Occasional Invaders
Stink Bugs, Boxelder Bugs
Stink Bugs & Boxelder Bugs are typically a spring and fall pest. They will start to come indoors in the fall when the temperature gets cooler. You will find them primarily on the sunny side of the home. They are looking for small gaps and cracks in the home to enter through and hibernate during the winter. Then, when temperatures start to warm up in the spring you will find them emerging and sometimes can even make their way indoors.
- piercing sucking mouthparts
- straight antennae with light brown bands
- characteristic shield shape.
- 12 to 17 mm long
- mottled brown color
- dark bands on the front wings
They can be found in boxelder trees as this is where they breed. If you have any of these trees on your property you will always have a problem with them.
- Black with reddish or orange markings on dorsum
- 1/2” (11-14 mm)
- Elongate-oval, somewhat flattened with head narrower than pronotum
Pill Bugs, Centipedes
They will not survive indoors very long without a food source such as plant matter that is either decaying or is already dead and decomposed.
- Dark brown to black
- 3/4″
- Oval; round when rolled up
- Pill bugs do not survive more than a few days indoors
They are primarily nocturnal and only come out at night. Most people only know they are there if they pick up something they are hiding under.
- Yellowish to dark brown, sometimes with darker stripes or markings
- 1/8 – 6” (4-152 mm)
- Elongated, flattened, worm-like
- They have many legs
- High moisture areas
Earwigs are another year round pest and can come in at any time. They are primarily nocturnal and only come out at night. They will come indoors in search of food or if the weather changes. They will seek out moisture. They are primarily a pests to crops and plants as they can cause heavy damage to them and render them unable to produce flowers or crops.
- Dark brown
- 1”
- Long, narrow
These can be a year round pest. They love high temperatures and high humidity. They are primarily nocturnal and only come out at night. They feed on proteins and carbohydrates and are cannibalistic in nature. They will come indoors in search of food or if the weather changes. They seek out areas of high temperatures and high humidity and this is why they usually show up in bathrooms most of the time.
- Silver to brown
- ¾ inches
- Oval, elongated
- Seen in high moisture areas
There are many ways to treat these types of pests, such as:
- Barrer treatments to prevent them from coming in
- Treating areas they are seen
- Sealing up gaps and cracks
- Replacing seals around doors and windows
- Reducing the condition causing the pests such as temperature, moisture, and hiding locations
With some or all of these treatments we can help stop them from entering the home and prevent them coming back with regular treatments.
