When students go away to college, they are on their own to maintain their dorm room. Here is some information on the pests to expect in a dorm room and some tips that will help you control them.
Spiders: Most people jump at the sight of a spider. Spiders are unwelcomed guests that always tend to make their way into a room. Spiders are attracted to two things, moisture and light. Often your will see spiders make webs in the corners of the room or by the windows. If you do see a web forming, a handheld vacuum is an easy way to get rid of it. Try not to leave clutter around. Spiders can easily make a web in a stack of papers or in a cup that is just lying around.
Stink Bugs: The Western Conifer Seed Bug, often called the stink bug, is a bug that seems to make its way onto dorm walls. You will see stink bugs more likely in the winter months because they will go inside to look for shelter. When you kill them, they give off a foul odor. The only way to prevent them is to seal off entry points from the outside, like windows and doors.
Lady Bugs: If you see a small dot on the wall, don’t be surprised if it is a lady bug! Lady bugs are around ¼” long and are red or yellow with black spots. Like the stink bug, lady bugs will come indoors to look for shelter. They best way to keep these out is to seal off all entry points.
Flies: Flies and gnats are a big nuisance in dorms. You will find a significant number of gnats in the bathrooms. Flies and gnats love moisture and will hover around pipes that condensate. If a fly does enter your room the best this to do is have a fly swatter handy. Flies are very quick and a hassle to get rid of! Flies are either attracted to decay organisms or food. Hopefully a fly will be in your room just from crumbs and not a dead mouse!
Silverfish: Silverfish look like hairy centipedes. They are usually ½” to ¾” long and appear silver to brown from their scales. They are flat and oval shaped, with three long tails and two antennas. Silverfish are attracted to moisture and will thrive in rooms 70 to 80 degrees. Silverfish are nocturnal but can be found in the day time.
By following these tips, you’ll be sure to stay bug free in your dorm:
- Make sure the screens in your windows do not have tears or holes.
- Frequently dust. By dusting the areas that you rarely use will reduce the amount of pests your see significantly.
- Try to make sure there is not a big space between your door and the floor. Often there will be a small space which is big enough for pests to crawl under.
- Do not leave damp clothes or towels around. Hang up all wet clothes before you throw them in your hamper.
- Make sure all food is securely stored. Most people will be eating a bag of chips then leave the room for a bit. You’d be surprised how fast bugs can sense food!
- Position furniture right against the wall or in an area where you can move it. If there is an inch between a closet and the wall, pests will likely hang out there.
- If you do see pests, try not to kill them. Some insects, like the stink bug, will give off a scent that attracted other to the area. Catch the pest and throw it outside.
- Don’t leave clothes lying on the floor. Even if the clothes are not damp, a shirt can make a warm environment for a pest to live under!
Ladybug populations stay the same throught the year, except in the winter were many die during hibernation, then why do they seem to be more populous during the autumn months? The reason for this is because of the weather variations seen during late September thru early November. The ladybugs look for a place to hibernate and your house is a perfect resting ground. Older homes with poor insulation radiate more heat and homes with good sunlight usually get the most ladybug swarms. When a day starts to show a glimpse of winter (when temperatures drop way below average) they start to find places to hibernate. They will form large clusters to help insulate them for the winter. Yet, after a day or so when temperatures go back to normal or even above normal, the ladybugs will want to return to the outdoors. This is when you will see them all over the house, creating an unfimiliar house pest. During fall days this is why they seem as if they have multiplied by a hundred times.
Other places have seen an actual increase in ladybug population. This increase of population is due to an increase of aphids which are pests that live on agricultural crops. As their main source of food, ladybugs will migrate towards higher population of aphids. In this sense people sometimes do not mind when ladybugs are around their property because the ladybugs will essentially save their gardens from the aphids. Yet, it is in the fall season where they really become pests. They seem as if they come from any open crack. Well this is mostly true, they can really squeeze more than you think and that is why you see them all over the house in almost every room, if not all. To prevent ladybug swarms in your house you really have to work at it. You have to make sure you have adequate insulation, have sealed all cracks in windows and doors, as well as cracks in pipes. Doing all this is time consuming and you should really look into professional help, while costing you cash out of the pocket, it will be of your benefit in the long run.
