As the calendar inches towards spring, maybe you can find some warmth in the fact that the arctic blasts experienced by New Jersey this winter will put a dent in the number of pests you encounter over the next several months.

Certain insects don't hold up so well in the extreme cold — as long as they haven't yet found a home in your walls.

"Whatever was outside and overwintering underneath the bark of trees or in tree stumps — yes, they would've died off with the extreme cold," said Russel Sieb, owner of New Jersey Pest Control in Randolph.

That list includes common insects such as stink bugs and spiders, as well as yellow jackets and hornets, Sieb said.

"You're going to see less of them this year because of the temperatures that we had," Sieb said.

The polar vortex reared its head in New Jersey a couple times since the start of 2019, around Martin Luther King Day and at the end of January into February. The Garden State was also blasted with arctic air over the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday.

But the cold snaps wouldn't have an impact on pests that already found shelter in your home's walls, insulation and attic, Sieb noted. Those spots easily provide enough warmth to battle the coldest of winters.

Ants, meanwhile, have the ability to outlast frigid temperatures. If you're bugged by them yearly during the warmer months, this spring and summer should be no different.

"They are a little more resilient because they live in colonies with great numbers," Sieb said.

Besides hiring a pest-control company to keep bugs out of your home, Sieb said, removing leaf clutter from your gutters and around your house would reduce insect intrusions. It also helps to trim trees touching the home and seal off pipe penetrations from the outdoors.

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