How East Tennessee Residents Can Protect Themselves From Fall Pests

Fall is coming our way, and there is nothing we can do to stop it from reaching us. However, there are a few things you can do to keep your home safe from the fall pests that are now on the search for a cozy place to stay this winter. A warm home like yours may seem especially inviting to pests such as boxelder bugs, ladybugs, mice, and stink bugs—so here’s everything you need to know about each of them.

Boxelder Bugs, Ladybugs, and Stink Bugs

Each of these common fall pests seem to think your home is a great place to stay warm throughout the winter, and all of them can cause you problems. Boxelder bugs, stink bugs and ladybugs almost always enter your home in large numbers. They congregate on windowsills or in the corners of your ceiling, huddling together in a protected group from the outside environment. Having these pests crawling around your home and hiding in every corner can be annoying enough, but did you know that these bugs can also cost you money?

Because boxelder bugs are drawn to heat sources in your home, your A/C unit is a common area that they gather around. If their numbers get too large, however, this can cause you issues by making your A/C work too hard—even to the point of overheating. The costs associated with your electric bill may spike due to the extra work your A/C did to compensate for the boxelder bugs gathering there.

Both ladybugs and boxelder bugs produce a foul-smelling waste that can stain your walls, furniture, and other fabrics in your home. These stain spots are often difficult to clean, making your home look filthy and forcing you to replace the items they ruin. A knowledge that isn’t always widely known is that the pheromones produced by a ladybug’s blood and waste can linger in your walls for years, attracting more ladybugs to your home year after year, leading to further infestations in the future.

Stink bugs are insects that are known for the disgusting smell they emit when crushed or threatened, and are more of an agricultural pest than anything else. They invade your home to stay warm while the weather is cold, but as soon as things start warming up, they will move back outside. If you have a garden, they can be especially irritating, as they will feed on the crops you are growing.

Mice

Mice are the biggest problem you will face this fall due to the fact that they cause structural damage by chewing on wires, PVC piping, and several items made of wood. Additionally, mice will get into your foods, which is dangerous because they are carriers of several diseases that can be transferred to humans. The crevices mice squeeze through to get into your home creates larger openings for other pests to enter, and mice often bring ticks and fleas in with them on their fur. Diseases they carry can be dangerous to your health, so it is very important that you understand how to keep them out of your home.

Everyone wants to keep all of these pests out of their home and avoid any unnecessary costs or damages to their property. Here are some things you can do to help keep pests out of your living space this fall.

• Seal all cracks and crevices in the foundation of your home
• Make sure all your windows screens are free of rips or tears
• Fill in any gaps under or around windows and doors
• Be sure that your vents are properly covered
• Keep trees and all other landscaping trimmed back from the exterior of your home

If you already have pests inside your home, or would like to have a sure fire way of keeping them from entering your home, be sure to give Russell’s Pest Control a call. Our specialists know all about the pesky tricks pests will use to get into your home, and we have several treatment options to guarantee none of them will even try. At Russell’s Pest Control, we care about keeping our customers’ homes pest free and comfortable, so contact us today—and we will keep pests away all year long.