It’s officially fall, which means Michigan’s woods and fields are buzzing with stinging insects fueling up for winter; and some of them are grumpy.
Yellowjackets are especially not in the mood to be trifled with as they can be really intolerant this time of the year. As things begin to wind down in the fall, they can become aggressive.We receive numerous calls each fall season with homeowners claiming to have a nest somewhere on their property Homeowners will notice singleton bees and wasps hanging out around their doors, windows, and soffits; they searching for any crevice to squeeze into. Yellowjackets often nest in the ground in colonies that can reach 4,000 to 5,000 workers. The entrance holes they are searching for might’ve been there since spring— but autumn is when the colony reaches its largest and when the insects become feisty. One reason is the last hatch consists of next year’s queens, which are the future of the colony.
Encounters
Swat a stinging insect and you might trigger and even more threatening response: Like a honeybee, a dying yellowjacket releases a pheromone that alerts the nest. Meddling or even stepping in the wrong place can trigger a full-on attack with the wasps swarming and pursuing.
Humans are most likely to encounter stinging insects as they look for food. Their diet somewhat changes. Throughout the summer wasps are predators, feeding on other insects. In the fall they develop somewhat of a sweet tooth. Fermenting fruit, colas, ciders, fruit juice, become more attractive to the wasps. Because of this, they tend to linger about orchards, cider mills, picnic areas, outdoor restaurant seating, and barbecues— all popular fall hangouts for Michigan residents.
Similar to mosquito bites, wasp stings contain a protein that can cause itching. They can and will sting multiple times, along with hornets. Both wasp and hornet stings can be painful and swell for up to 24 hours as they inject venom into their victims.
Honeybees, on the other hand, have a barbed stinger and can only sting once, as they die after stinging. The stinger remains in the victim’s skin until someone removes it. You can easily scrape it out with a fingernail or with a credit card.
Overall, avoiding these insects in any season is the best method to prevent stings. Knowing the correct precautions to take not only keeps your fall season safe but above all, fun!
For more information on how to distinguish stinging insects from one another, be sure to check this out!
Here are some examples of nests to avoid:
Miller, Korin. “Is That Stinging Insect a Bee, Wasp, or Hornet? Here’s Exactly How to Tell.” Prevention. 18 May 2020, www.prevention.com/life/a32389815/bee-vs-wasp-vs-hornet-difference/.
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)
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.
If you’ve stayed up-to-date with our blog, then you probably recall a post from a few months back discussing garden pests. While all of that information is relevant, it is essential to consider a few more factors that should be taken into account when gardening.
The home landscape is a complex habitat mainly consisting of vegetables, flowers, turf, and other foliage. For the majority, gardens are a relaxing place where we tailor the environment to our aesthetic and physical needs. Yet the garden is also home to nuisance pests. As a result, residential landscapes have become the depository of nearly 11% of the conventional pesticides used in the USA. Indeed, acre for acre, your cousin’s tomato patch has more pesticides than a farmer’s soybean field! Fortunately, the garden is also home to the natural enemies of these pests. Most gardeners come to know a great deal about their plants’ growth needs, but often know little of the resident insects within their garden.
We do not consider many of the insects in a garden to be harmful. The vast majority of North American insect species are either harmless to humans and garden plants or beneficial. To properly utilize the work that natural enemies do, we must first identify them and help them flourish. By using natural enemies to control pests, you reduce the need to use pesticides.
Garden placement
Garden placement is imperative for botanical survival. Be sure to keep gardens away from the home or structures, as they will cast shadows; keep planting areas at least 10ft from walls. Crops planted in the shade are less productive and may be more susceptible to disease and insect damage than planted in full sun.
Who are Friends of the Garden?
Most of us are familiar with ladybugs, spiders, and praying mantids; we know their diet consists of a lot of bad bugs. In addition, there are many other ‘natural enemies’ that are also taking care of pests. There are three major groups of natural enemies— predators, parasitoids, and pathogens.
Predators, such as ladybugs and spiders, eat much prey throughout a lifetime. They are often the most visible natural enemies in our garden and are larger and more robust than their prey. Some are agile hunters, while others sit and wait to pounce on a victim. You can promote beneficial predatory insects by including flowering plants in the garden.
Parasitoids are insects that develop as young in a host, leading to the eventual death of the said host. Unlike predators, most only kill only one object of prey during their juvenile stage. Many wasps and flies are parasitoids, but they are typically small and therefore go unnoticed.
Pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, nematodes, protozoans, and fungi— cause diseases. Many of these happen to naturally occur in our gardens, while others must be introduced. Commercial companies have begun to develop many of these pathogens as spray and bait formulations, making them more comfortable for us to use.
