Prevent pesky critters from coming indoors

The arrival of cooler fall weather has signaled the outdoor bug population it’s time to prepare for winter. They need to find mates and then find a warm place to hide until spring.

Unfortunately, one of the best places they love to stumble into is inside our warm, cozy houses.

Garden bugs such as spiders, sage bugs, grass bugs, stink bugs, box elder bugs, leaf-footed bugs and others are showing up indoors in sizable numbers. While they are only seeking shelter, they end up startling us when they turn up in unexpected places.

Take heart, most of these garden refugees are not going to do much if any damage to your house, children or pets.

Sure, some spiders can bite, and stink bugs can emit an obnoxious odor when disturbed, but they do so only to defend themselves.

But it can be a little disconcerting when they appear on the wall or floor, or in one case I heard about, drop out of the ceiling into bed with you.

So how do you check for their presence? First, please don’t reach for the can of bug spray. It isn’t going to have much of an impact and there are several environmentally friendly things you can do with the same results.

A bug’s active metabolism is what carries the insecticide through the insect’s body, so insecticides are ineffective now because the bugs’ metabolism is slowing down for winter. So throwing chemicals all over the place is a waste of time, money and it shows a lack of environmental respect. There are other things you can do.

First clean up junky clutter in and around areas where you see a lot of bugs. This will allow you to see where they are hiding and remove potential hiding places.

Get out the vacuum cleaner and vacuum all the little nooks and crannies you can get to. Dark corners, behind large objects, open floor joists and rafter areas. Pay special attention to areas near doors, windows and places where wires and pipes come into the house. When you get done, remove the vacuum bag, place it in a plastic bag and throw it in the garbage so the bugs don’t crawl back out.

Set out sticky traps for spiders and other bugs that tend to run along the floors. Place them along baseboards in dark places. Check the traps every couple of weeks and replace when the surface is covered with critters.

As you vacuum, watch for holes and cracks in walls, window casings and foundations which allows bugs to come inside. Fill the cracks with sealer or foam insulation. Check weather stripping under doors for gaps and replace as needed. This also will help reduce heat loss from your house.

Outside, check the foundation, windows and doors for spaces big enough for a bug to crawl in and seal them. Remove thick layers of mulch from foundations and trim back twiggy shrubs to reduce places for the bugs to hide.