Don’t drive pests inside your home Cool Autumn days

By Eric Barrett

OSU Ext. educator

Autumn is the time when the bugs are getting tired of the increasingly cold weather and decide that your house is a better place for them to keep warm. Now is the time to do some basic prevention to keep them from gaining access to your home.

The multicolored Asian lady beetles have built up immense numbers and will cluster on homes and buildings after cooler evenings. This non-native beetle is a great predator of numerous pest insects, though. The beetles are rather large for a lady beetle, but they can easily slip through any crack. Adults seem to be especially attracted to light-colored structures on warm afternoons. They creep around the edges of windows and doors and are unafraid of entering any opening.

Brown marmorated stink bugs seem to be around most of the year anymore. But they do become more common inside the home during the fall of the year. Slightly over 1/2 inch long, these bugs have a shield shape with white markings around the shield and on their antenna. They are not harmful, just a nuisance.

Boxelder bugs are attracted to lights and will readily fly in open doors and windows. These bugs are a nuisance in great numbers, produce a foul odor when crushed and may stain curtains with fecal matter. Adults are flat-backed, elongate, narrow, about 1/2 inch long, and have dark brownish-black bodies with three lengthwise red stripes behind the head. They are most common around homes with boxelder trees in the yard.

Some tips for getting rid of and to prevent them from getting inside:

Caulk and close openings around light fixtures, doors and windows, unscreened vents, holes in walls around utility pipes or conduits, air conditioners, heat pump lines and through the foundation. Screen all windows, doors, crawl spaces, exhaust and roof vents.

Sweep up the bugs indoors with your vacuum and dispose of the bag.

Rake leaves and grass away from the foundation in a 6- to 10-foot-wide strip, especially on the south and west sides.

Outdoor insecticides are available for around your home, but this is not an effective control method – especially in fall. Read all labels before purchase or use.

This is also the time of year when populations of a number of predators seem to peak, including spiders. There are over 600 species of spiders found in Ohio. All spiders are predators, and all species in Ohio feed primarily on insects. Spiders are important in reducing insect pest populations. Homeowners are urged to practice restraint, appreciation, and understanding. Aside from providing free Halloween decorations, spiders also provide a great service by reducing the need for controlling more significant pests.