Fall Invaders... In the Spring?

Living in New England means enjoying four distinct seasons, each with its own colors, personality and charm. But the turning leaves, shifting temperatures and days growing either longer or shorter aren’t the only indication that a seasonal change is underway – New Englanders can also mark the seasons by the type and number of indoor pests they encounter.

The busiest season for some pests happens in the fall, when cooling temperatures trigger a massive indoor migration among some of New England’s heartiest species. Known as “fall invaders,” insects like brown marmorated stink bugs, Asian lady beetles, cluster flies and boxelder bugs can become a real nuisance if not managed properly come autumn.

But wait, if those are considered “fall invaders,” what are they doing indoors as spring starts ushering in warmer weather? Believe it or not, they might actually be trapped and eager to get out of your home. 

When Spring Mimics Fall

Before we explain why these “fall invaders” might make an appearance in your home during the spring months, it’s important to understand how species like the brown marmorated stink bug, Asian lady beetle, cluster fly, and boxelder bug earned their collective name in the first place. 

Dubbed “fall invaders,” these pests enter your home as the temperature drops in the early autumn for one reason: to survive the winter months. If you spot them in your home during the spring, odds are they haven’t just entered the building -- they’ve actually been there, but out of sight, all winter. 

For example, stink bugs begin to emerge from their overwintering locations starting in the spring. All those stink bugs you’re suddenly seeing again aren’t new – they’ve probably been shacking up with you since last fall, hiding until now.

Even though you’re dealing with the same exact pests as you did in the fall, some parts of the autumn pest-control playbook -- like sealing up cracks and crevices in your home’s exterior, for example -- aren’t going to help in the springtime. But the good news is springtime bug evictions are actually easier, if counterintuitive: just open your windows and remove the screens to give them a chance to find their way out.

On a warm spring day, opening your windows will actually draw pests back to their natural habitats outdoors, where they’d much rather be. In fact, that’s where they’ve been trying to go since they woke up from their overwintering slumber. Now that they no longer need the indoor shelter of your home, they want to go back to their natural environment. Opening windows makes their return much easier.

Of course, you don’t have to stick to passive pest control methods like opening windows. There are a few other things you can do to encourage your wintertime housemates to vacate in the spring...

Send Pests Home with a Little Spring Cleaning

A little spring cleaning can go a long way in keeping pests out of your home, no matter the season. Smart and simple strategies that you can practice during any season include the following:

• Starting in the kitchen, go through your entire pantry and get rid of any expired or stale food, thoroughly cleaning cabinet shelf surfaces before you start putting items back. This will make your kitchen far less attractive to pests by removing a food source.

• In your kitchen, but also in bathrooms or washrooms, promptly wipe up any spills and look carefully for leaks and/or standing water. In addition to food, bugs need a water source, so be sure not to provide one.

• Finally, head outdoors for a thorough check of your home’s exterior. You’ll want to fix or replace any loose or missing roof shingles, clear out gutters and traps, and make sure your yard as a whole is neat and tidy.

Need some help eradicating some other springtime pests? Give us a call to speak with a knowledgeable team member about how to best defend your home.