Typically, insects don’t go around hunting and stalking you in your home. (Although it can feel like it at times!)
Most bugs simply like to have a warm and cosy space for the same basic reasons you do. Depending on their life cycle and the time of the year, these pests seek out something that offers them food, water, shelter and a place to hibernate. If your home meets all the criteria, you can be quite certain that you’ll have a few guests moving in.
Since Autumn is generally a boom time for insects in British gardens and homes, you can expect to see more daddy longlegs, bedbugs, wasps, cockroaches, house spiders, ladybugs, cluster flies and fruit flies arriving in droves as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. During this time of year, these insects are driven to seek light and warmth in homes and other buildings.
Keep Insects Outdoors
The first step to preventing insects from ruining your home is keeping them out. To slow down the scenario of the outdoors moving indoors make sure to keep firewood stacks, compost bins and garden waste as far away from your home as possible. Before you bring in any firewood, check it carefully for any bugs that may be hitching a ride. Keep on top of sweeping up Autumnen leaves and other plant debris as these make both convenient hiding spaces and breeding spots. Prune any trees or plant branches that are too close to the foundation or windows of your home.
Cluster Flies
For the most part, cluster flies or attic flies that invade your home during Autumn are not there to feed or breed but rather to hibernate. These are known disease carriers though, so prevention is key to mitigate a sudden cluster fly infestation come breeding time when the weather starts to warm up.
These pesky pests are capable of crawling into the smallest dark spaces so pay close attention to gaps in your homes siding and roofing tiles, as well as the joints where the roof meets the walls. Also, plug up any holes in screens and windows. If you’ve left it too late, however, a quick Google of “local pest control near me” will direct you to the experts in your area who can nip the problem in the bud.
Bedbugs
These small opportunistic bloodsuckers thrive in early Autumn, spring and summer and are known to hitch a ride on anything including clothing, suitcases and car upholstery. Highly populated areas are often highly populated with bedbugs too and once they get indoors, they can infest more than just your bed. While the bites won’t kill you, they are certainly very itchy and unpleasant and the last thing you want during the holidays is a full-on bedbug infestation.
Bedbugs prefer dark places like cracks and crevices in baseboards, walls and electrical outlets so their presence is often tricky to detect. To keep them out of your home, inspect all mattresses before first use for their droppings which look like dark brown spots. When returning from any trips, inspect your luggage carefully and wash all your clothing in hot water. If you suspect that bedbugs have set up camp in your home, be sure to seek professional pest control services.
Ladybugs
Of all insects, in the Autumn these little beauties have rather a benign reputation. But while ladybugs are known as a symbol of good luck, finding a large cluster of them in your home can be a little disconcerting. As the colder weather approaches and the ladybugs’ natural food supply starts to diminish, that’s when you may see more of them coming inside to seek out a cosy spot to hibernate.
Ladybugs generally choose high places to nest such as under siding and shingles in attics, porches and garages. They can also be found inside walls and in window and door frames. Proper sealing of any gaps in these areas will help to discourage them from sticking around. It may be helpful to place cloves and bay leaves around potential hiding spots to prevent pests from moving in. If you see any clusters of ladybugs indoors, sweep them up or vacuum them up. Be careful not to crush them though as the smell they emit is pretty darn pungent.
Spiders
Autumn is typically the “time of the spider.” While these are great companions to have in your garden to keep other insect populations down, not too many people enjoy their creepy presence in their homes even though the majority of the spiders in the UK are non-venomous. The numbers of spiders you’ll encounter, once inside, can increase rapidly as the eight-legged critters go a tad stir-crazy frantically searching for suitable mates to begin breeding with.
To discourage spiders from settling down in your home and taking over, remove any visible webs promptly and turn off exterior lights at night. Since light attracts a spider’s food source, shutting that cycle down will be a big deterrent.
One spider species you may want to consider keeping just a few of hanging around your cellar and attic is the cellar spider, more commonly known as the daddy-long-legs. These delicate and wispy looking spiders with tiny bodies and long spindly legs build loose and messy webs in the corners of rooms where the wall meets the ceiling. They not only feed on many insects they find in your home, but they also hunt other spiders, including large house spiders.
When nature gets a bit too busy in your personal space be sure to contact us for advice and professional pest control services to keep insects at bay in the Autumn.