Occasional Invader & Perimeter Pest Control

"Occasional Invaders" and "perimeter pests" are really the same thing. Both terms are just exterminator slang for insects and other small arthropods that usually live outside, but that occasionally make their way into homes and become pests. Most of these critters are harmless, and whether or not you consider them worth controlling depends a lot on your personal tolerance for bugs.

The most important steps to effective control of occasional invaders are non-chemical; pesticides should only be used when necessary and will be much more effective if the following non-chemical steps have already been taken:

• Make sure that the ground around the perimeter of the home is properly graded and drained.
• Clean or repair any clogged or damaged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Use organic mulches such as wood chips sparingly, if at all.
• Adjust lawn sprinklers so they don't spray water against the sides of the house.

Common Perimeter Pests in Georgia

There are countless insects and related arthropods in Georgia that occasionally make their way into buildings and become pests. Most of these creatures are ill-suited to live inside, and often they will die on their own once they are inside the home. Unfortunately, that often means having to sweep or vacuum their dead carcasses away every day; so many people opt for regular exterior treatments designed to keep these critters out of their homes in the first place.

Here are a few of Georgia's more common perimeter invaders.

Sowbugs and Pillbugs

Sowbugs (sometimes called "potato bugs") and pillbugs (sometimes called "roly-poly bugs") aren't really "bugs" at all. They're crustaceans who live under rocks, in organic mulch, and in other media rich in moist, decaying organic matter. They're completely harmless, but they do occasionally become an annoyance when they get suicidal and migrate into buildings, where they unceremoniously die on the floor — often in large numbers.

If daily sweeping and vacuuming doesn't bother you (or if you don't mind your floor being littered with crunchy carcasses), then no treatment is needed. Otherwise, non-chemical habitat modification, supplemented with exterior insecticide application if needed, will help reduce the number of sowbugs and pillbugs that get into your home.

Centipedes and Millipedes

Centipedes and millipedes aren't insects because insects, by definition, have six legs as adults. Nonetheless, both centipedes and millipedes occasionally become structural pests when they get into homes. Some species of centipedes can survive inside homes, and a few species are capable of stinging. Millipedes can't sting, but can secrete a toxin that is irritating to the skin. Most millipede species, however, die shortly after they make their way inside a house. They often can be found lying dead, curled up in little circles, on the basement floor.

Centipede and millipede control may consist of habitat modification, trapping, exclusion, and (when necessary) the judicious use of insecticides.

Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are named for their favorite food source: the seed pods of the boxelder tree. They usually become structural pests when they enter building through cracks and crevices to spend the winter. They can stain walls, draperies, and furnishings, and emit a foul odor when crushed.

Boxelder bug control may consist of removing boxelder trees close to the building, sealing exterior cracks and crevices, physically removing the bugs from the home's interior with a vacuum cleaner, and the judicious use of insecticides on the home's exterior. To be effective, insecticide applications should be performed before the insects start entering the home to overwinter.

Earwigs

Earwigs are primarily nocturnal insects that are minor agricultural pests. They occasionally become structural pests when they enter homes and other buildings, where they spend most of their days loafing around in dark, damp nooks and crannies. Some people fear earwigs because of an old wives' tale that taught that earwigs laid their eggs in human brains by burrowing through the ear canal. But that's just an old wives' tale. Earwigs are harmless to humans.

Earwig control consists of habitat modification, correcting moisture problems and removing organic debris, sealing cracks and crevices, and the judicious application of insecticides.

Crickets

There are many species of crickets, but the ones most commonly encountered by Georgia pest control operators are mole crickets. Mole crickets are serious turf grass pests who damage lawns and gold courses by both their feeding activities and their tunneling. Occasionally, however, mole crickets get into homes, barns, sheds, and other buildings, where they spend their days sitting around in the dark. They commonly can be found in basements, crawl spaces, utility tunnels and chases, garages, manholes, and other dark, secluded spaces.

Crickets have been associated with asthma, respiratory allergies, and rhinoconjunctivitis. Control usually consists of exterior treatment with granular insecticide baits, sealing off crickets' access into buildings, trapping crickets who already have gotten in, and (if necessary), the judicious use of insecticides inside the building. Regular, seasonal exterior treatments, however, usually prevent the need for exterior pesticide application.

Other Occasional Invaders

There are many, many species of insects and related arthropods that occasionally become structural pests, including beetles, springtails, silverfish, clover mites, and many others. If something is bugging you, please feel free to contact us for prompt, professional assistance with all of your pest control needs.