Occasional Invaders
How to deal with occasional invaders
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Brown marmorated stink bug. Photo by Wil Hershberger. |
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Multicolored Asian lady beetle. Photo by Natasha Wright, FL Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org. |
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Wood cockroach. Photo by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org. |
Identification is the first step. Find out what your pest is and how it got in.
Once you know what you've got, suck 'em up with a vacuum—or catch and release if you're kind—and prevent further intrusion. This might mean fixing screens, closing windows at night, inspecting plants before bringing them in, sealing cracks and crevices, or installing door sweeps.
No need for pesticides here.
What they look like
Occasional invaders come in many shapes and sizes. They're the pests that come in through a crack, an open door, a hole in a screen, a potted plant, or a piece of firewood. They don't often infest a home (that is, feed and breed), so are more a nuisance than anything. Common invaders are stink bugs, ground beetles, sow bugs, millipedes, crickets, wood cockroaches, cluster flies, lady beetles, springtails, leaf-footed bugs, hornets, wasps, and earwigs. Not to mention all the tiny night-flying insects that fit through a screen, heading toward your light.
Where they live
Usually not in your house, which is why the concern isn't great. When they're inside your home they're either lost or over wintering. Lady beetle, cluster flies, leaf-footed bugs—they're not feeding and not breeding.
What they do
They're annoying. Other than that, not much.
Resources
See results from the Northeastern IPM Center's resources database.
