Continuing our theme of the bug migration to your home as the season changes to Fall, we’re dropping some additional knowledge on identifying and eradicating strange bug species that have entered your home. If it seems like a high volume of a specific bug is taking up residence, odds are they hatched in or near the house and are using the same methods for entry and staying warm.
With that in mind, here are some easy ways to identify the types of bugs you see and what to do to slow them down.
Boxelder Bugs
Odds are you have seen these bugs every Fall, and just don’t know what they are called. Boxelder bugs have black bodies with red criss-cross lines, and are very common throughout the Pacific Northwest. They feed on juices from box elder and other trees. If your property has a strong population of foliage and trees, you are bound to find these. Preventing them from entering your home is almost impossible as their bodies are relatively flat. They also reside in the tiniest of cracks or spaces in your moulding. To prevent these, treat your trees with repellent. If the volume is unusually high, contact professionals to remove them, otherwise set traps where you are continually finding them.
Stink Bugs
YUCK! You just tried to smash one of these, or your child picked one up, and now that disgusting smell is on your hands and in your nose. We’ve all been there. There are over 50 varieties of Stink Bugs in the PNW, one of the most common being Halyomorpha halys Stål, an invasive species that arrived here from China as recently as the early 2000s. They spray a chemical from their legs when threatened, and they enter your home most commonly through ventilation systems. Preventing these from entering your home is extremely difficult and often frustrating. We recommend doing spot checks and removing the pests with a reusable paper towel. Keeping vents and chimneys sealed when not in use will also slow these down.
Yellow Jackets
These jerks also utilize vents to enter your home. They navigate vent systems by moving through small holes in screens, or they come in through your chimney and squeeze their way into the living room. You’ll commonly find yellow jackets buzzing around your window frames when they are ready to go back outside. The easiest way to block them from entering your home is to double-check for holes in the exterior screens covering your heating system. Don’t smash these with your bare hand! If you are not sure if your home intruder is a bee or a wasp, here are some wasp identifiers. Call us if you have a nest on or near your home and need it removed.
Got a Pest Problem?
We can help! Contact Northwest Pest Control in your area by phone from this page. More preventative measures for spiders and other pests can be found here.