Fall Invaders and Tips to Prevent Them

 

Autumn, the season is full of fun activities and football games with our favorite food. However, when spending quality time with friends and family, be aware of unwanted guests – mosquitoes, stinging insects, and flies. These critters do not calm down with the cooling temperature as most people would assume. Instead, they may invade your barbeques, relaxing time on the porch, or even sneak inside your home to try and share your sandwich!
Why don’t they just buzz off?
Carpenter AntsMosquitoes are cold blooded so they do hibernate or die off eventually, but this requires colder weather with the temperature consistently below 50°F. In the early fall months, the brisk weather offers the perfect temperature for mosquitoes to stay active even during the daytime.
For stinging insects like wasps and yellow jackets, the need to prepare their queen for the winter becomes a priority in the fall. The shortened daytime in the fall reminds them it’s the time to collect food and to be more protective near the hive. Unlike summer which offers abundant food sources, in the fall there is less food and more competition to obtain it to survive. Just like us, wasps are looking for a quick energy boost. Proteins and sugary food like ice cream, wine, soda, fruit, and meats are potential invitations for them to stop by and snack.
Although we don’t like their painful stings, most wasps are vital to our ecosystems. Yellow Jackets and other wasps pollinate plants and keep earth much less pest ridden because they feed on flies, spiders, and other insects that damage crops and can be nuisances near your home.
Similar to stinging insects, flies appear in and around homes during the fall to seek shelters for the winter. Cluster flies, for example, will migrate indoors in late august or early September. They use small cracks that allow entry into a structure and lodge indoors as adults during winter. Cluster flies will not reproduce indoors or damage your home. They are nuisance because they appear in clusters; they will gather in large numbers at sunny side windows within the home and leave stains on walls and curtains when crushed, gross!
So how to prevent and control them?
The key is to prevent them from invading your home now in the early fall. The National Pest Management Association offers these prevention tips:
• Seal any and all cracks or gaps on the home exterior with a silicone-based caulk.
• Declutter the basement, attic, and any utility rooms so as to eliminate any potential nesting grounds.
• Store food in sealed containers and keep crumbs off the floor.
• Repair loose mortar and replace worn weatherstripping around all windows and doors.
For stinging insects, it is also important to remember:
• Do not attempt to remove a nest on your own or swing/swat at stinging insects; an aggressive reaction and repeated stinging may occur.
• If stung and you have a reaction, seek immediate medical attention since reactions can be severe.
Watch our videos to learn more about above pests from our expert entomologists. Call us today at 855-855-4873 to schedule a pest inspection or a treatment!

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