The Northeast usually sees dramatic climate changes come late September through October. One day the temperature will be 65 degrees and sunny and the next it will cool down to the low 40’s. For the ladybug’s sake, they feel that winter is coming so they will try and find a place to hibernate. They are attracted to light colored houses that are in the sun most of the day. Since they are looking for a warm place to hibernate they usually migrate towards older homes in which there is a lack of good and adequate insulation. In order to create more heat for themselves they form large clusters so body heat does not escape as easily. Since the temperatures can vary day to day in the Northeast the ladybugs will group together in the walls of your home then disperse again when the temperature rises again.
What not to do: Ladybugs release pheromones as a way of communication towards other ladybugs. This scent attracts other ladybugs to the one that you may have just killed.
What to do: Getting rid of ladybugs is a very difficult task, and without expert advice and help, it makes the task even harder. The key to getting rid of ladybugs is to prevent them from even getting in. Make sure your insulation is in good form, seal any window and door cracks, also check for any unsealed pipes, clapboards, celler entrances…etc.
The front page of the Wall Street Journal today featured an article written by Gwendolyn Bounds about using natural pesticides to control pest activity around your home.
The use of natural products to control pests is not new. Garlic based sprays have been used for many years to control outdoor pests such as mosquitoes. The author of this, reported on the products she used to control pests on her property. Garden pests can cause a lot of damage to your plants, therefore controlling them is imperative.
Many companies that manufacture over the counter pest control products are trying to release new green products. There are a few problems with launching these new products, the most popular being consumer acceptance. Bounds’ makes a great point from the consumer’s view.
“…consumers say we want (natural products) and what we really want (dead bugs, now!).”
Another interesting side was that the side effects of pesticide to not even come close to the effects of Lyme disease and West Nile like virus.
“…pests can transmit illnesses such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease that can be more harmful than some potential side effects from pesticides. S.C. Johnson & Son Inc., for instance, launched a Raid “Earth Options” product in 2006, then discontinued it the next year due to low consumer acceptance.”
Spectrum Brands Inc. said that they released a mosquito repellent without DEET, and it did not sell well.
“Over the years, the EPA has banned some insecticides considered too risky from use in the home market, such as diazinon and chlorpyrifos. It also now maintains a list of active ingredients used in what it dubs “minimum risk” pesticides. “It’s a pretty good bet it’s a safe product if it’s on that list,” says John Kepner with Beyond Pesticides, a not-for-profit group based in Washington, D.C.”
In conjunction with all natural products, it should be known that some pests, such as ladybugs, can be used to control harmful pests such as aphids in your garden.
The author mentions in the article that she could not find an all-natural method to control carpenter ants.
JP McHale is constantly exploring new environmentally friendly products, also taking into account the effectiveness of them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates pesticide products, and the way they are applied. Please contact us so we can create a custom home pest prevention program to protect your family and home from pests.
The original Wall Street Journal article can be read here.
A Colorado town was swarmed by possibly hundreds of millions of ladybugs. The name of this town has been withheld to prevent a surge in the amount of tourists. At the top of this towns mountain, there are so many ladybugs, the tree looks like it has red bark. Ladybugs are not harmful or dangerous, they feed primary off aphids. Watch the CNN.com video below for the full news story!
Many of us hear that ladybugs are not harmful, and even are beneficial to our property. Ladybugs are small and round. They are red with black dots on their back. Ladybugs can fly, and are most active in the summer months. Their ideal habitat is in moist areas, while they feed off aphids and scale insects. These insects can cause a lot of damage to your garden, and any other vegetation on your property. Ladybugs do a great job in controlling these destructive insects.
Ladybugs can be a nuisance during the winter months because they need shelter. Ladybugs are commonly found in attics and crevasses around your house. Ladybugs are in no way damaging, or harmful to humans or structures.
Treatment can be done on ladybugs if the problem becomes too big, however we recommend you do not treat them because of how beneficial they are to the environment and your property.
When students go away to college, they are on their own to maintain their dorm room. Here is some information on the pests to expect in a dorm room and some tips that will help you control them.
The Northeast usually sees dramatic climate changes come late September through October. One day the temperature will be 65 degrees and sunny and the next it will cool down to the low 40’s. For the ladybug’s sake, they feel that winter is coming so they will try and find a place to hibernate. They are attracted to light colored houses that are in the sun most of the day. Since they are looking for a warm place to hibernate they usually migrate towards older homes in which there is a lack of good and adequate insulation. In order to create more heat for themselves they form large clusters so body heat does not escape as easily. Since the temperatures can vary day to day in the Northeast the ladybugs will group together in the walls of your home then disperse again when the temperature rises again.
The front page of the Wall Street Journal today featured an article written by Gwendolyn Bounds about using natural pesticides to control pest activity around your home.
