When the cool temperatures arrive we all breathe a collective sigh of relief thinking that the arrival of fall means the end of annoying outdoor pests. While it’s true that pests tend to become less active in the fall but before they disappear completely for the winter they will be on the hunt for warm overwintering locations and that place just might be inside your home. In fact, fall is the time that you will experience the most indoor insects. These fall pest control tips should help you out.
Asian Lady Beetle
Don’t mistake this beetle for its brighter, less annoying cousin, the ladybug. The multicolored Asian lady beetle is one of many types of insects that like to congregate in sunny areas when fall arrives. They can usually be seen on the sunny sides of buildings and houses searching for a crack or gap big enough to allow them into your home.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
These bugs look scary and intimidating and when you see a bunch of them inside your home it’s enough to check your family into a hotel, but despite their creepy appearance stink bugs are harmless. They don’t bite or sting but they do stink when they are killed. The best way to get rid of them is to shoo them out of windows or suck them up with a vacuum cleaner.
Box Elder Bugs
During the spring and summer, box elder bugs can be found in box elder trees where they feed on the leaves of the plant. They generally go unnoticed until fall arrives and they are spotted on the insides of windows and door walls. They are easily identifiable by their black slender bodies and red edges. The sheer number of these bugs trying to squeeze into your home make fall pest control a must.
Cluster Flies
Cluster flies are particularly annoying in the fall and winter. Just when you think the cold has killed off all flying insects you start to see these ugly insects crawling on your windows. Where did they come from? If you don’t know what these flies are they can drive you nuts searching for how they are getting in or the dead animal or rotting sandwich that is causing them to breed in such numbers. But the truth is that cluster flies are not getting in or reproducing in your walls. The truth is that they got in earlier and went into hibernation mode, but the warm temperatures in your house have caused their instincts to kick in and think that spring has arrived.
Rodents
Insects aren’t the only pests looking for a warm place to overwinter. Mice, rats, and squirrels will also be on the hunt for a warm place to snuggle up. Unlike insects, these pests can cause a lot of damage inside your house. Rodents inside your home like to chew up boxes, clothing, and other soft materials to make nests and they don’t care where they get the materials. To keep these pests out of your house start by inspecting your roof. Check for:
- Missing shingles
- Holes in attic vents
- Rotten trim boards
Protect your home from fall pests by checking your foundations for cracks and gaps where mice and rats could squeeze through. Another fall pest control technique is to keep all food stored in plastic containers to make your home more unattractive.
Hire the Professionals
Encountering insects outside is one thing but spotting dozens of them in your kitchen is another. For comprehensive pest control, call the pros at Custom Personalized Lawn Care . We have several different programs to help defend your home and yard.
