Occasional Invaders

The wooden cabinet hinge with termites damage.

Commonly when the weather starts to cool many insects and rodents in Evansville begin to make their journey to shelter to survive the winter. In the wild, that may be a hollow tree, bark of a tree, leaf litter or other type of natural shelter. Many times the best overwintering sites are in a warm home or commercial structure. In the Evansville, Henderson, Paducah and Owensboro area we primarily experience Asian lady beetles, stink bugs, box elder bugs, cluster flies, overwintering wasps and rodents.

In 1916 the United States introduced the Asian lady beetle for the control of aphids and other plant pests. However, their populations quickly inundated the Evansville and Paducah area due to their very aggressive reproductive capacity. They have outcompeted some of our natural pests such as the ladybird beetle pushing their numbers down and possibly driving them out of existence. With all occasional invaders the most important thing is to seal them out. Most insects use pheromones to communicate with each other. Those communications could be sources of food, reproduction or overwintering. If a Evansville homeowners can eliminate the entry points such as leaky windows and doors it can go a long way in making sure the pest don’t come back to overwinter.

Stink bugs were also introduced into the tri state area in the 1990’s through the transport of food products from China and Korea. Western Kentucky, especially the Paducah area receive a large influx of these insects in the fall as they appear when crop harvesting begins. Being a large farming and rural area the impact from these insects appears to be much more severe as we proceed into colder weather. These insects can be particularly disturbing as they release a pungent odor when disturbed. Even though birds and other insects can consume these invaders their habit of releasing their pungent liquid will deter most predators. As with all occasional invaders the most important thing is to keep them out of the structure. Make sure all doors and windows close tightly. Ensure that all screens are not torn and any access around the foundation is properly sealed.

Another overwintering pest that can release a pungent odor when disturbed is the box elder bug. These insects are also very numerous in the Evansville, Owensboro and Paducah area. They are a relatively small insect about the size of a wasp or smaller with black and red markings. As the name implies they feed on sap and small seeds of the box elder tree. However, they can also feed on soft fruits such as apples or grapes. You will commonly find them in Autumn congregated on the sunny side of a structure during warmer days. As the temperature continues to drop they will find their way in through cracks and crevices. Residual sprays will help in their control but the key is sealing their entry points.

Commonly in the winter, pest control operators, receive calls for multiple flies congregated around windows and doors during sunny days. These are almost always cluster flies. Cluster flies are very interesting as they are parasites of earthworms. They lay eggs in the earth near earthworms entry holes. The larvae emerges to feed on the insides of the earthworms before pupating in the earth. It is important to remember that they do not reproduce indoors and are only present to overwinter.

Many species of wasp also overwinter. It is important to remember during their “sluggish” time they will typically walk instead of flying and it is common for individuals to be stung as the wasps overwinter or emerge in the spring.

The most common overwintering pest in Evansville, Owensboro and Paducah are rodents. Mice are prolific breeders and continue to reproduce in the winter inside of homes and commercial businesses. Mice and Rats can be very destructive as well as a contaminating presence as they commonly chew to build their harborage or get to food sources. Once they establish a feeding site frequent urination can contaminate food stores and create a significant odor. While Rats typically need a larger entry point mice can penetrate a home with an opening only the size of a dime making exclusion the most important tool in their control.

Ready to Protect Your Home? Contact Pass Pest Control Today

Call (270) 925-3323 or (270) 477-6695 to schedule your free evaluation, or contact us online to get started. You can also find and review Pass Pest Control on Google to see what other homeowners have experienced.

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BED BUGS: What They Are, How to Identify Them and How to Eliminate The

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Bed bugs are small, parasitic blood feeding insects that can a comfortable home into a very unpleasant residence. Although they are not known to transmit diseases to people, their bites can cause itching and irritation, and an infestation can be difficult to correct without a complete application. However, in larger infestations the problem can cause open wounds due to scratching that can become infected. What are Bed Bugs? Bed bugs are small, dark brown insects that feed on blood. Adult bed bugs are about the size of apple seed where younger bed bugs are about the size of a grape seed and lighter in color. They are compact insects, allowing them to hide in cracks and crevices that are about the width of a dime. Despite their name, bed bugs aren’t limited to beds. They can hide in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, couches, chairs, carpets, cracks and other areas where individuals might rest. How to Identify Them? Bed Bugs can be difficult to spot because they are good at concealing themselves. Most common indications of an infestation are: Blood stains on bedding and mattresss Small dark spots indicating bed bug droppings Small eggs or cast skins Active bedbugs around tufts in the mattress, couches, chairs and cracks and crevices Red bites that occur in lines Where do they originate from? Bed bugs are excellent travelers. Bedbugs have a claw like hook similar to a tick which makes them the ultimate hitchhiker. They can enter a home through luggage, clothing, used furniture, bedding, and other personal belongings. They may also spread between rooms or apartments through cracks and other openings as well as person to person. How do you eliminate bed bugs? A few steps to take reduce your exposure to bed bugs: Inspect used furniture before you place it into the home. Use caution when traveling- inspect head boards, mattresses and all hotel furnishing before removing your items from your suitcase. Carefully check contents of luggage when returning home. Keep rooms organized which will make inspection easier in case of infestation. If you are suspicious of an item treat it for bedbugs before you place it into your home What Do I Do if I Find Bedbugs? Don’t discard of your furniture. Moving the items around can spread the infestation and make the problem worse. Start by carefully inspecting the area where bedbugs were observed. Wash and dry bedding on the highest setting available. Vacuuming is a valuable tool in helping to control infestations but can’t eliminate bedbugs on its own. Bed bugs can conceal themselves in cracks and crevices. Professional pest management may be necessary if the infestations is well established. What to Do? Bed bugs are an unpleasant, but they are a manageable pest problem. Early detection makes treatment easier. If you suspect and problem, inspect carefully, avoid spreading potentially infested belongings and consider contacting a qualified pest control professional for an appropriate treatment plan. If you are experiencing a reoccurring bed bug problem it is likely that you are coming into contact with an infected person or infested item. The key is to act in an organized manner rather than relying on a single treatment for moving to another room. With careful inspection and the correct treatment protocol bed bugs can be eliminated. There are many types of treatments for bedbugs and all of them work to a certain extent depending on the level of infestation and the condition of the home being treated. Heat is a very common way to control bedbugs but it only has about an 80 percent success rate. High clutter and easy avenues to avoid heat impact the ability of heat treatments to be successful. Temperatures have to be maintained at a level of 140 degrees or higher for at least three hours to see optimum results. Uncontrolled heat applications that maintain heat at 150 degrees for higher can result in serious damage to furniture, wiring and belongings. Chemical applications tend to perform very well in small to medium infestations but are challenged by aggressive, more populated bed bug infestations. Cryogenic applications do an excellent job of killing bedbugs on contact but do very little in controlling hidden infestations and leave no chemical residual for long term control. Fumigation is likely the most reliable method. Performed at the proper dosage rate a variety of insects and rodents can be eliminated with fumigation. However, fumigation tends to be more expensive that other applications and leaves no residual as chemical applications will.