then spread out across your property.
What happens When You Ignore The Pest Problem?
Ignoring pests would not make them disappear. In fact, quite the opposite. A handful of mice in your leaf pile escalates into a rodent outbreak in your garage, attic, or crawl space. Once rodents gain entry, they can chew through wiring, insulation, and stored items, squeezing through entries the size of a dime.
Of course, 50-60 pups a year for the average rodent family means that the whole “one mouse” issue rarely stays one mouse for long! Insects are not much better. If carpenter ants and termites start in wet leaf piles, they are going to expand into the wooden elements in your house.
This is one of the reasons why you need experts. And one such good company we know is Saela Pest Control which has helped thousands of homeowners in Wheat Ridge to get rid of pests. Contact them today and stay pest-free!
