Tulsa Pest Guide Request a quote → Tulsa pest guide Tulsa, Oklahoma
Follow seasonal pest concerns in Tulsa and see what to look for throughout the year.
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TULSA / FIELD GUIDEA year around the property
From standing water in the warmer months to food storage and entry points indoors, a few regular checks can help you spot problems earlier.
The year at a glance
Spring opens with termite swarms as the soil warms past the last freeze (~March 29), then delivers May's 5.73 inches of rain. Mosquito breeding, termite feeding, ant trails and carpenter ants in damp wood all start here — the season that sets much of the pattern for the year.
Inspect for termites and reduce standing water before the May rains.Tulsa runs 74 days at or above 90°F and 10.8 at or above 100°F. Crawlspaces, shaded foundations and stored water are what drive them. Mosquitoes peak, roaches work under structures, and scorpions move at night.
Keep the water managed and any mosquito service schedule unbroken.The cool-down brings crickets, boxelder bugs and scorpions toward shelter, and the turning nut crop sends squirrels and rodents to the roofline and foundation. The first freeze (~Nov 3) drops insect activity sharply; what is inside stays inside.
Exclusion work: roofline, soffits, vents, thresholds — before the first hard cold.With 55 days below freezing across the three months, insect activity is minimal — but termites keep feeding below the frost line and rodents stay active in the heated structure. This is the season for inspections, sealing and planning, when the calendar is open.
Ask for the termite inspection and finish the sealing work before spring.Your monthly checklist
Choose a month for practical checks around your home or business.
January
January averages 21.5 days below freezing but rodents stay active in the heated structure all month. This is the quiet season for inspections — and the right one for sealing.
February
February averages 15.5 days below freezing. Insect activity is minimal; droppings, gnaw marks and tracks accumulate in attics and crawlspaces where nobody is looking.
March
The last spring freeze averages March 29. As soil temperatures rise, subterranean termites send out flying termites (swarmers) — often the first visible sign of a colony that has been feeding all winter.
April
Mosquito programs open in April across the metro. Ant trails, crickets and the first heavy termite flights all land in the same weeks.
May
May averages 5.73 inches of rain — the peak breeding month. Every low spot and container breeds mosquitoes, and termites feed hard in the moist soil.
June
June opens the 74-day stretch at or above 90°F. Damp crawlspaces and shaded foundations are where roaches, termites and mosquitoes all get their start.
July
July averages 24 days at or above 90°F and 4.4 days at or above 100°F. Irrigation and stored water keep mosquitoes breeding even when the rain stops.
August
August runs 5.3 days at or above 100°F. Water on a property is an attractant for everything, and indoor sightings rise as populations peak outside.
September
September is the pivot: still 9 days at or above 90°F, but the first cool nights send crickets, boxelder bugs and scorpions toward shelter.
October
October averages just 0.7 days below freezing, but the nut crop turns and squirrels and rodents move to the roofline and foundation.
November
The first autumn freeze averages November 3. Insect activity drops sharply; what is inside stays inside. This is the last good month for exterior sealing work.
December
December averages 18.3 days below freezing. Termites slow but do not stop below the frost line, and droppings, gnaw marks and tracks pile up in the warm structure.
Know the pest
Profiles for the pests Tulsa homes and businesses meet most, with a month-by-month read on their seasons. The pattern is interpretive — an inspection establishes what is present at your property.
| Pest | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Termites Spring swarms; feeding year-round below the frost line | Termites, Jan: Low | Termites, Feb: Low | Termites, Mar: Moderate | Termites, Apr: High | Termites, May: Peak | Termites, Jun: Peak | Termites, Jul: High | Termites, Aug: High | Termites, Sep: High | Termites, Oct: Moderate | Termites, Nov: Low | Termites, Dec: Low |
| Brown recluse Autumn as they settle into winter shelter; sightings year-round in structures | Brown recluse, Jan: Moderate | Brown recluse, Feb: Moderate | Brown recluse, Mar: Moderate | Brown recluse, Apr: Moderate | Brown recluse, May: Moderate | Brown recluse, Jun: Moderate | Brown recluse, Jul: Moderate | Brown recluse, Aug: Moderate | Brown recluse, Sep: High | Brown recluse, Oct: Peak | Brown recluse, Nov: High | Brown recluse, Dec: Moderate |
