Dealing with a pest problem in Commerce City? You're not alone. mice, voles, ants are among the most common household pests in the Colorado Front Range — and they're active year-round.
Commerce City borders the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge — 15,000 acres of restored prairie that supports one of the densest populations of burrowing owls, prairie dogs, deer mice, and voles on the Front Range. That wildlife pressure doesn't stop at the refuge boundary. Homes along the perimeter of the Reunion, Buffalo Run, and Potomac Farms neighborhoods deal with consistent field rodent intrusion, especially in fall and after disturbance events like nearby construction.
spring
Ants emerge as soil warms. Wasp queens begin scouting for nest sites. Mice move back outdoors but may still enter structures.
summer
Peak wasp and ant activity. Brown recluse and black widow spiders active. Voles damage lawns and garden beds.
fall
Primary rodent season — mice and voles seek indoor shelter as temperatures drop below 40°F. Boxelder bugs congregate on south-facing walls.
winter
Indoor rodent activity peaks. Overwintering insects shelter in wall voids and attic spaces.
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, which borders Commerce City to the north, was once one of the most contaminated sites in the country following decades of chemical weapons production. After a $2.1 billion cleanup, it reopened as a National Wildlife Refuge in 2004 — and is now home to a free-roaming bison herd visible from the refuge drive.