A year of home care built from NOAA normals and UNH Extension's insect calendar: January's snow, spring's wandering bugs, summer ticks, a key date in September and October rain.
New Hampshire's four seasons each leave something different in a house, and a lot of it can be anticipated. Insects have a calendar around here just as weather does, and that gives you a few dates to plan around.
Climate figures come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Nashua, with pest timing from UNH Extension. Any single year can shift by weeks, so treat the months as a guide.
Nashua normally sees about 53 inches of snow a year, with about 15 inches in each of January and February, and about 155 nights at or below freezing. January lows sit near 14 degrees. July highs reach 84, and Manchester's airport averages about 16 days a year at 90 or hotter.
Precipitation totals about 48 inches, with October wettest at about 4.8 inches. That means fall can be surprisingly muddy, right as furnaces start up and insects move toward the walls. So this calendar puts some real work into late summer and leaves the bigger indoor reset for spring.
Set up the door first, with a stiff mat outside, an absorbent one inside and a tray for boots. Wipe salt with a damp cloth before it dries, and sweep or vacuum grit before you mop. After storms, Nashua asks residents to clear a space at the road for carts and not to set them on or behind snow banks.
Windows stay shut, so dust cycles through the house. Change furnace filters and vacuum registers on schedule, and wipe sills where condensation gathers. UNH Extension says cluster flies can show up indoors on warm winter days. Vacuum them as you see them, because it is too late to do much else until next year.
As spring warms, UNH Extension says stink bugs and western conifer seed bugs wander indoors again, having spent the winter in walls and attics. Catch them with a vacuum or a jar rather than crushing them. Nashua's special pickups for oversized items resume in mid-spring by appointment, so this is a good time to clear out the basement and garage.
With the salt finished, wash baseboards, clean window tracks, launder curtains and wipe blinds. A One-Time Deep Clean does much of this for you, and the deep cleaning guide explains what it covers. Note that cleanouts create extra bags, and Nashua's carts take no overflow, so a landfill sticker may be needed.
UNH Extension says the American dog tick is most active from May through July. Check dogs and clothes before coming in, and keep outdoor clothes off the bed. On the hottest days, do chores early and keep the house shut in the afternoon, then air it out in the evening.
Carpenter ants favor damp wood, and UNH says reducing humidity helps prevent them. Run a dehumidifier in a damp basement, check around leaky faucets and keep wood piles away from the house. Well owners may want to use this quieter stretch to schedule a test, since UNH encourages one from an accredited lab every 3 to 5 years.
UNH Extension advises sealing cracks and screening attic vents before September 10 to keep out cluster flies. Asian ladybugs and mice follow as the weather cools, so it pays to do the whole job at once. Check gaps around window frames, siding and pipe entries, and repair or replace door sweeps.
While you are at it, clean window tracks and sills, since they are where insects gather. A deep clean around this time gets the house into good shape before it shuts for the winter. Merrimack residents should watch for fall water main flushing, because mains are flushed each spring and autumn on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and any cloudy water is a reason to hold off on laundry.
October is the wettest month, and wet leaves stick to shoes. Keep mats clean and sweep steps often. When ladybugs gather on sunny walls, vacuum rather than sweep, because UNH Extension says their yellowish fluid can stain light rugs and upholstery. Keep food in closed cabinets or lidded containers, as it suggests for mice.
Nashua's special pickups end with October, and none run from November to mid-spring, so finish any big clear-out before then. Vacuum registers before the furnace runs for the season. If you plan to host, recurring plans can be adjusted around the holidays.
The questions Nashua homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
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