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Fall Invaders

As shadows lengthen and days become shorter, we begin to see some six-legged critters sneaking around our windows, eaves, and soffits. This change is a good time for a reminder about just who some of these fall invaders are and how you can tell them apart. The insects are all just following the instinct to seek a secluded overwintering spot. Unfortunately for everyone, what happens next is anything but natural. The exterior sidewalls of our structures provide a beautiful array of nooks and crannies for these critters to sneak. The problem is that these spaces are often within human dwellings.

Who are the fall invaders on the side of my home?

Three of Michigan’s fall invaders are closely related in the order Hemiptera, or ‘true bugs.’ They are the boxelder bug, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), and western conifer seed bug (Table 1). During late summer and fall, it is possible to find all three species on one building.

Of these three insects, the brown marmorated stink bug is the newest arrival to Michigan, and the only one is a garden or agricultural pest. Often mistaken as a BMSB, western conifer seed bug is less common and mostly remains unnoticed until fall. Boxelder bugs are native Michigan insects that can be relatively abundant in some parts of the state. Boxelder bugs are not considered garden pests, but they can become a nuisance in homes only due to the large quantities that can accumulate on around doors, windows, and in attics over the winter.

If you are unsure whether the insects in your home are BMSB or not, Table 1 will help tell them apart. We use the shape of their hind legs, overall body shape, and color to differentiate these three fall invaders.

 

 Table 1. Features that distinguish Michigan’s most common true bugs (Hemiptera)

Common name Diet Body Hind legs Color
Brown marmorated stink bug Wide variety Pentagonal Long & thin Brown, tan, with white
Western conifer seed bug Seeds of conifers Elliptical Flat & broadened Brown, tan, with white
Boxelder bug Boxelder and related maples Elliptical Long & thin Black with red

 

Like many insects in the order Hemiptera, all three have a piercing-sucking mouthpart and can use it in self-defense. In other words, handle them with caution. It is important to note, however, that none of these insects sting or transmit disease; they do not reproduce in the winter. They are simply nuisance pests. In some of the most severe cases, excretions from high numbers of these bugs may stain furniture.

A fourth fall invader worth mentioning is the Asian lady beetle. These beetles spend their summers dining on aphids and other agricultural pests. They form large aggregations on the sides of structures in the fall as they search for a spot to overwinter.

Unlike the three mentioned previously, multi-colored Asian lady beetles are beetles (Coleoptera), not true bugs. Asian lady beetles can bite but do not spread disease. They also emit foul-smelling defensive secretions that can stain fabrics, and, in rare cases, can cause allergic reactions.

What causes these fall invaders to gather?

The summer months are when insects are active outdoors. However, as daylight lessens, insects undergo a physiological change known as ‘diapause.’ diapause is a time of inactivity during which they eat little to nothing and do not reproduce. In their natural habitats, the insects spend winter beneath tree bark.

BMSB begin to gather on the SW-W sides of buildings when there is less than 12.5 hours of daylight, usually the second or third week of September in Michigan. They mainly migrate toward garages, sheds, and siding with small spaces or gaps that protect them from the elements. For several weeks in the fall, BMSB and other aggregating insects may attempt to enter homes searching for an environment protected from snow and cold temperatures.

How can I keep them out?

In fall, be sure to check for gaps on the outside of the house that are wide enough for insects to enter. You can cover these areas with screens, wire mesh, or caulk. Window air conditioners should be checked for gaps. When hundreds of swarming insects are outside of a home, leave the windows closed or check for openings in the screen. The force of water from a hose knocks insects off exterior walls.

On homes with severe outbreaks, we apply a pest control treatment to the foundation or siding.

What do I do once they are inside?

The best way to control nuisance pests indoors is through removal or exclusion by a professional. Inside, BMSB are attracted to light and may fly towards light fixtures, resulting in an annoying buzz. We do not recommend applying insecticides to overwintering insects that are already inside your home. The chemicals will only kill insects that make direct contact and prevent additional insects from finding their way inside.

