Month: October 2020

It can be more than a little disturbing when a large number of bugs start to congregate on your deck, or on the exterior of your home. But this is exactly what you can expect from boxelder bugs. If you’re seeing these insects on your Hendersonville property for the first time, you probably have questions. Lots of questions. Hopefully, this little guide will give you the answers you’re looking for.

Boxelder Bug Identification

Let’s make sure the insects you’re seeing on your property are, in fact, boxelder bugs. There are a few visual characteristics.

• A boxelder bug is an elongated oval shape and has a low profile.

• An adult is about ½ an inch in length.

• An adult will have a black and fiery orange coloration.

• Nymphs can be mostly red.

• Boxelder bugs swarm.

• When congregating together, you may see a mixture of adults and nymphs.

Are boxelder bugs dangerous?

These insects have piercing-sucking mouthparts. They use their mouthparts to break the skin of fruit. While they are not known to bite people, there are reports that they may bite defensively. The wound caused by a boxelder bug shouldn’t amount to much more than a small red spot on the skin. Refrain from handling them and you should be fine.

What problems do boxelder bugs cause?

• These insects feed on boxelder trees, maple trees, and the fruit of fruit trees. This can be destructive.

• The feces of boxelder bugs can stain surfaces and fabrics.

• Boxelder bugs can stink. While they don’t stink as bad as stink bugs, some say the odor is quite unpleasant.  

How do boxelder bugs get in?

These insects can get into homes through any gaps, cracks, or holes they can find. The entry points they use are common entry points that all pests use.

• Damaged door and window screens, window panes, door sweeps, weatherstripping, vent covers.

• Gaps around pipes, wire conduits, doors, windows, and exterior wall penetrations.

• Cracks in foundation walls.

• Cracks in the mortar around bricks.

• Pest damage to wood frames, sole plates, and other building materials.

How do I keep boxelder bugs out?

• Use a caulking gun to seal any gaps in your exterior.

• Use a foundation repair kit to patch cracks in your foundation wall.

• Use a patch to fix screens, or have the screen material replaced.

• Purchase door sweeps, weatherstripping, or vent covers.

How do I get rid of boxelder bugs?

If boxelder bugs get into your home, you can use a vacuum to remove them from your home. This can be a simple process if you only have a few. If a bunch have gotten in, it is best to let the service team at All-American Pest Control take care of the problem. Our service team members use a crack-and-crevice treatment to get bugs that are hiding in your home, and your service professional can handle the hard work of using a vacuum to suck up the beetles that are crawling around in your home.

Perimeter Pest Control

Boxelder bugs aren’t the only pests that can get into your Hendersonville home this fall. The best way to keep all fall pests out is by investing in Perimeter PLUS. Our Perimeter PLUS pest control gives you coverage for over 47 common Tennessee pests, including boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, and stink bugs. During the warm months of the year, this service will protect you from mosquito bites by reducing mosquito populations around your home. Now is the perfect time to get started. Reach out to us today and schedule to meet with one of our friendly and knowledgeable service professionals.

This is the time of year when it is important to consider a tiny beetle known as the Asian lady beetle. These little guys may be nice to have around in your garden, but when they get into your home they can cause trouble. They’re irritating houseguests and they have the ability to stain your belongings. Let’s take a look at a few things every Brentwood resident should know about these insects.

Why Asian Lady Beetles Are Fall Pests

When temperatures drop, Asian lady beetles go into hiding. In nature, they hide in cracks and crevices of rocks, or underneath tree bark. If they crawl on your home, they might get into cracks and crevices in your foundation wall, or underneath the “bark” of your home—also known as siding. Now is the time to make sure you don’t have any entry points these insects can use to get into your home, such as:

• Holes created by water and pest damage.

• Gaps in the weatherstripping around exterior doors.

• Openings provided by damaged or missing door sweeps.

• Holes in door and window screens.

• Gaps around pipes, wire conduit, and other foundation wall penetrations.

• A pathway into your home through a broken window pane.

Asian Lady Beetles Look For Fruits And Berries In Fall

If you have an apple tree, raspberry patch, or some other fruit or berry bush in your yard, you may have more trouble with Asian lady beetles than your neighbor. While Asian lady beetles feed on aphids most of the year, they turn to fruits and berries in the fall. Keep this in mind as you determine how much effort you need to give to keep these beetles out of your home.

Asian Lady Beetles Aren’t Dangerous

When these insects get into your Brentwood home, you don’t need to be overly concerned. While Asian lady beetles can bite you, they’re not inclined to do so, and their bites are not harmful. These insects are not known to transmit diseases to humans. So, the greatest concern is their ability to stain your stuff.

