In order to survive the cold winters in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, insects must find a way to adapt. Some bugs such as the monarch butterfly simply migrate before it gets toocold, while other insects overwinter in your home. But what exactly does overwinter mean?
To escape the winter, certain types of bugs seek the comfort of your home in insulated areas. Overwintering bugs will traditionally seek south-facing walls since they offer the greatest warmth due to sun radiation during the winter and will seek to “shutdown” in order to survive the coldest months. The bugs will also not eat, grow, or reproduce, which is why they are generally not considered an infestation. Although the living space inside your home is nice and cozy, entering your house is actually an accident for these bugs since they typically enter your home through imperfections in your home’s exterior. Once they are overwintering, often times they can wake up prematurely when it is too cold to go back outside which is when you typically see the bugs as they are exploring your home.
Some insects that have been known to overwinter are:
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Stink Bugs
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Paper Wasp Queens
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Elm Leaf and Lady Beetles
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Box Elder Bugs
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Leaf Footed Bugs
In order to prevent the bugs from entering your home, listed below are some good preventative measures to keep overwintering bugs outside.
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Caulk or seal all openings near doors and windows; around pipes, outlets, and vents.
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Caulk any splits in siding and cracks in foundations and walls.
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Seal cracks or openings under eaves and along roofs.
In addition to the preventative measures listed above, proactive pesticide applications by Cooper Pest Solutions can help to eliminate the invasion before it starts.