When hundreds of stink bugs are in the home or shed, vacuum with a shop-vac, on warmer winter days, a stray stink bug or two may emerge from diapause and walk or fly around the house. By this time, all overwintered insects are already inside a home, and hand-picking is the easiest way to eliminate them.

Fall invaders perpetually return each year. However, knowing the signs and how to prevent an invasion from occurring in your home is imperative.

Spring has Sprung

Spring is here, which means so is everything (or everyone) that comes with it. We’ve mentioned these months being the mating season for various wildlife, but we have yet to touch on the creepy-crawlies that decide to make their way out of hiding as the snow dissipates.

When pests wake up in spring, they’re hungry, thirsty, and ready to find mates. To make up for their long winter’s nap, they tend to enthusiastically pursue these activities. Their valiant pursuits create problems that are all-too-common this time every year. Here are the most common pests you’re bound to encounter this spring, what they’re up to, and the challenges they cause.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB)

Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs

During the fall, BMSB’s desperately seek out any warm place where they can hunker down for the winter. Once they find their spot, they become dormant until temperatures rise back up to survivable levels. Once this happens, they wake up with a one-track mind: mating. In their earnest attempts to get back outdoors, however, they tend to get trapped inside.Luckily for homeowners, BMSB’s don’t nest or reproduce indoors, bite, or spread disease. True to their name, however, they do stink. When threatened, BMSB’s secrete a foul-smelling substance from a particular scent gland. The scent is reminiscent of rotten vegetables. These smelly secretions can also leave behind a dark yellow stain on carpets, furniture, and window sills.

Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder Bugs

Starting in the early fall, boxelder bugs seek out warm, dry places where they can wait out the winter months. Unfortunately, those ideal places often include homes. When spring makes its appearance, boxelders become active again to reproduce and find newly rejuvenated food sources. When this happens, they vacate their winter hideaways in droves. If they were overwintering in your home, you’re going to run into them again in spring.

Boxelder bugs are a nuisance, but like BMSB’s, they’re not dangerous. Boxelders spread disease, don’t bite, lay eggs indoors, or eat fabrics or stored foods. Instead, they vacate the premises to seek flowers and the seeds of trees such as, you guessed it, the boxelder. The nuisance part comes from the quantity you may notice as they vacate. Boxelder excretions can also stain window ledges and other favored areas.

Pavement Ants

Pavement Ants

The short but very active pavement ant mating season begins in late spring. During which you may notice swarms of larger-than-average, reddish-black ants moving in alarmingly large groups, called clusters. After mating, the ants lay eggs in the tight crevices of pavement (aptly named). When young pavement ants emerge, they begin to look for a food source almost immediately.

In the home, pavement ants are most often encountered in swarms in your kitchen. They break down and carry off many types of stored food, especially sugars and grains. When food is available, they tend to linger. It’s not uncommon to find an ant infestation in pantries, cabinets, cupboards—anywhere food is readily available. They indeed will attack whatever they can get their mandibles on. Unlike other pests on this list, they tend to stay active as long as they’re warm and have food.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants

During spring, these infamous wood-infesting ants come marching in to nest and search for water. Carpenter ant infestations tend to be the most noticeable at the beginning of the season. Starting in mid-spring, the reproductive carpenter ant castes swarm to seek mates and start new colonies. After mating, queen ants find ideal places to lay eggs. These eggs hatch into worker ants, and the infestation begins.

Carpenter ants are a problem because they colonize in wood. The tunnels they bore can compromise the structural integrity of wood products. Carpenter ants don’t eat the wood they infest like termites. Instead, they hunt for sources of sugar and protein. You may find forager ants in your basement, kitchen, or garden. Keep a close eye out for swarmers (winged) in particular. If you notice these flying ants in your home, chances are their nest is also inside your home.

Spring is always a lovely, refreshing time of year–, especially after the brutal Michigan winters. Don’t let any of these pests ruin that new-season bliss for you. If you need any help combating an infestation so you can enjoy the beautiful parts of spring, give us a call. We can deal with the dirty work so you can enjoy the rest.

