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May is prime planting time in Madrona — warm afternoons, lingering cool nights, and the steady Pacific Northwest moisture that makes our neighborhood yards lush also creates near-perfect conditions for slugs. For vegetable gardeners, that means vulnerable seedlings of lettuces, brassicas, beans and other tender crops can disappear overnight. The problem is amplified in Madrona’s…

Every spring, homeowners in View Ridge often notice an uptick in yellowjacket activity, and by May it’s not uncommon for new nests to be discovered around yards, eaves and wall voids. Understanding why this neighborhood seems especially prone to May yellowjacket nests requires combining the insects’ life cycle with the local physical and human-made landscape….

Laurelhurst’s waterfront homes enjoy some of Seattle’s best spring weather: warming days, lush riparian plantings, and easy access to Lake Washington. Those same features that make lakeside living pleasant also create prime habitat for a broad range of pests once late spring arrives. Rising temperatures, longer daylight, melting snow runoff and small pockets of standing…

When the first warm rains of spring soften the soil and lawns push up fresh green shoots, some neighborhoods start seeing a different kind of activity: fresh volcano-shaped molehills and surface tunnels where perfectly manicured turf once was. Wedgwood Yards has emerged as one of those hotspots, and by May the signs are unmistakable. What…

Every spring, many Ravenna homeowners notice an uptick in carpenter ant activity: winged ants on the porch, workers trailing along foundation walls, or the telltale piles of “sawdust” near window sills. May is a common month for these sightings because it marks a turning point in the ants’ annual life cycle and coincides with environmental…

For Magnolia homeowners who take pride in a green, even lawn, the arrival of May can bring an unwelcome problem: crane flies and the feeding damage caused by their larvae, commonly called leatherjackets. These grublike larvae feed on grass roots and crowns, leaving behind thin, browned, or spongy patches that can look like drought or…

Every spring, neighborhoods across the country watch for the first telltale signs of insect activity—buds on the trees, songbirds returning, and, increasingly, wasp nests appearing around homes. This year, Madison Park residents are noticing more of those nests than usual, with sightings reported on eaves, under decks, in sheds, and even near doorways. For many…

Late spring is prime time for ants to show up in homes, and Columbia City renters are often among the first to notice the sudden lines of tiny invaders. As temperatures rise and colonies expand, worker ants leave scent trails in search of food and moisture—so May can bring a rapid, obvious spike in activity….

Every spring, many West Seattle homeowners wake up to the telltale thin lines of tiny dark ants tracing a path to spilled jam, a sticky counter, or a honeyed crumb on the floor. Locally these invaders are often called “sugar ants” — a catch‑all name for several small ant species attracted to sweet foods —…

May marks the beginning of mosquito season in Green Lake — when rising temperatures, spring rains and thawed pools of standing water create ideal breeding conditions. For residents, this means more than just nuisance bites: mosquitoes can reduce outdoor enjoyment of yards and patios, transmit illnesses in some seasons, and quickly multiply if small water…