Occasional Invader Identification & Prevention

Some pests will find their way into your home any time of the year, and some only occasionally move into our houses. Occasional invaders are pests that usually enter our homes seasonally while trying to escape unsuitable weather conditions. Once occasional invaders find their way into your home, they can be challenging to remove. Occasional invaders typically hide out in dark, hard-to-reach areas.

Here is a list of the most common occasional invaders that sometimes find their way into our Chicago homes:

• Boxelder bugs
• Centipedes
• Crickets
• Earwigs
• Pillbugs

The best way to identify if occasional invaders are in your home and, if so, which species is present is to reach out to a pest control professional. Regular inspections and pest control services are the best way to keep these pests out.

Typically occasional invaders are not dangerous pests. However, they are a nuisance in our homes and can spread bacteria, chew on or stain personal property, and some, like centipedes, can deliver painful bites if they feel threatened.

The biggest reason that finding occasional invaders in your home should be concerning is because they are typically attracted to areas of moisture and high humidity levels. The presence of occasional invaders could indicate an overall moisture issue in your home that you need to solve.

Also, if occasional invaders are finding a way into your home, so can other pests that have the potential to cause more serious issues for people and our homes.

Occasional invaders can invade any house, but older homes with cracks, crevices, and moisture problems are most susceptible to these pests.

The biggest reason occasional invaders decide to move into indoors is because of extreme weather conditions. Temperatures that are too hot or cold, or if it is too dry or wet outside, will cause these pests to migrate indoors, using our homes as a place of respite.

Occasional invaders easily find their way into our homes because they typically live in the soil around its perimeter. The damp soil under landscaping stones and landscaping ties, mulch, trash cans, and porch steps are all places occasional invaders call home.

After migrating indoors, occasional invaders quickly find a suitable hiding spot. Wall voids, crawl spaces, the bottoms of closets, and spaces behind cabinets and appliances are places that generally provide them with the warmth and moisture they seek.

Areas of a home most likely to be invaded by occasional invaders include attics, basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.

The answer to how to control occasional invaders is to be proactive. Occasional invaders can find their way into our homes randomly, so the best way to prevent them is to implement a year-round pest control plan.

Here at Sleep Tight Extermination, we provide our customers with quality home pest control options that you can trust to remove these unwanted occasional invaders from your Chicago home. Depending on your needs, we can perform our services one-time, monthly, or quarterly. Call today to learn more about eliminating occasional invaders and other common household pests from your Chicago property.

To prevent problems with occasional invaders in Chicago, utilize the following prevention tips:

• Regularly inspect the exterior of your home, sealing any cracks or gaps you find in its walls, foundation, or around windows or doors. 
• Place screens or appropriate covers over vents and chimneys leading into your home.
• Make sure screens in windows and doors are intact, and weatherstripping is around windows and doors.
• Reduce moisture around your home that attracts occasional invaders by repairing leaky pipes and hoses and ensuring gutters are clear.

Call us today for year-round protection against occasional invaders!