It’s spring, which means longer days, warmer weather and blooming flowers. It also means more bugs getting into your home.
Like many others facing the same annual issues ask, where do these critters come from? And why does it seem so bad this season?
Daniel Mackie, technical director at Green Leaf Pest Control, tells Now Toronto that this year is definitely one of the worst for these invasive critters, particularly because of the lack of an extremely cold winter.
“Mother Nature would typically kill a lot of insects in winter, it’s a sort of symbiotic relationship that happens with nature,” Mackie explained.
“Because it was so mild this year, a lot of insects looked to overwinter inside or next to people’s homes. Out in nature somewhere, bugs, much like a lot of seasonal insects, go under tree bark, under leaf litter, or in areas they can hide and be insulated from the extreme weather of winter. And so when we have homes, they tend to gravitate towards them.”
Mackie says the insects, as much of a nuisance as they might be, are simply seeking shelter from the cold in the cracks and crevices of homes, and have no idea that they’re entering inside homes where they likely won’t be able to escape.
“They don’t want to go outside looking for food, so by mistake, they go towards the warmth and make their way into our homes. But there’s no food or water inside for them. There’s nothing but death,” Mackie said.
A common misconception is that the yellow or orange round spotted bugs you may find in your home are all ladybugs. Mackie clarifies that they are most likely Asian Lady Beetles, an invasive species from the same family of ladybugs (which are also beetles) but are not native to Canada.
HOW TO KEEP BUGS OUT OF YOUR HOME
There are two main preventative measures that homeowners can take when it comes to keeping insects out. The first option is to ensure that any gaps or cracks near windows and roofs are completely sealed by caulk or another type of exclusion material, especially in older homes. Mackie says this step is crucial, particularly during late August to September, which is when insects are cued by nature to find a place to go dormant for the upcoming colder months.
“If the door is closed, then they’ll move on,” Mackie said.
The second option is to use exterior chemical treatments by spraying cracks and crevices around outdoor entry points so that insects would die before getting inside the home.
If you’re facing an infestation, the right time to call pest control completely depends on your tolerance to bugs, Mackie said.
“If someone has a phobia, can’t sleep, or is truly is disturbed by bugs, calling pest control is what you should be doing right away,” Mackie said. “We can give you relief and some peace of mind.”
For someone who isn’t phased by the creepy crawlies, Mackie said a vacuum should do the trick.
“Insects tend to go towards windows, where the light is most abundant, so it’s easy to just vacuum them up. After a couple weeks, the pests will be gone,” he said. “You will have saved yourself money, you will have saved yourself exposure to unnecessary chemicals and in a way, sort of respected nature from that perspective.”