How To Avoid Common Garden Pests
To minimize beetles, clean up the garden and rotate crops every year. Hang birdhouses in the garden as birds enjoy eating worms. Water gardens in the morning only as slugs and snails prefer feeding on wet foliage. Encourage birds, snakes, frogs, and toads because all of these critters eat slugs and snails.
Carefully inspect all new plants for white flies before purchasing from a nursery. This is actually a constructive tip for preventing all of the vegetable garden pests.
It is that time of the year (again) when homeowners need to start thinking about fall exclusion against overwintering pests and wildlife rather than prevention alone. It is most ideal for homes and businesses to take the necessary steps to exclude various pests before the temperature really begins to drop.
The most common fall pest problems include:
Rodents
Wildlife
Overwintering Insects
Rodents
The house and field mouse are two of the leading players in this group. The house mouse prefers grains, seeds, cereals, fruits, and vegetables— virtually anything humans will consume. They will take up residence inside and feed off of whatever they can find, and they do not come and go.
Field mice are most known to find dwellings inside in older homes and structures, such as barns, garages, etc. We most commonly find them in areas where there are more forests and fields. They are scavengers and will eat any food that is readily available to them— from birdseed to garbage.
Wildlife
Wildlife that you may find yourself trying to eliminate from your home would include raccoons, squirrels, birds, bats, and opossums. These animals can create several different issues depending on the animal. They all, however, can wreak havoc on your home, attic, and electrical equipment, not to mention the health hazards which can arise from the feces and urine. All of these animals search for ideal places to overwinter, which is why fall exclusion can be very common.
Overwintering Insects
These include anything that will try to survive the cold winter months inside a hidden protective section of your home or business. This includes stink bugs, Asian lady beetles, and cluster flies.
Stink bugs are small enough to use many different opportunities to enter a structure, so think about more than just the windows or doors as possible entry points.
Overwintering guests usually occur in the fall when the temperatures start to drop. They can be located in your attic for up to six months during the winter, which is why homeowners will then see huge populations as they make their way out around the windows and doors as the temperature begins to increase.
When the stinkbug or other pest starts warming up, you may begin seeing them move out of light fixtures, vents, and any other opening they may have found. Their antennae are capable of sensing temperature change and wind current.
So why exclusion as opposed to trapping?
Fall exclusion is always the best policy with overwintering pests (although it is not 100% when it comes to in-laws).
Protecting an area against pest access via physical exclusion is the most effective method for protecting your home or structure. Exclusion involves altering the environment so pests cannot enter or travel through.
Wildlife tends to occupy space under structures or decking through unseen gaps and holes. To most homeowners, merely trapping the animal seems like the best option. Though useful in most cases, trapping is not a permanent fix. Typically, property owners have had to trap an animal every year in the same spot. Excluding the deck using different applications, depending on the intended animal (or animals) that the homeowner would like to keep out, is the key to success. In most cases, the exclusion is guaranteed permanent.
How do you know exclusion is best for you? Just take a look!
The best starting point is to walk the perimeter, scanning the home top to bottom. Look for overhanging branches that may give easy access to the roof or vents. Look for entry points that need to be repaired. Think small; a mouse can enter into a hole the size of a dime.
Look for excessive coverage on the ground level. Make sure you are not giving rodents and other animals a protective place to move around with no chance of being discovered. Think about relocating woodpiles and other items that may be leaning up against the home or structures, as these can be safe havens or access points for unwanted guests.
Call a Pest Control or Wildlife Removal Professional
Exclusion reduces long-term pesticide requirements, as well as continued trapping. There are particular products we utilize to stop mice or other pests from entering a structure. A copper mesh can be used in most entry points where ventilation is needed. Caulk, netting, and wire mesh are ideal around windows, doors, holes, and cracks. Cap the chimney opening, ridge vents, and any other accessible runs into the attic should be repaired and closed off.
During our inspection, we will also check openings from the ground on up, look at the roof, shingles, vents, soffits, and plumbing penetrations.
We’ve excluded, but are still spotting wildlife scurrying about.
If you happen to be dealing with a severe rodent problem, it may be time to invest in bait stations and bait to place around the structure and keep them working for you year-round. This will keep the outside population under control and help stop them from entering at all.
For overwintering insects, applying a residual insecticide to the entry points will eliminate the large populations you may find yourself. Spraying the exterior of the home, usually, the south side is an excellent area to start as this will help reduce the numbers that make it inside.
