Every fall, Monmouth County, New Jersey home and business owners brace for the onslaught of three invasive insect pests looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Stink bugs, box elder bugs and Asian ladybird beetles overwinter in building soffits, attics, wall and ceiling voids.
In the fall, these insects may gather by the thousands on sunny exterior walls searching for a way indoors. In some neighborhoods, these pests can be so numerous that they coat siding, decks and patios and must be constantly swept away.
Stinky House Guests
These overwintering insects make unpleasant house guests. When startled or crushed, they emit a foul, lingering odor and can also stain fabrics and wallpaper with their excrement. As temperatures drop, these insects will seek shelter in wall voids, reappearing in the spring to return to the outdoors. However, warm winter days may bring these pests out of hiding to bask on sunny interior walls.
Top Overwintering Pests
- Stink bugs. A significant agricultural pest, stink bugs cost New Jersey farmers millions of dollars each year. These insects have thin, shield-shaped bodies that allow them to slip through window and door frames. Usually dull brown or gray, stink bugs may also be green, blue or black.
- Box elder bugs. Black with distinctive red or orange markings, box elder bugs feed on box elder, ash and maple trees but pose no threat to vegetation.
- Asian ladybird beetles. Orange with black spots, these Asian transplants are beneficial agricultural pest deterrents but are so numerous they can overwhelm buildings in the fall.
Don’t let overwintering pests bug you. Call Allison Pest Control’s pest extermination experts for safe, effective pest control.
