Overwintering Insects in Your Home – What You Can Do

Have you ever wondered where the bugs go in winter? Many overwinter in wood and leaf piles, in tree bark, and in the ground. But many others overwinter in your house.

In the fall, usually around the middle of October, insects begin looking for a place to spend the winter. There are several types of bugs that head for your house, depending on where you live: stinkbugs, ladybugs (Asian beetles, lady beetles, etc.), paper wasps, cockroaches, cluster flies, elm leaf beetles, and spiders (yes, you’re right – spiders are not insects).

How Do They Get In?

Overwintering bugs get into your home through cracks you probably never knew were there! They come in around doors and windows, including garage doors, and through attics, wall voids and spaces, around window screens, through attics, and through soffits.

Nuisance, not Infestation

Generally speaking, overwintering bugs do not infest your house the way other insects do. They are just looking for a place to spend the winter, and they do not reproduce during that time. When the weather warms up, they begin to leave their winter homes and make for the outdoors…but sometimes, they end up in the living room instead.

Control of Overwintering Bugs

Once the bugs are in your home, sources recommend vacuuming and discarding the bag as the easiest way to get the numbers of overwintering bugs in your house under control. Make sure to discard the vacuum bag after each use so the insects do not escape back out into your home. Or, if you have a canister vacuum, discard the bugs outside.

Prevention for Next Year

To avoid the problem of excessive numbers of overwintering insects, it’s a good idea to seal up those openings where the bugs gain entry. Use caulk to seal around windows and doors. Include attic vents in your sealing efforts. It also helps to install “sweeps” at the bottom of your doors that lead to the outside. Use foam weather stripping around glass or screen doors. Don’t forget the openings in your walls for utilities, from dryer vents to cable TV wire portals.

Another note on prevention for next year – many overwintering bugs are attracted to debris and leaves close to your house, and then they come on in where it’s warmer. You can help prevent this by sweeping away debris from the side of your house each fall.

Overwintering insects are a pain, but they are pretty easy to get under control. Hopefully, next year your precautions will pay off!