Example of our work
Hogarth’s Pest Control & Wildlife Removal offers our customers a solution to the entire problem, not just a band-aid. If you are suffering from any unwanted pests or wildlife near your home this fall, exclusion may be right for you. Call us today!
A fall nuisance, boxelder bugs get their common name from the fact that they are often found on and around boxelder trees. The species is native to the western states; however, they can live wherever boxelder trees are—from eastern Canada throughout the United States to eastern Nevada. The bugs are primarily a nuisance pest as they enter structures, including homes, sheds, and garages to overwinter.
Boxelder Bugs Appearance
Boxelder bugs are black with orange to reddish markings on their back. Adult boxelder bugs have somewhat-flattened and elongated oval bodies and are about one half of an inch in length. They have six legs and two, non-segmented antennae that are typically half of their body length. Nymphs look similar in shape to the adults but lack wings and are bright red.
Infestation Signs
Boxelder bugs generally become a problem in the fall (and when they emerge in the spring) when they invade structures. Like many pests that overwinter, homeowners may see evidence of these bugs as the temperatures rise. This is when the insects emerge and go back outdoors.
Habits
Overwintering boxelder bugs emerge from hibernation in late March to early April when the boxelder tree buds open. During this time, the adults leave their hibernation sites to return to their host trees for the warmer months. They first feed on fallen boxelder seeds, later moving to the female boxelder trees where they will feed on the newly developing leaves. Occasionally, boxelder bugs will also feed on apple and plum trees.
The adult females lay clusters of straw-yellow eggs on stones, eaves, grass, shrubs, and trees; but especially in crevices in the bark of boxelder trees. The eggs will turn red as the embryos develop, hatching in about two weeks. The nymphs will feed on fallen boxelder seeds and then on freshly budded leaves. There are most commonly two generations per year in the warmer regions of the United States.
Threats
Inside, boxelder bugs are primarily just a nuisance pest; however, their fecal material can cause a red stain on curtains, drapes, clothing, etc. When crushed or handled roughly, boxelder bugs also produce a sharp, disagreeable odor.
Habitat
In autumn, boxelder bugs become gregarious and assemble on the south-facing side of trees, rocks, and buildings where the sun hits. After gathering in large masses, they will migrate to nearby homes or other structures to hibernate. They tend to hide in small crevices or cracks in walls to insulate themselves from the cold. In anywhere from late March to April, adults will leave their overwintering sites to return to their host trees for the warmer months.
Boxelder bugs are not known biters, but their piercing/sucking mouthparts can occasionally puncture the skin, producing a red spot similar to that of a mosquito bite.
How To Get Rid Of Boxelder Bugs
To prevent a boxelder bug infestation in your home or structure(s), be sure to repair holes in screens, seal crevices and cracks with a good quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk, and install door sweeps to all exterior entrances.
When getting rid of a boxelder bug infestation in homes or buildings, you should not make any attempt to eradicate them in wall voids. Insect carcasses can attract dermestid beetles (ie., carpet beetles, larder beetles, etc.). We recommend waiting until summer when all live adults have left the wall voids. To provide temporary relief, consider using a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the boxelder bugs. You should remove the bag to prevent the pests from escaping. Then, be sure to seal up all entryways into the living space – window and door frames, cracks in the baseboards, etc. – to prevent any future infestation. Remove the cover plate, seal and replace outlets, heating ducts, switch boxes, and air vents for electrical fixtures. For lights and ceiling fans, remove the fixture to its base plate, seal, and replace.
If you suspect a boxelder bug infestation, a licensed pest control professional should be contacted to evaluate and assess the problem.
There’s so much to love about the early fall months; fresh apples, donuts and cider, flowers, colorful hikes, camping, and so much more— however, one of the most significant negatives of the first warm fall months is fruit flies. We’ve written about these nuisances before, but the continued warm temperatures in Northern Michigan have seemingly allowed infestations to maintain. And if you’re like us, you love the goodness of having fresh fruit available and that glass of wine to enjoy without the hassle of these aggressive pests, so, we thought we would offer some DIY methods in curbing the seemingly endless issue.
Unfortunately for homeowners, the average natural life span of fruit fly adults (in optimal temperatures) is forty to fifty days. Females have the capability to mate and lay several batches of eggs in that time, which allows the fruit fly population inside of a home to multiply quickly.
Now, many commercial traps can aid in ridding your home of them, and we even offer them to customers. That being said, there are also some natural and effective remedies that you can do by using goodies found in your pantry that’s inexpensive and effective.