Overwintering Pests

With winter at our doorstep, pests have already begun searching for shelter from the harsh elements. Unfortunately for humans, they often end up as unwelcome guests in your home and other buildings. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) suggests homeowners take proactive steps to prevent overwintering pests from invading their houses. A few pest-proofing techniques can help prevent the aggravation of infestations and help prevent structural damage and protect family health.

When pests enter homes to overwinter, they can often go unnoticed. However, as the weather warms, they reemerge and become active, often revealing more significant problems.

There are all kinds of different people in the world. Some will stop everything they’re doing to chase a single stink bug around the house. Others can have hundreds crawling in their curtains, walking across their television, buzzing through the living room and kitchen—and dismiss them as nothing Most fall somewhere in the middle. No matter where you land, we’re thinking you would probably like to know how to keep those pests out of your house.

Keep Out!

Knowing how to prevent overwintering pests from moving into your home begins with understanding the reasons they enter a house in the first place. Overwintering pests are unique in that they don’t prefer to live indoors; in fact, many of them cannot survive inside. Their food sources are outdoors.

So, why come in? The secret is in their name. Overwintering pests are transient and need a place to stay for the winter months. Once the cold weather dissipates, they’re happy to go. The problem is, they can be quite a problem while they’re waiting to do so, namely in the spring, as they try to leave and have trouble figuring out how they got in.

In many cases, these pests will make themselves comfortable in seasonal homes where they become dormant. However, if a homeowner is to visit and raise the temperature in the home, these pests will awaken and emerge. This can be quite disturbing for anyone looking to celebrate a holiday or spend a peaceful weekend at the cabin.

Prevention

The two ways to avoid welcoming overwinterers are directly linked to the behavior of these pests. In the fall, rather than warming themselves on the sunny side of a rock, they are most likely warming themselves on the sunny side of your home. This can be easily averted by hiring a pest control company to treat any exterior walls. If the pests are unable to congregate, they won’t be exploring your defenses to find a way into the home.

The second way to avoid these pests is essential, but can be ineffective if not completed properly. Since overwintering bugs are searching for a way in, it makes sense that sealing your cracks and crevices in walls will keep them out. The problem is that your walls have a lot more vulnerabilities than one may realize. Many pests, including mice, can squeeze into tiny holes in areas under your porch or deck, slide under siding, wiggle in through torn screens, and make their way right down your chimney. While it is essential to address as many entry points as you can, the only real solution is to create barriers to seal them out.

Common Overwintering Pests

Stink Bugs – The brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive species from Asia, has quickly spread throughout much of the United States over the years. Though the majority of their lifecycle is spent outdoors, they become a smelly nuisance when they invade homes in high numbers searching for overwintering sites.

Asian Beetles – Most species of this beetle family pose little threat to humans, but the multi-colored Asian beetle can aggravate asthma and cause allergic reactions. They also tend to exude a staining, yellow, foul-smelling fluid. These are not to be confused with Lady Bugs, a harmless species of beetle.

Boxelder Bugs – Boxelder bugs congregate on warm spots of buildings before migrating indoors to overwinter in insulating cracks and crevices. Their fecal material can discolor fabric, and they occasionally bite when handled, which causes slight irritation.

Mice – Though they don’t “overwinter” per se, mice are active year-round and scurry indoors when the weather cools to nest and be close to food sources. Their constant gnawing causes damage and even spark electrical fires. They are also a sanitation issue, contaminating food and defecating on surfaces like counters.

To prevent pests this fall, repair torn screens, seal cracks with high-quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk, fill holes around utilities with steel wool and install door sweeps on exterior entrances. If you suspect an infestation, a qualified pest professional can evaluate the problem and recommend an action plan.

