Marmots Are Waking Up Around Spokane

With spring approaching in the Inland Northwest, one of the first nuisance wildlife problems to reappear around Spokane is marmots.
Also known as rock chucks or whistle pigs, these large burrowing rodents spend most of the winter in deep hibernation. As temperatures begin to warm, they start emerging hungry and ready to reclaim territory.
For homeowners, that’s often when the trouble begins.

Where They Show Up Around Homes
In the Spokane area.

Marmots commonly burrow around:
-Retaining walls -Concrete slabs
-Rock landscaping
-Foundations
-Decks and sheds
These burrow systems can extend 15–30 feet underground, and over time they can undermine structures and cause settling or collapse.
Areas along the Spokane River corridor and the I-90 area tend to see particularly heavy marmot activity.

Signs You Might Have Marmots Nearby

Homeowners usually notice:
Large burrow openings (6–10 inches wide)
Fresh dirt piles near rocks or structures
Chewed vegetation or garden damage
Marmots sunning themselves on rocks or retaining walls A sharp whistling alarm call (where the nickname whistle pig comes from)

Why Early Spring Matters

When marmots wake up from hibernation they immediately start:
Feeding heavily
Reestablishing territory
Preparing for breeding season
Addressing activity early in the season can prevent larger problems later in the year.
If you’re seeing marmot activity around your property in the Spokane area, early intervention is often the best approach.

Tahoma Specialty Pest Services
509-978-7830
tahomapest.com

#Spokane

#marmots

Spring Ant Season Is Coming Early in Spokane – 3 Things Homeowners Should Do Right Now.

If you’ve already spotted a few scout ants marching across your kitchen counter or along the baseboards in early March, you’re not imagining it. After a milder-than-usual winter across the Inland Northwest, ant activity is ramping up weeks ahead of the typical schedule in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and surrounding areas.
Carpenter ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants are the usual early-spring troublemakers here. They don’t wait for summer—they start scouting for food, water, and nesting spots as soon as temperatures consistently hit the 50s.
The good news? You can knock back most early invasions with a few smart, low-effort moves before they turn into full trails or satellite nests. Here are the three most effective things Spokane-area homeowners can do right now:
Eliminate the attractants they’re after
Ants are on a mission for sweets, proteins, and moisture. Wipe counters with a 1:1 vinegar-water mix (disrupts their scent trails), store pantry goods in sealed containers, fix any slow drips under sinks, and take out trash/recycling daily. A single forgotten soda spill or pet-food bowl can feed dozens of scouts.
Seal the obvious entry points
Check windowsills, door thresholds, foundation cracks, and where pipes/utilities enter the house. Use silicone caulk for small gaps and steel wool + caulk for larger ones (ants can squeeze through openings as small as 1/16 inch). Weatherstripping on doors is a quick win too. Most early trails follow predictable paths—follow them backward to find the entry.
Know when to monitor vs. call in pros
A handful of scouts? Often just keep an eye on it after cleaning/sealing. Multiple trails, ants in walls, or sawdust-like frass (especially with carpenter ants)? That’s when professional treatment makes sense to prevent structural damage or bigger colonies. We’re big believers in honest assessments—not every sighting needs a full treatment right away.
Seeing more than a few scouts or already dealing with established trails indoors? Text or call us at 509-978-7830—we’ll give you a straight answer on whether it’s worth treating now or just monitoring through spring.
Ants don’t RSVP… but you can tell them the party’s over. 🐜🚪http://tahomapest.com

Exciting Updates from Tahoma Specialty Pest Services

Tahoma Specialty Pest Services is pleased to announce there are significant changes coming, and already in place, to our online presence. Keep an eye out for more content, some awesome new pictures, and much more frequent online interactions. Tahoma Specialty Pest Services is the Spokane, and Inland NW’s premier provider of expert pest and nuisance wildlife control!

Follow Tahoma Specialty Pest Services on your preferred social media, you can find us almost anywhere! if you don’t find us, send a message and we’ll add that one to the list.