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Professional Overwintering Pest Control In Cincinnati Ohio
Overwintering pests consist of all insect species that enter a dormant state right before and after winter begins each year. Overwintering indoors is not ideal for these insects. At least, none of them want to spend the winter outdoors exposed to snow, sleet, ice, and cold temperatures. This is what drives the overwintering pest to infiltrate homes at every opportunity.
Overwintering Pest Species
In Cincinnati, the most commonly reported overwintering pests include the box elder bug “boxelder bug,” stinkbug, ladybug, cluster fly, and leaf-footed pine seed bug.
Overwintering Box Elder Bug
Boxelder bugs are small insects that only grow to about 0.5 inches in length. The insect’s most distinguishable physical characteristic is its solid black red-outlined wings. The insect flies short distances to evade capture and predators, access a food supply and safe shelter, and infiltrate homes through vulnerable attic vents, soffit, and eaves.
The box elder bug is not known to sting humans or animals. However, its pungent odor related to a secretion utilized as a part of a safety mechanism is unbearable for some people. The insect releases the secretion when threatened and injured.
Overwintering Ladybug “Asian Lady Beetle”
The ladybug is highly distinguishable, thanks to its orange, yellow, or red wings covered with black polka dots. The wings are covered with a shell-like material. This level of protection helps minimize injury during flight, landing, and combat.
Ladybugs like their natural habitat until it is time to spend overwintering outdoors. In the late fall, the insect begins attempting home infestations.
Overwintering Cluster Fly
The cluster fly shares many of the same physical characteristics as the common housefly. Both species are flying pests that have been associated with water-borne and foodborne illnesses. The primary difference between the cluster fly and common housefly is the cluster fly is an earthworm parasite. While the common housefly is a parasite, Both fly species feed on blood from animals and humans.
The cluster fly feeds on the earthworm until maturity. The insect takes advantage of every opportunity to infiltrate buildings to spend the winter in a warm, indoor environment.
Overwintering Leaf-Footed Pine Seed Bug
The leaf-footed pine seed bug is not a prolific breeder like the cockroach, ant, and bed bug. These insects grow up to ¾ inches in length. The body, legs, head, and antennas are dark brown or very close to black. The diet consists of saps from pine cones and seeds of the pine tree.
Like the box elder bug, the leaf-footed pine seed bug huddles together in colonies to stay warm in the winter. However, those lucky enough to evade the harsh cold outdoor winter weather seek shelter in dark, warm, and damp areas inside of buildings.
The insect is highly recognizable, thanks to its large size. For an insect, the leaf-footed pine seed bug is slightly larger than most other overwintering pests. In fact, the insect is larger than the stinkbug, which says a lot about its size.
Overwintering Brown Marmorated Stink Bug “BMSB”
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) is more commonly known as the stinkbug. Like the ladybug and box elder bug, the stinkbug emits a foul odor related to a secretion utilized to keep predators at bay.
The stinkbug originates from Asia, making its way to the United States in the 1990s. The first sightings were in Philadelphia, at which time, no one knew anything about the insect.
Stinkbugs are very easy to identify because of their marmorated coloration. The diet consists of various crops and orchard fruits, such as apples. These insects are described by many as a nuisance pest, which most victims totally agree with.
The insect releases its foul-smelling secretion when injured and under stress. Witnesses claim it is an odor that they will never forget.
Why Is My Home Under An Overwintering Pest Attack?
Overwintering pest activity is at its highest in late fall. This is when the insects begin to initiate home infiltration. Some of these insects will have success on the first attempt while others are never successful. Small cracks, gaps, crevices, and other openings are utilized by these insects to infiltrate buildings. Gaps around door and window frames, heat pump ductwork, crawlspace vents, dryer vents, electrical system, and plumbing pipes are all overwintering pest access points.
Immediately following a home infiltration, the overwintering pest immediately begins to search for a cozy hiding place in a discrete area. The most common hiding places include underneath the bathroom and kitchen sinks, crawlspaces, basements, and sauna rooms.
How Can I Get Rid Of Overwintering Pests Taking Over My Cincinnati Home?
In Cincinnati, it is difficult to ignore overwintering pests in the late fall and early December. These insects strive to score indoor shelter to avoid spending winter outdoors. When forced to spend the winter outdoors, overwintering pests huddle get colonies in shrubs, in trees, underneath firewood piles, and in tall grass.
How Can I Keep My Cincinnati Property From An Overwintering Pest Invasion?
Overwintering pests are some of the most dedicated insects when it comes to home infiltration. These insects notoriously hang out in front of houses, businesses, government entities, and public facilities, waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate. Fortunately, overwintering pests do not transmit disease or parasites to animals or humans. However, some of these insects have been connected to water-borne and foodborne illnesses.
Knowing the risks is just one way to protect your home and family from an overwintering pest infestation. Utilizing a waterproof caulk or silicone sealant is just one way to fill in overwintering pest access points. But, first, you must initiate a visual inspection of your home’s pest barrier, which includes doors, windows, roofing systems, walls, ceilings, and floors.
Know Where The Access Points Are Located
As previously mentioned, pest access points are commonly located in door frames, crawlspace and attic vents, window frames, garage doors, thresholds, and electrical wiring. Fill in these openings with caulk or silicone to keep overwintering pests out of your home once and for all.
Silicone Sealant
A waterproof sealant is utilized for just about everything under the sun. In fact, Cincinnati businesses and residents utilize the sealant to repair brick siding, Larger holes should be filled in with plywood or metal sheet cut-to-fit.
Fill in tiny crevices with caulk and larger openings with the plywood, followed up with foam insulation or a waterproof sealant.
Common Overwintering Pest Access Points
It is not unusual for overwintering pests to sit back and wait for a home infiltration opportunity. Instead of searching high and low for an access point, the insects patiently wait for one of the household members to unknowingly invite them. In these cases, the insects will fly inside buildings as entrance doors are opened.
They will also access homes through unattended windows.
Vulnerable Door Thresholds
it is not unusual for entrance door thresholds to weaken over time. Utilize metal screws to secure thresholds to the floor just beneath the door. Damaged thresholds should be repaired with improved alternatives.
Clapboard Gaps
It is not unusual for housing developers to mass-produce homes. When this happens, imperfections are noted all throughout the homes. For example, gaps between fascia boards and clapboard. These openings can be utilized by rodents (squirrels and opossums), birds, and insects to infiltrate homes.
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