What To Do About Asian Lady Beetles

If you seal your exterior, you might be able to keep these pests out. Any Asian lady beetles that get inside can be sucked up with a vacuum, just be sure to dispose of the bag outside. If you would like greater control, remember that All-American Pest Control is always available to assist you with industry-leading pest control.

How All-American Pest Control Can Help

While no treatment is guaranteed to eliminate all of the Asian lady beetles in your home, or keep them from getting into your home, Perimeter PLUS Pest & Mosquito will give you the best control possible.

Outdoor Control — We provide an exterior misting service that helps with the reduction of Asian lady beetles, boxelder bugs, stink bugs, and also mosquitoes. This service gives you coverage for 47 of Tennessee’s most common household pests.

Indoor Control — If Asian lady beetles, or any other fall pests, get into your Brentwood home, we can do an indoor inspection, vacuum the insects up, and treat around your windows and doors with a targeted crack and crevice treatment.

If you have questions, we’d be happy to answer them. If you’re ready to take the next step and do something about Asian lady beetles and other fall pests getting into your Brentwood home, reach out to us and schedule a pest control inspection. We’ll help you find the right pest control program for your specific needs and budget. Connect with us today. We’re standing by to help.

When the weather cools, many of our Nashville pests get inside. It’s not their fault. They’re just doing what comes naturally. But that doesn’t mean you have to let them. Let’s take a look at a few of the pests that commonly get in during the fall and discuss some ways you can keep them out.

Stink Bugs

These shield-shaped, mottled grayish-brown insects leave the crop fields in the fall and start getting into man-made structures. If they get into your Nashville home, they can be frustrating to deal with. They are most known for the unpleasant smell they create when disturbed or crushed.

Box Elder Bugs

These oval-shaped bugs with their fiery orange and jet black coloration are definitely noticeable when they start crawling around on your home, especially when they gather by the hundreds or thousands. While they have the ability to bite, they’re not known to do so. When they get inside, they may stain curtains, bedding, furniture, and fabrics.

Asian Lady Beetles

These insects are often called Halloween beetles due to their coloration and the time of year when they start to become a real problem. They climb all over screens, crunch underneath your feet when you walk to the door, and gather into piles in the corners of your door and window frames. These insects can sometimes bite. They also cause stains.

Prevention Tips

There are many differences between stink bugs, box elder bugs, and Asian lady beetles, but all of these pests are managed in the same ways.

• Do a detailed inspection of your exterior. Seal any gaps, cracks, or holes you find. A caulking gun can help you get this task accomplished.

• Inspect your exterior walls from inside your home. Examine around the outside of electrical outlets, switches, ceiling fans, light fixtures, window frames, door frames, and skylights. Seal any gaps you find.

• Make sure your screens, door sweeps, and weatherstripping are all working the way they should. If not, repair or replace them.

• Have your roofline and seals around roof penetrations inspected and repaired.

• If you have a chimney, consider having it capped.

• Reduce exterior lighting where it is not a security concern. Lights attract these insects.

• Replace exterior white bulbs with sodium vapor lights or yellow bulbs. This will reduce the attraction.

Mice and Rats

When temperatures drop, rodents start getting into Nashville homes more frequently. When they do, they don’t usually stay permanently. They go in and out. This is not good. Rodents can cause damage to your home and your belongings. They spread harmful microorganisms and diseases. They drop ticks, fleas, and other parasites as they travel around. And, a rodent infestation will increase your chances of a house fire. Rodents chew on wires and gas lines.

Prevention Tips

• Most of the tips given above will help with rodent exclusion, but keep in mind that a rodent can chew a hole where there is no hole, or make a small hole much larger.

• Remove objects away from your exterior walls and reduce vegetation in your landscaping to make it difficult for rodents to find hiding places near your home.

• Put wire mesh in your downspouts to prevent mice or rats from getting up to your vulnerable roofline.

• Trim tree branches away from your roofline to prevent rodents from jumping onto your roof.

• If you have bird feeders, consider moving them to at least 20 feet from your exterior. Seed is an attractive food source.

• Address any conditions that create standing water.

Rodent And Pest Control

Remember that All-American Pest Control is here to assist you with all of your pest control needs. We provide coverage for over 47 of Tennessee’s most common household pests, including mice and rats. We’ll make sure your exterior gets the protection it needs. Reach out to us today. We look forward to helping keep those fall pests out.