Dropping Temps Outside Drive Pests Inside
With the change of season and the coming of Fall, homeowners around Central Kentucky might see signs of fall invaders — pests that will look for warmer spaces to weather the winter.
One of the many ways that insects survive cold weather is to hibernate inside structures. They migrate towards buildings in search of an ideal warm resting spot to spend the cold winter. Changes in daylight hours and cooler temperatures can trigger the insect’s indoor movements.
Safe and sound inside your home, fall invader pests can cause infestations that last all winter long.
Fall invader pests typically found in Central Kentucky:
Ground Beetles
Predaceous ground beetle (carabid) adults are elongate with a hard, shiny, upper surface. They have prominent, long legs and antennae. Most species are medium to large, about 1/8 to 1 inches (4–25 mm) long. Their color varies greatly, but many species are blackish or dark reddish.
Black Field Cricket
Field crickets are black or dark brown insects about 1 inch long as adults. They have large hind legs (for jumping) and most have well-developed wings. Nymphs are similar but are smaller and lack wings. Both have long, slender antennae.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
The brown marmorated stink bug is both an agricultural and structural pest. It can be identified by its mottled brown color and shield-like shape. Adults are about 5/8-inch in length and have lighter bands or stripes on the last segments of the antennae and around the exposed edges of the abdomen.
Boxelder Bugs
Probably the most common of the fall invading insects, this black and red marked bug actually feeds on trees, including the boxelder and maple. It is ½-inch long as an adult, and mostly black in color with red lines marking the wings and the thorax or area behind the head.
Cluster Fly
The adult cluster fly is slightly larger than a house fly. The wings are held overlapping each other over the abdomen unlike the house fly, which has wings that appear to be more of a triangular pattern when at rest. It has golden yellow hairs on the thorax or main middle section of the body.
Multi-Colored Asian Lady Beetle
These beetles get their name because they can vary in color and markings. The wing color can vary from tan to reddish orange and they can have a varied number of black spots on the wings. They are predaceous on soft-bodied plant pests like aphids and have a valuable role in reducing agricultural and horticultural pests. They achieve pest status as they migrate indoors in the late fall months. They are sometimes called the Halloween beetle because they often come into structures around that time on a sunny day after a frost.
Boxelder Bugs
Probably the most common of the fall invading insects, this black and red marked bug actually feeds on trees, including the boxelder and maple. It is ½-inch long as an adult, and mostly black in color with red lines marking the wings and the thorax or area behind the head.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
The brown marmorated stink bug is both an agricultural and structural pest. It can be identified by its mottled brown color and shield-like shape. Adults are about 5/8-inch in length and have lighter bands or stripes on the last segments of the antennae and around the exposed edges of the abdomen.
Cluster Fly
The adult cluster fly is slightly larger than a house fly. The wings are held overlapping each other over the abdomen unlike the house fly, which has wings that appear to be more of a triangular pattern when at rest. It has golden yellow hairs on the thorax or main middle section of the body.
Multi-Colored Asian Lady Beetle
These beetles get their name because they can vary in color and markings. The wing color can vary from tan to reddish orange and they can have a varied number of black spots on the wings. They are predaceous on soft-bodied plant pests like aphids and have a valuable role in reducing agricultural and horticultural pests. They achieve pest status as they migrate indoors in the late fall months. They are sometimes called the Halloween beetle because they often come into structures around that time on a sunny day after a frost.
Black Field Cricket
Field crickets are black or dark brown insects about 1 inch long as adults. They have large hind legs (for jumping) and most have well-developed wings. Nymphs are similar but are smaller and lack wings. Both have long, slender antennae.
Ground Beetles
Predaceous ground beetle (carabid) adults are elongate with a hard, shiny, upper surface. They have prominent, long legs and antennae. Most species are medium to large, about 1/8 to 1 inches (4–25 mm) long. Their color varies greatly, but many species are blackish or dark reddish.
Managing Fall Invader Pest
These kinds of pests are hard to deal with because they are not looking for food, mates, or water. They merely want to be somewhere warm. Since you are unlikely to turn off your heat for the winter, you can’t really remove their temptation. Therefore, the best strategy is a good defense.
Ensure that the perimeter of your home is well secured. Check caulking around doors and windows, make sure that screens fit tightly and there are no large holes in the screening. Pipes and chimneys should also be checked for access points.
Insecticide barrier treatments can stop some invaders, but if you put the product out too early the residues will fade before the invasion; too late and they are already inside. It might be best to hire a professional to try and use a pyrethroid type product on the exterior of your home.
If you find some of these insects inside, the best course of action is to simply vacuum them up and dispose of them outside. Avoid using insecticides indoors, in particular the “bug bombs.” If you find a large group of these insects, you can spray them with soapy water to kill them before removal