Keep in mind, however, that to curb an infestation, it is imperative to start at the source. Ensuring any houseplants you may have are potted in high-quality soil, maintaining clean drains, keeping all areas dry, washing dirty dishes, and keeping trash receptacles tightly closed are all effective methods. If these efforts remain unsuccessful, it may be time to seek out other options.
Below, we’ll share some at-home methods that are proven effective if you’re experiencing a visit with those pesky rascals.
Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is genuinely a heaven send for attracting fruit flies. They absolutely cannot stay away from it. Mixing the vinegar with a few drops of dish soap is a timeless method in trapping and killing the flies.
Essential Oils & Herbs
Basil, peppermint, and eucalyptus are a few of the herbs that help to deter fruit flies. Placing these in tea bags or muslin sacks and hanging them around the house can help to prevent them.
Lavender, camphor, (be very cautious with this one), peppermint, clove, and lemongrass essential oils deter fruit flies as well. They simply can’t stand the smell. Dab some cotton balls and wipe the oils around the home, especially in the kitchen area, and deter them all while making your home smell naturally amazing. Another method is dipping tea bags into essential oil blends and hanging around the home.
Beer & Wine
It’s no wonder why these pests like a good glass now and then. Fruit flies are lushes of a sort and love the smell of red wine, and it will draw them in very rapidly! So, a small glass of leftover wine used to trap them, similar to the apple cider vinegar method, works exceptionally well with attracting, trapping, and killing the fruit flies. Beer is a close second, which is no wonder why you will find hoards of them buzzing around your recycling. The same method words for beer as well, so whichever beverage you have handy should do the trick.
Fruits
Place jam, jellies, or ripened fruit (especially bananas) into a jar covered with plastic wrap to attract the fruit flies.
Incense
Fruit flies hate all smoke but especially smoke from incense—their bodies can’t handle inhaling it. When they inhale, they die fairly quickly, which can help leave you fruit fly-free.
Closing Tips
Keeping fresh fruit refrigerated, reducing any standing water including in vases, as fruit flies are attracted to the sugar water in most flower arrangements, and getting rid of any rotting fruit (the yeast is where they lay their larvae).
If all else fails, there is hope on the horizon as fall progresses. Studies show that at 60°F, the lifespan of fruit flies significantly decreases. When the temperatures fall below 53°F, these flies stop developing entirely. While the first frost may not seem like something to look forward to for many of us, those experiencing a fruit fly infestation can rest assured that these unwanted houseguests will soon be gone— until next year, that is!
During the late summer and fall and also in late winter/early spring months, the invasion of flying yellow or reddish-brown to black ants is common. Also known as citronella ants, the winged female swarmers are golden-yellow while the males are black. Their nickname is the citronella ant because when crushed or alarmed, it gives off a pronounced citronella or lemon verbena-like odor. Homeowners often fear that these 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm long-winged insects are termites. However, in most cases, they are usually reproductives of either the smaller or larger yellow ant.
Although there is one species of subterranean termite living in Michigan that will swarm in the fall months, most termite swarms are active March to late May. This necessitates knowing the difference between the flying ants and flying termite species.
Antennae: Termites have beaded antennae similar to keychains; flying ants have elbowed antennae with the bend at or near the middle.
Wings: Termites have four wings, all equally lengthed and almost twice the length of their thorax. Though ants also have four wings, their hind wings are shorter than the front wings and are not twice the body length. Also, ant wings have prominent wing venation. The wings of termites have no prominent veins and resemble milk glass.
Body shape: Ants have a three-segmented body, with their waists constricting like an hourglass between each segment. Flying termites have two body segments without the constricted waist.
In most instances, termites shed their wings shortly after swarming.
Habits
Citronella ants typically nest outside next to foundations or under concrete or wooden slabs. They survive almost exclusively on honeydew, which is a sweet material made by root-feeding mealybugs or aphids. Therefore, workers seldom invade homes or structures in search of food in contrast to many other ant species. However, they may cause problems by pushing dirt through cracks in foundations and slabs. The winged yellow ants can and do cause concern when flying into living quarters, creating a termite-like fright. Also, a very large number of yellow ant reproductives (with wings) and the smaller workers (without wings) may congregate on the side of a building on a mild fall to an early spring day, which can also cause a scare.
Tips for Control
Colonies do not require professional pest control unless the swarmers enter a home or structure. Even in these cases, treatment may not be possible because it is difficult to know precisely where the colony is located beneath the structure. Sealing all cracks in the floor where the swarmers enter can stop the swarm from entering a home or building, but the ants will likely find other cracks. Any treatment of extreme cases will involve drilling and treating beneath the slab, thus requiring the services of an experienced professional.
