Stink bugs, ticks and mice. Here’s how to keep pests away from your IL home this fall
While fall isn’t the time most people typically worry about pest infestations, the season pushes some species indoors seeking warmth, and they might stink up your metro-east home.
Unlike some insects that seek shelter in the soil, behind tree bark, underneath logs or under fallen leaves, the brown marmorated stink bug often weasels its way into homes and businesses to survive the winter.
Stink bugs can enter through very small cracks and crevices where wires enter your home, through siding gaps, near windows and doors and other ways.
The National Pest Management Association’s 2022 fall and winter forecast predicts stink bugs will invade Illinois homes this season as temperatures cool. NPMA chief entomologist Jim Fredericks told the Belleville News-Democrat the pests frequently gather in the south side of homes where it’s usually the sunniest.
The best way to protect your home from stink bugs is to seal any entry points you can identify, Fredericks said, which will also likely help mitigate drafts in cooler weather.
But if stink bugs still manage to find their way inside, squashing them probably isn’t the best way to get rid of them. Though the odor stink bugs emit may not be quite as pervasive as a skunk’s, they still don’t offer the type of fragrance most people prefer.
“Some people describe the odor as like a cilantro-type odor, I don’t know if that’s the same for everyone. It’s not necessarily pleasant,” Fredericks said.
Instead of squashing them, Fredericks advised residents to scoop the insects up and take them outside, or use a vacuum.
If large numbers of stink bugs have nested in your home’s walls, Fredericks recommended avoiding home remedies that kill the insects while they’re still in the walls. The odor dead stink bugs emit can cause a secondary pest infestation of carpet beetles or similar species as they look to feed off the stink bugs.
What other pests may bug metro-east residents this season?
Along with stink bugs, ticks can also become an issue on certain fall and winter days, and they can be problematic for both humans and pets.
“Now, we don’t normally think about ticks as winter-time pests. But unlike stink bugs and rodents, which are going to seek shelter indoors, ticks will enter a state of dormancy as the weather cools,” Fredericks said.
On warmer fall and winter days, when it reaches around 50 degrees, ticks will become active and start seeking hosts, Fredericks said.
Ticks shouldn’t be as much of an issue as they are in spring and summer because there are generally fewer warm days, but one walk in the woods when it’s 50 degrees outside could be enough for a tick to hitchhike.
If you spend time outside on a warmer fall or winter day, you should wear a bug repellent designed to protect against ticks and check yourself and any pets or belongings for ticks after, Fredericks said.
“If you can find and remove a tick within the first 24 hours, you can substantially reduce the likelihood that tick will transmit pathogens that cause things like Lyme disease,” Fredericks said.
Fredericks recommended people take a shower when they get indoors, as it makes the tick check easier. If you find a tick when you’re in the shower, you can usually wash it right off, Fredericks added.
The third pest the NPMA warns may plague Illinois residents this fall and winter is rodents, particularly house mice. Like stink bugs, mice typically enter the home through gaps and crevices, and they only need a dime-sized hole to get inside.
One common mouse entry point in homes is where garage doors reach the ground, Fredericks said, because worn-down seals may allow enough space for rodents.
It’s important to be aware and stay on the lookout for mice, Fredericks said, so you can identify an infestation before it becomes less manageable. A single house mouse can produce up to 25,000 droppings in a year, Fredericks continued, and droppings may be the first sign mice have entered your home.
Pest professionals may be able to help with mice problems, and there are also several home remedies.
If you opt for a live trap and release method, make sure to check with local regulations before dropping the rodent off in a remote location at least two miles away from your home.
This story was originally published October 23, 2022 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Stink bugs, ticks and mice. Here’s how to keep pests away from your IL home this fall."
