Pest control businesses in Colorado are getting more calls this time of year than usual after an extremely mild winter.
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Bryce Edwards with Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control says January and February are typically the slowest months for most pest control needs. But life cycle and migration patterns were out of whack this year, and that brought some species out early, like stinging insects.
“We're not usually into wasp season for another month - until late April, May, but we've seen those guys out this year, which is not normal,” Edwards told KUNC.
He also said bat populations didn’t migrate over the winter.
“I think we had some overwintering, because we were seeing bat activity for the past couple months," Edwards said. "The bats usually leave every year pretty religiously, so it's not normal.”
On its blog, Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control recommends sealing all gaps around basements, attics, and window frames to prevent pests from entering a home. The post advises Coloradans to have year-round maintenance and inspections.
In another blog post, NoCo PWC also recommends at least two scheduled treatments per year for stinging insects like yellow jackets.
It’s unclear how the recent shifts in wildlife habits could impact the natural order.
Drought and unseasonably warm temperatures have bolstered mountain pine beetle populations and weakened trees. The University of Colorado Boulder released a report earlier this year documenting the beetles’ growing presence on the Front Range.
CU Boulder reported in March 2026 that the snowpack in Colorado is around 40% of typical levels. It’s among the lowest in the decades where records have been kept.
The major snow drought that hit the Mountain West in winter also has big implications for the wildfire season, which, like the arrival of nuisance animals, came early.
