Charlotte pest control companies deal with a rise in certain pests as soon as the weather begins to cool down and the leaves begin to change colors. The shorter days and cooler temperatures are likely influences on this influx. We have broken down a list of the top five fall invaders that most Charlotte pest control companies combat this time every year.
1.Smokybrown Cockroaches
The Smokybrown Cockroach is very common in many parts of the United States. They primarily live outside in organic and/or decaying debris found around your yard. Their size typically ranges from 1″-1.5″ and they are easily recognizable by their uniform mahogany-dark brown color.
We typically see an upswing in Smokybrown Cockroach activity in the fall due to a couple of different reasons. The first is simply because it is cooler outside. Smokybrown Cockroaches are built with a mechanism to seek out heat. In colder temperatures, they can sense the temperature difference between the outdoor climate and your warm, cozy home. They instinctively find themselves wandering to the warmth of your home. Second, the falling leaves from trees is another contributor. As discussed above the Smokybrown Cockroach primarily lives in organic debris, so what better coverage is there than a yard covered or gutters full of leaves? This is why clearing leaf debris away from your home and keeping your gutters clean is so important in the fall.
2. Stink Bugs (Brown Marmorated), Kudzu Bugs, Box Elder Bugs, and Lady Bugs: Overwintering Pests
If you have been in the Charlotte area any time in the fall, you’ve seen one of these four insects hanging out around your home. These four are closely related insects in that they are considered overwintering pests. In short, their metabolism slows, and they essentially enter into insect hibernation for the winter.
These overwintering pests are looking for warm, cozy places to call home during the upcoming winter months. In nature, these homes are typically cracks and crevices in stones, tree hollows, and behind the bark of trees. In urban areas, they make their homes behind siding on your home, cracks and weep holes in bricks, and in attic spaces.
As we get further into fall, you will probably begin to notice them more – specifically on a warm day after it has been cool for awhile. They begin to move around again on these warmer days, and in the process, may find themselves wandering in to your home. The best way to handle them in your home is to prevent them from coming inside from the beginning. Screening your windows and checking your gable screens are two ways to help deter them from entering your home.
3. Spiders
Spiders are naturally active year-round in the Charlotte area, but it may seem like your home is overrun with them in the fall. There is actually an explanation as to why it seems that way. The shorter days with fewer hours of daylight is the key element here. With less sunlight, the lights in and on your house are typically on earlier and/or longer each day. The light from our homes and windows attracts more flying insects closer to our homes, which in turn, attracts the spiders who hunt them.
4. Ant
Ant, specifically the Odorous House, Argentine, and Little Black, sometimes appear that they are attempting to take over homes in the fall. The reason? It is their last big show of the year. Their last hurrah, party, farewell, or more specifically the final forage for the year. It is all hands on deck, and all workers forage for food before settling in for the winter. Charlotte pest control companies typically receive the most calls about ants in the fall during the month of October just before they settle down for the colder months ahead.
5. Yellow Jackets and Wasps
Have you ever noticed all the Yellow Jackets flying around when you visit a pumpkin patch in October? While Yellow Jackets and Wasps are busy all summer, their activity is rampant in fall. They spend all summer gathering protein to feed their egg-laying machine (the Queen). These workers will die when winter sets in, so during the fall, they go out on a binge eating spree in order to consume as many carbohydrates as possible. The newly-mated queen will be the only survivor, and she will begin to search for a good spot to call home during the winter. You can see how we treat Yellow Jackets here in this video.
If you have any questions or you are in the Charlotte area and find yourself dealing with any of these pests this fall, give us a call at (704) 850-6091.