Everybody loves to stay warm and toasty indoors when it’s raining ice and snow in Missouri. Boxelder bugs are no different. It just so happens that they want to share the same home that we do!

While you might not notice them during the summer months, they can make their presence known when the fall hits. They seek out warm sunny spots around your home, congregating together in large groups. To get away from the cold, they will hide away in cracks and crevices, under siding, and inside your home.

Once inside, they hide in attics, walls, and basements. Though they don’t bite or carry diseases, boxelder bugs can stain walls, curtains, and furniture with their droppings, leaving unsightly marks around your home. They also emit an unpleasant odor when crushed, making clean-up a little bit tricky.

They may not be a serious problem every year, but when they are, they can become quite the headache.

In this article, we’ll explore:

·         How to identify boxelder bugs and understand their life cycle

·         Effective ways to prevent and remove them

·         When and why to contact a pest control service

Those adorable little fuzzy caterpillars that you find wriggly along your driveway and sidewalk can quickly become a hassle when they decide your home is a safe haven from the cold. 

Woolly bear caterpillars are the larval form of the Isabella tiger moth, a striking yellow moth that frequents porch lights. According to folklore, the wider the rust band is on a woolly bear, the milder the coming winter will be. While this can be a fun experiment to run on your own, there’s little evidence to suggest they predict what the weather will be like this year.

Let’s dive into what makes these caterpillars more than just an outdoor curiosity. In this article, we’ll discuss:

• How to identify woolly bear caterpillars and understand their life cycle

• Effective prevention and removal methods for woolly bear caterpillars

• When to contact a professional pest control service

As the weather turns cold and the leaves change colors, we all put on our sweaters, turn on our heaters, and get cozy for the approaching winter. Some insects also have “cozy” thoughts on their minds too.

Most insects either die out when temperatures get below freezing or try to hide in the soil or in a crack or crevice to wait out the winter. They can enter a type of hibernation called diapause to conserve energy and make it until spring.

Other insects have figured out that you have this big,warm structure already prepared for them. They are the ones that are called fall invaders.

Fall invaders can cause headaches, damage, and sometimes health concerns. Early preparation is the key to avoiding a fall pest invasion. By making a few simple changes to your home and yard, you can keep pests out and prevent costly damage and infestations.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• How to seal entry points to block pests.

• How to maintain a pest-free outdoor environment.

• What preventive measures to take inside your home.

Now, let’s dive into how you can pest-proof your home for fall!

Many homeowners and gardeners have a love-hate relationship with Asian lady beetles in Missouri. On one hand, they are great for eating garden pests like aphids and scale insects, but on the other, they can quickly become a nuisance when they want to come inside as the weather turns cold.

Asian lady beetles are often confused with our native lady beetles, and often outcompete these native species for resources. Asian lady beetles were first introduced into the United States in 1916 as a biological control agent for growers, and found in Missouri in 1993. However, these beetles didn’t want to overwinter outside like our native species. They aggregate together in the fall near sunny areas, finding their way inside manmade structures for shelter.

Not only will they group together inside your home, but they also emit a defensive compound that is smelly and can stain walls or curtains.

In this article, we’ll explore how to best identify Asian lady beetles and what you can do if they start to invade your home!

Have you ever noticed a small, papery-looking nest next to your door but did nothing about it? Sooner or later, that small nest is twice as large and full of at-the-ready wasps, waiting for someone to dare and use your front door!

While paper wasps are one of the less aggressive wasps we have in Missouri, it doesn’t mean they aren’t any less intimidating. Paper wasps are semi-social wasps that create upside-down umbrella nests under the cover of your eaves, your porch, or anywhere they can find some shelter.

These wasps chew up food fibers and mix it with their saliva to create a paper-like substance that they use to create their nests. While their nests can be a nuisance to homeowners, they can be a help to gardeners. Adult female wasps will forage for pest caterpillars, flies, or even beetle larvae. They then chew it up and feed it to their larvae.

Understanding these creatures and how to manage their presence can help you keep your home safe without losing your cool. Let’s learn more about how to identify paper wasps and keep them away from your home this year.

We love our four leg friends, whether that’s your cat or your dog. However, some of the things they bring into our home can be dirty and gross. One of the worst offenders are fleas!

Fleas are wingless insects that belong to the order Siphonaptera. They are ectoparasites that feed on warm-blooded animals by biting and sucking their blood. While there are over 2,500 species of fleas, only three are of a major concern to us in Missouri.

Cat fleas, dog fleas, and human fleas can all bite humans, but just because a cat flea is called a cat flea, doesn’t necessarily mean it always lives on cats. Most fleas that dogs get are actually cat fleas!

 Whether you're dealing with an infestation or looking to prevent one, understanding fleas is crucial for effective management. This article will provide you with essential information on identifying fleas, their life cycle, and strategies for prevention and control.

What Missouri predator is an excellent hunter, a wonderful mother, and yet so misunderstood? The wolf spider stalks its prey at night, running down other insects and spiders for their next meal.

Wolf spiders don’t spin webs to catch their prey but instead rely on their speed and night vision. Some will chase down an arthropod, while others might sit and wait until they can ambush an unsuspecting passerby.

They typically live alone for their entire life, living in burrows, under rocks or logs, or sometimes just wandering around from place to place. They really are a lone wolf when it comes to being social. However, despite their solitary lifestyle, they often get into homes and can cause us homeowners a bit of shock when we see them.

They are often confused for brown recluses or small tarantulas. Fortunately, these spiders aren’t much of a threat and are more beneficial than harmful.

Let’s learn more about how to identify these spiders and how to keep them out of your home.

You may not even know it, but there could be critters chewing on your home at this very moment! For homeowners in Northeast Missouri, termites can be a significant concern.

If you want to protect your home from termite damage, understanding how to identify and prevent them is really important. We'll walk you through some crucial aspects of termite control, tailored specifically for the unique conditions of Northeast Missouri.

Bed bugs weren't always a concern for folks in Northeastern Missouri. Reports of bed bug infestations were far and few between just a decade ago. However, nowadays, one in every five homes or hotels has reported a bed bug problem.

Why has this become such a problem?

Well, for starters, more and more people are traveling than ever before. Whether staying domestic or traveling abroad, they have a higher chance of encountering bed bugs. And bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers.

Additionally, many pesticides have become banned or are less effective against bed bugs. That means pest control companies have fewer tools to get the job done.

Unfortunately, bed bugs are a growing concern for homeowners in Northeast Missouri.

Identifying, preventing, and controlling bed bug infestations is crucial for maintaining a healthy and comfortable home. This article will provide essential insights into managing bed bugs effectively.

For every amateur and professional gardener out there, the emergence of Japanese beetles can be a stressful time of year. That’s especially true if it’s a bad year for Japanese beetles.

And what makes a bad year for Japanese beetles?

Scientists don’t really know. Some years can have very few Japanese beetles, and others can bring plague-like populations to your neighborhood.

You might believe that homemade solutions, traps, or even pesticides can completely eradicate these pests, but the truth is more complex. Understanding these myths is crucial for effective beetle management.

Let’s dive into five myths about Japanese beetles!