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 This past week, there were numerous Asian lady beetles and
boxelder bugs out an about. A nice, sunny location drew quite a
crowd. That’s the thing about this time of year. Whenever we
have a brief warm spell, or even a sunny afternoon, the number
of these insects seen will increase dramatically. With the
falling leaves, millipede numbers are also increasing in the
home, as they feed on those decaying leave that blew around the
foundation. With any of these insects and pests, seeing them
outside is much different than seeing them in the house.
To cut down on the number of these insects in the home, we can
start with a barrier pesticide application on the foundation of
the house (and the adjacent foot or two of soil around it) with
something like permethrin or bifenthrin insecticide. This puts
down a barrier that insects crawl through when trying to get in
or on your house. Insects may not die immediately, but shouldn’t
last long after crawling through this barrier. In severe cases
of insects congregating on outside walls, entire walls can be
treated. Just make sure you test apply the chemical to a small
section to make sure you don’t discolor siding. Do remember the
Asian lady beetles are beneficial since they eat smaller insects
such as aphids and scale crawlers. That’s one of their issues
right now – their food sources have gone for the winter.
Of course, if insects are already in the house the barrier won’t
stop them. Inside the home, only aerosol products should be
used. The safest of the group are the ones for flying insects
that contain pyrthrins or their derivatives. These products
basically kill insects that you get the spray on, and the sprays
are inactivated by hitting the wall, floor, or other surfaces.
You can spray the air in a particular room and vacuum up the
dead insects in an hour or so. This is one way to get insects
inside the house.
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Another useful tactic, particularly with the millipedes, is
to use baseboard type sprays. These products are typically
labeled ant and roach type products, and may last for several
weeks. Just spray in the high insect traffic areas, along
baseboards, to put down a lasting barrier inside the house.
For those that don’t like to use chemical products, the use of
sticky boards (like the type used for rats and mice) offer an
option for millipedes and somewhat for the boxelder bugs. Place
these in areas where many insects are seen, such as room corners
and under stairs in the basement. Ceiling lights are the best
traps for the Asian lady beetles, that being said with
tongue-in-cheek. The vacuum cleaner is also a good option for
cleaning insects from draperies and the like. Mechanical
control, such as a flyswatter, shoe, or newspaper, can leave
discolored marks from the smashed insect so be careful with this
one.
[By JOHN FULTON, COUNTY EXTENSION
DIRECTOR SERVING LOGAN, MENARD, AND SANGAMON COUNTIES]
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