You found a shield-shaped brown bug bumbling across a window in October and the first worry is whether it bites. It does not. Stink bugs do not bite people, they do not sting, they carry no disease, and they do no structural damage to your house. Their only weapon is the foul odor they release […]
Do Stink Bugs Bite? Are They Harmful? Read More »
If you watched stink bugs pile onto a sunny wall last October and then found them indoors all winter, the fix is not a spray you reach for in November. The one thing that actually stops stink bugs, boxelder bugs, lady beetles, and cluster flies is exclusion done by late summer, because once they are
How to Pest-Proof Your Home Against Fall Invaders Read More »
You found a bug crawling up the inside of a sunny window in October, and the first question is which one it is. Four very different insects cause nearly all fall home invasions, and telling them apart guides what you do next. They are the shield-shaped brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), the flat black-and-red
Fall Invaders ID: Stink Bugs, Boxelder Bugs, Lady Beetles and Cluster Flies Read More »
You found a flat, shield-shaped brown bug clinging to a window in October, and the first question is whether it is the invasive one everybody complains about. The short version: the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is the fall invader, and two marks separate it from the harmless natives that look almost identical. Check
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Identification Read More »
If cluster flies are droning against your windows on a warm winter afternoon, the spray can in your hand will not fix it. Cluster flies spend the cold months tucked inside your wall voids and attic, and the ones at the glass are just the few that woke up and crawled toward the light, so
How to Get Rid of Cluster Flies Read More »
A severe insect-sting allergy can turn from a sting into a life-threatening reaction within minutes, and the single most important thing to know is that the first treatment is epinephrine from an auto-injector, followed right away by emergency care. Antihistamines alone are not enough for that kind of reaction. Most stings, though, are just a
Insect Sting Allergy: Symptoms, EpiPen and an Emergency Plan Read More »
If you are seeing boxelder bugs, the fight is on the outside of your house, not the inside. These black-and-red insects swarm sunny south- and west-facing walls in early fall, then slip through gaps to spend winter inside your wall voids and trim. So the real fixes are exterior: treat those warm walls in early
How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs Read More »
A bee sting hurts more than it harms for most people, and the first aid is simple. Get the stinger out fast by scraping it sideways rather than pinching it, wash the spot with soap and water, hold something cold on it, and treat the pain and itch while it settles. Most stings calm down
How to Treat a Bee Sting: A First-Aid Guide Read More »
You found a wasp working the eaves or buzzing the soda can at a cookout, and the real question is which one you have, because that decides how careful you need to be. The nest gives it away faster than the markings do. Paper wasps build an open, downward-facing umbrella comb you can see straight
Paper Wasp vs Yellowjacket: Identification and Control Read More »
If boxelder bugs and Asian lady beetles are gathering on your house in fall, the fix that actually works is an exterior treatment on the sunny walls where they cluster, done in early fall before they get inside, paired with sealing. The short answer: treat the outside in late summer to early fall, seal the
Best Boxelder Bug and Asian Lady Beetle Killers Read More »
