Did you know that the best time to treat for many of the nuisance insects – such as Box Elder, Asian Lady Beetles, and some types of flies – that plague some properties in the spring is now? If you had an infestation this year, the best time to treat that is now, in the fall. Because now is when they’re looking for nice tight places to hang out for the winter.
And that’s where they’ll make SO many new babies, all of which will emerge in the spring, and quite likely, hang around throughout the whole summer too.
OPTION ONE: IGNORE
If they don’t bother you, that’s great. You don’t have to do anything at all about them.
OPTION TWO: Do It Yourself
If they do bother you but you want to the DIY approach, pull out your vacuum or a spray bottle of soapy water, and off you go. Every one you manage to remove is one less batch of new ones next year. Worth doing! The other thing you should do, if they are getting inside, is figure out HOW they are getting in.
Start where you see them most often and look for cracks and/or crevices and/or even holes anywhere in those areas. Most often, the problem will be window frames or doors that need to be re-caulked.
It’s best to avoid squishing them if you can – they are a type of stink bugs and they do! And they can also stain things.
OPTION THREE: Cottage Country Pest Control
Or we’re happy to take care of it for you. Our treatment at this time of year is all about ruining their overwintering spots. If the population is relatively high, I’ll do a spray first to reduce it. But the most important part is the use of an electric duster to get diatomaceous earth (with or without pesticide) into any and all cracks and crevices. We will also spray the areas around infested trees or areas.
