Which insects will try to enter your home this Fall?
In Georgia, we are accustomed to seeing insects of all kinds outside. Go for a walk on a trail and count the number of bugs you encounter; the amount and variety might surprise you.
It also might surprise you to know some insects like to find an excellent spot to nestle down and stay safe for the Winter. The Fall in Georgia is the season for several types of insects to move into your warm home. Let’s examine a few.
Fall Insects in Georgia
The Kudzu Bug-Relatively new to Georgia, you may have never noticed this tiny bug. They are only about a quarter of an inch in length. The kudzu bug has a green to brown body and red eyes. Hibernating for the Winter, the bug begins looking for a place to snuggle up in October and November. It is attracted to surfaces light in color, and that is where you might find them located in your home.
The Brown-Marmorated Stink Bugs– This interesting little critter is a little more than half an inch and is identifiable by its unique look and white-banded antennae. This stink bug is another relatively new insect to Georgia. They will invade in high numbers when they find the right site for spending the winter months. And, yes, they are stinky.
Asian Lady Beetles– These are the ladybugs that excrete a stinky smell they leave behind inside your home. They will also invade in large numbers to spend the Winter indoors.
Termites- People often confuse termites for summer month bugs. However, for the winter months, termites will come in and reproduce until February. Then you have a swarm that is out of control. Termite extermination is quite a process and is avoidable with the help of a pest control company.
Crazy Ants- These crazy ants sneak into homes and are carried in on winter flowers bought to adorn our homes. Crazy ants are crazy hard to be rid of and seldom respond to baits.
Box Elder Bugs– The Box Elder bug is known to invade homes when the temperature begins to drop. It is a black and red bug you can find congregating outside your home in the Fall. Just don’t let them in, or you will be fighting them all Winter long.
Cluster Flies- These insects are quite annoying. They swarm around your windows and light bulbs to keep warm in the Winter once they get inside the home. Their buzzing and excrement leave quite a bad taste for bugs.
Inside Insect Invasion
These insects are really entirely innocent in the whole matter. They don’t mean to invade; they are honestly just trying to survive the cold winter months as best they can. Preventing them from getting in does take some work. Hopefully, you can head them off at the pass before the winter month arrives. There are plenty of other places for them to buckle down for the cold, right?
Treating the inside of your home can be quite straightforward. Pest Control companies like Pro-Active will place gels and insecticide behind electrical outlets and in the door jams and windowsills of your home. A solution of borax and water does the trick as well but is toxic to humans and pests, so it must be used wisely.
Treating the exterior of your home is the real solution to preventing the invasion of insects from entering.
Treating the Home
You know how this goes. All the standard winter prep must be done for the home, so it shouldn’t be too much to keep insects out.
Try these tips:
- Make sure there are no holes in the screens.
- Keep windows sealed and insulated.
- Repair all vents that may be broken.
- Replace weather-stripping on all exterior doors.
- Don’t leave windows open that do not have screens.
Then, call your local pest eliminator. You have done all you can.
Proactive Pest Control will make sure the entry point insects love to creep in are treated and ready for the cold months ahead. They will add the extra layer of protection you need to keep the insect hibernation in your home to a minimum.
Call Proactive Pest Control for your free, no-obligation quote for year-round service TODAY!