| Mosquitoes May-September; May is the peak breeding month (5.73" rain) | Mosquitoes, Jan: None | Mosquitoes, Feb: None | Mosquitoes, Mar: Low | Mosquitoes, Apr: High | Mosquitoes, May: Peak | Mosquitoes, Jun: Peak | Mosquitoes, Jul: Peak | Mosquitoes, Aug: Peak | Mosquitoes, Sep: High | Mosquitoes, Oct: Low | Mosquitoes, Nov: None | Mosquitoes, Dec: None |
| Scorpions Autumn cool-down and weather changes | Scorpions, Jan: Low | Scorpions, Feb: Low | Scorpions, Mar: Low | Scorpions, Apr: Low | Scorpions, May: Low | Scorpions, Jun: Moderate | Scorpions, Jul: Moderate | Scorpions, Aug: Moderate | Scorpions, Sep: High | Scorpions, Oct: Peak | Scorpions, Nov: Moderate | Scorpions, Dec: Low |
| Squirrels Autumn dispersal and spring nesting | Squirrels, Jan: Moderate | Squirrels, Feb: Moderate | Squirrels, Mar: Moderate | Squirrels, Apr: Low | Squirrels, May: Low | Squirrels, Jun: Low | Squirrels, Jul: Low | Squirrels, Aug: Low | Squirrels, Sep: Moderate | Squirrels, Oct: Peak | Squirrels, Nov: High | Squirrels, Dec: Moderate |
| Roaches Summer; year-round in heated structures | Roaches, Jan: Low | Roaches, Feb: Low | Roaches, Mar: Low | Roaches, Apr: Moderate | Roaches, May: Moderate | Roaches, Jun: High | Roaches, Jul: Peak | Roaches, Aug: Peak | Roaches, Sep: High | Roaches, Oct: Moderate | Roaches, Nov: Low | Roaches, Dec: Low |
| Ants Spring trails indoors; summer carpenter ant activity | Ants, Jan: None | Ants, Feb: Low | Ants, Mar: Moderate | Ants, Apr: High | Ants, May: High | Ants, Jun: High | Ants, Jul: High | Ants, Aug: High | Ants, Sep: Moderate | Ants, Oct: Low | Ants, Nov: None | Ants, Dec: None |
| Rodents Autumn push indoors as the nut crop turns | Rodents, Jan: High | Rodents, Feb: High | Rodents, Mar: Moderate | Rodents, Apr: Low | Rodents, May: Low | Rodents, Jun: Low | Rodents, Jul: Low | Rodents, Aug: Low | Rodents, Sep: Moderate | Rodents, Oct: Peak | Rodents, Nov: Peak | Rodents, Dec: High |
Structural
Colonies living in the soil that commute to structural wood through mud tubes. Tulsa's 40.96 inches of annual rain keeps the soil moist enough for them to feed year-round — winter slows them, it does not stop them.
What it is. A colony living in the soil, not the house. Workers build mud tubes along foundations and piers to reach wood above the soil line; the swarmers are the flying termites you see.
Watch for.
Public health
OSU names the brown recluse among Oklahoma's most dangerous-bite spiders and warns populations can build up in structures — especially in buildings that stand empty. Check storage and other hiding places; a building's age alone does not establish an infestation.
What it is. A small brown spider with a violin mark; reclusive by habit, living in attics, crawl spaces, behind baseboards, closets and stored goods — not out on open walls.
Watch for.
Public health
Only females bite, and the immature stages cannot develop without standing water. The mosquitoes you get come from your own low spots and containers — the Arkansas River is scenery, not the source.
What it is. Flying insects whose larvae develop in standing water of any size — clogged gutters, plant saucers, tires, low spots.
Watch for.
Public health
OSU: scorpions found in Oklahoma are not considered dangerously venomous, though a sting warrants a doctor's visit. Mostly active at night, sheltering by day under boards, leaf litter, door mats and in wall voids.
What it is. Small tan scorpions that shelter in clutter and voids by day and move at night, especially when the weather turns.
Watch for.
Wildlife
OSU documents both Oklahoma species denning in cavities with entrances two to four inches wide — the size of the gaps they find in soffits and roofline trim. A nut-crop failure pushes subadults out to find new shelter.
What it is. Arboreal rodents of the mature hardwood canopy; gray squirrels east of the 97th meridian in bottomland hardwoods, fox squirrels in the post oak-blackjack uplands.
Watch for.
Public health
These species hide beneath buildings and in dark, damp, sheltered locations. River-bottom lots, shaded creek-drainage foundations and older crawlspaces keep that damp available all season.
What it is. Large roaches that live under structures and in damp voids outdoors — their indoor presence usually tracks a moisture or entry problem.
Watch for.
Nuisance
Ants in the kitchen are not one problem: the species decide the product, and carpenter ants excavate damp structural wood. Identification before treatment — OSU stresses locating and treating every entry point the ants use.
What it is. Trail-following insects exploiting kitchen resources; carpenter ants excavate nests in dead and damp wood, including construction wood.
Watch for.
Public health
Mice fit through openings the size of a thumb and run the same routes nightly. Trapping without exclusion removes the current population and leaves the door open — the work that lasts seals the building.
What it is. Commensal rodents that live close to people: house mice and rats in structures, following run paths along baseboards and utility routes.
Watch for.