 

BMSB

The brown marmorated stink bug, otherwise abbreviated as BMSB, is an invasive species; as it was introduced to the US from Eastern Asia in the mid-90s. It is also known as the East Asian or yellow-brown stink bug. The BMSB was first collected in the United States in Allentown, PA in the fall of 1996, but was not identified until years later in 2001. From there, it quickly spread east. Today, BMSB has been identified in 44 states including Washington DC. The stink bug’s native range includes China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

Stink Bug Odor

BMSB is aptly named by the odor they emit when they feel threatened. It is thought that this odor aids in protecting against predators. The bugs produce the smelly chemical in a gland on their abdomen. Some species can actually spray the several chemical inches. The smell has often been compared to potent herbs like cilantro.

Interestingly enough, the composition of the odor is comprised of chemicals commonly used as food additives and is actually present in cilantro. This smell can linger for hours so it is in your best interest to try to avoid the bugs or carefully sweep or vacuum them up if they have entered your house.

Physical Attributes

Stink bugs are characterized in several different ways. They are described as “large and oval-shaped” and “shield-shaped”. Adult BMSB can reach almost 2 cm in length and are almost as wide as they are long. Their legs extend from their sides, which makes adult bugs appear even larger. The BMSB is brownish in color with lighter bands on their antennae and darker bands on their wings.

Adult stink bugs are strong fliers and fold their wings on top of their body when they land. The wings of nymphs are not fully developed but they do appear as they become an adult. Mature wings are an identifier of adults.

The nymphs are very tiny when they first hatch and are yellow and red in color. As they mature the yellow fades to white. Nymphs have bright red eyes during this stage of their lifecycle. They molt or shed their skin 5 times as they mature. Nymphs become larger each time they molt. By their final molt, the nymphs are almost as large as adult stink bugs.

Habits

In general, adult BMSB feed on fruits and the nymphs feed on leaves, stems, and fruit. The life cycle of BMSB typically involves mating, then reproducing, and feeding from the spring months to late the fall. Upon the cold temperatures, stink bugs seek shelter to spend the winter in a dormant phase known as ‘diapause’.

BMSB search for overwintering sites in late fall before the weather conditions change drastically.  They spend the winter in diapause inside homes or buildings, usually within the walls, attics or crawl spaces. However, diapause may not be the total competition of their season. If the weather warms up for long enough, overwintering stink bugs may be misled in thinking it is time to exit diapause and become active once again. Stink bugs will then reemerge in early spring and become active.

BMSB mate and create up to 3 generations per year depending on their habitat. Colder areas only see one generation each year, whereas warmer areas will likely see two or three. Stink bug females typically lay 20 to 30 eggs. These eggs are light green and barrel-shaped, attached side-by-side in a mass on the underside of a host plant’s leaves. The eggs will hatch within four to five days and from there the nymphs will begin to feed.

Signs of an Infestation

In most cases, homeowners will first detect stink bugs by their large invasions in the fall months. Finding large numbers of living or dead stink bugs is also a sign of an infestation. Stink bugs will show themselves on sunny sides of homes where they enjoy warming themselves. Farmers often detect an infestation by the damage caused to their crops.

Threats

The BMSB cannot sting and is also unlikely to bite humans or animals. The stink bug’s mouthparts are grouped into the piercing/sucking category, but they do not use blood as a food source like mosquitoes, bed bugs, or biting flies. Their mouths are not structured in a manner that allows them to bite through human skin.

Stink bugs are relatively harmless to humans, though they do have the potential to spread throughout the country. This could result in harm to the agricultural industry, as they destroy crops. BMSB can cause damage to fruit trees, ornamental plants, and gardens, but they are more of a nuisance pest than an actual threat to humans. They do not spread disease or cause structural damage.

To avoid a potential infestation of these pests, proper exclusion is of the utmost importance. Hogarth’s is well-versed in varying types of exclusion for residential and commercial properties. We will seal entrance holes around pipes, windows, ridge vent and soffits. It is important to note that exclusion alone will not always fix the issue; the home will need to be treated to keep every BMSB away from the structure. Call us today!