Many people report seeing and increase in wasps, boxelder bugs, brown marmorated stink bugs, asian lady beetles and other flying insects in and around the home in the fall and winter. Why? These occasional invaders are seeking protection from the outside conditions and many times are entering your home around soffits, eaves, windows, cracks and crevices to search for an ideal habitat to overwinter. Closer observations of the these pests will show these insects moving slower than normal. Insects rely on external sources for the heat unlike animals which can create it’s own internal heat source. For this reason, many pests must seek protection from the freezing conditions and are typically looking for the external heat source in your home’s attic space.
Tips for Pest Prevention
Pest prevention can be best achieved by having a thorough inspection of the home and looking for openings where insects may be able to enter. Popular entry points include cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, behind chimneys, and underneath the wood fascia and other openings. These areas should be sealed with a quality sealant or caulk or repaired if the entry points are too large for a simple sealant solution. Window and door screens should be repaired or replaced.
What if these insects have already entered the home?
If these pests have already entered the home, a vacuum cleaner can aid in the removal of live or dead insects. Be sure to immediately dispose of all contents of the vacuum cleaner in a bag and place the contents outside.
Pest Treatment
An early fall treatment around all windows, doors and eaves of the home can help reduce the population of occasional invading pests entering the structure in the most common areas.