October 8, 2021

Pest Deterrents for Fall 2021

We’re now doing the last of the exterior pest prevention sprays to ready us for the fall-winter transition. Rochester’s autumns are wonderful—bright leaves, crisp temperatures, and all the apple cider you can drink. Rochester Pest Pro is also encountering the crawlier side of fall as we continue our exterior spray treatments.

This is an important time to spray the exteriors of Rochester’s homes and businesses for many reasons. We’ve been saying a lot about mice recently, but today we’re focusing on insects, specifically insects that want to enter human spaces to stay for the winter.

The city of Rochester has this problem because the buildings are warm and close together, but neighborhoods like Fairport and Honeoye Falls also have plenty of insects looking for refuge from the bushes and trees.

Winter Insect Control

The insects that we’re doing exterior sprays for are:

  • Ladybugs. Ladybugs are cute, physically harmless, and some consider them good luck. If allowed to winter over, they will emerge in numbers and become a nuisance.
  • Stink bugs. Stink bugs are some of the worst offenders when it comes to pest insects spending the winter in walls and other such spaces. Without winter insect control, they can accumulate to the point that their musty-smelling corpses must be vacuumed up.
  • Boxelder bugs. These are physically harmless, but they too come in crowds. Boxelders also fly, often into our heads and computer screens. Along with their lack of respect for personal space, they have an acrid smell when they die.
  • Cluster flies. Cluster flies are different from house flies in that they would rather eat decaying flesh than sweets and would prefer to be outside. They will use wall voids and cracks as wintering spaces but will cluster around doors and windows when they want to get out.

Preventing Winter Insect Problems

The best ways to guard your space against overwintering insect pests are the same as the methods to use for other pests— secure your structural integrity.

  • Fix loose chimney flashings.
  • Replace torn or worn-down door seals.
  • Repair torn screens.
  • Close holes or cracks in electric and/or plumbing fixtures.

We’ll inspect your property for both pests and the above issues. Rochester Pest Pro practices integrative pest management (IPM), meaning we handle the problem from initial inspection to follow-up and maintenance treatments. Our goal is to give Rochester safe, comfortable environments while keeping our ecosystem intact. Each creature has value, but boundaries are important. Contact us here or call (585) 486-4815 to have us come and check for insects hiding for winter.