Other Pests

Earwigs | Box Elder Bug | Cicada | Centipedes | Millipedes | Mites | Scorpions | Waterbugs | Weevils

Earwig

General Information: Earwigs got their name from the myth that they crawl into sleeping people’s ears and tunnel into their brains. The long cerci, or clippers, on their backsides easily identify an earwig.
Habits: Earwigs hide during the day and feeds on leaves, flowers, fruits, mold and insects at night.
Habitat: These insects live together outdoors in large numbers. Earwigs can be found under piles of lawn debris, mulch or in tree holes. They gain entry to a structure through exterior cracks.
Threats: Although earwigs have creepy looking pincers, they’re not dangerous. The pinch of a earwig is mild to a human, but can be deadly to their prey — centipedes, millipedes and cockroaches. They also use their pinchers to defend themselves if they feel threatened. Also, earwigs are not known to carry diseases.
Earwig populations, if left untreated, can become very large, but they will not cause damage to property. In your garden, however, they may cause damage to flowers, vegetables, fruits, and other plants, causing the leaves to have a ragged appearance with small, irregular holes.

Prevention

• Use special yellow outdoor lights (less attractive to insects).
• Remove debris and piles of leaves/grass clippings from around the building.
• Position rain gutters and spouts away from the building foundation.
• Eliminate damp, moist conditions around foundations.
• Use caulking compound, putty and weather stripping around doors, windows, and pipes.
• Establish a zone of bare soil that will dry out next to structure.

Stink Bugs

General information: Brown marmorated stink bugs are an invasive species from Asia that arrived in Pennsylvania in 1996. The stink bug earned its name from its tendency to release an odor when disturbed or when crushed. Many other insects have these same characteristics, including some species of ants, beetles and other bugs.
Habits: In general, adult stink bugs feed on fruits and nymphs feed on leaves, stems and fruit. Stink bugs search for overwintering sites in late fall to find shelter from the winter weather. They re-emerge in early spring and become active.
Habitat: Adult stink bugs occasionally enter homes and other structures when searching for overwintering sites. During warm months, they often congregate en masse on the sides of buildings.
Threats: Stink bugs have the potential to spread throughout the country, which could be harmful to the agricultural industry, as they destroy crops. Although stink bugs are not known to bite humans, their tendency to invade homes in high numbers can be a nuisance.

Prevention:

To prevent stink bugs from entering homes and buildings:

• Seal cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, behind chimneys, and underneath the wood fascia and other openings. Use a good quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk.
• Damaged screens on doors and windows should be repaired or replaced.
• A licensed pest professional can treat for stink bugs in the late summer or fall just prior to bug congregation.

If you need to get rid of stink bugs that have already entered a home or building:

• A vacuum cleaner can aid in the removal of live or dead stink bugs.
• The bag must be discarded to prevent odor from permeating the area.
• If an infestation has developed inside the home or building, a licensed stink bug control operator should be called to evaluate and assess the problem.

Box Elder Bug

General Information: Boxelders do not bite or cause damage to property; however, they have earned a reputation as a nuisance pest due to their tendency to migrate indoors in large numbers each fall. 
Habitat: Thriving on sunlight, boxelders can be spotted around windows, crack and crevices basking in the sun’s rays. They can also be found in walls or attics, hibernating for the winter.

Prevention:

• Check for damaged screens doors in roof and soffit vents and in bathroom and kitchen fans.  Replace or repair them as necessary.
• Seal areas where cable TV wires, phone lines and other utility wires/pipes enter buildings.  Do the same for outdoor facets, dryer vents and similar objects.
• Seal exterior cracks and openings with caulk.  For larger spaces, use polyurethane expandable spray foam, copper mesh or another appropriate sealant.
• Install door sweeps at all exterior entry doors and install a rubber seal along the bottom of garage doors.

Centipede: 

General Information: Centipedes are fast moving, agile, nocturnal animals. They are rarely seen by humans due to their nocturnal activity and the speed with which they move. While some centipedes have compound eyes containing as many as 200 optical units, others do not have eyes. All centipedes have very poor eyesight and track their prey through the use of touch and smell.
Habits: Most centipedes are carnivorous and prey upon soft-bodied insects, spiders, worms and other arthropods, including other centipedes.
Habitat: Adult centipedes hide in moist, dark and secluded areas during winter. They place eggs in dampened soil during summer or spring. Centipedes may enter houses and buildings, but they do not roam during daytime. They hide in damp areas around bathrooms, closets, basements and other sites typically infested by pests.
Threats: Some centipedes can run quickly when disturbed. When they are handled, centipedes may bite, causing severe pain, numbness, discoloration and inflammation.

Prevention:

• Reducing moisture problems by repairing water leaks or using dehumidifiers
• Reducing clutter that provides centipedes with protection and a place to hide. A Barry's Pest Control professional will likely point out these places and recommend not allowing stored items to be stacked right up against the wall or rest directly on the floor.
• Reducing the number of insects and spiders that provide a food source for centipedes
• Sealing holes, cracks and gaps that enable outdoor centipedes, insects and spiders to get inside a home
• Removing indoor centipedes with a vacuum

Millipedes

General Information: Millipedes normally live outdoors in damp places. Around homes they live in flowerbeds and gardens.
Habits:Because millipedes require high moisture, they usually die in a home within a day or two. Chronic problems are associated with damp conditions. Measures taken to dry out moist areas usually are sufficient. 
Habitat: Millipedes normally live outdoors in damp places. Around homes they live in flowerbeds and gardens. People find millipedes under mulch, piles of dead leaves, or under piles of grass clipping. Millipedes also live under structures like dog houses and storage sheds. Millipedes thrive in places where the soil stays damp. They eat dead leaves and decaying wood particles that they find.
Threats: Millipedes do not bite or pose any danger to humans. They feed on rotting organic matter such as leaves and wood and rarely feed on tender green leaves and roots. They spend almost all their time in moist areas, such as under rocks or logs and in lawn thatch.

Scorpion

General Information: Scorpions are nocturnal and there are a few species known to dwell in Oklahoma.
Habits: It is common for them to climb and many reports in homes are associated with attics, exterior rocky areas and overhanging trees and wood siding.
Habitat: Scorpions live in very dry climates. Despite this, they are very sensitive to the loss of moisture from their body and hide during the day in shady locations. They obtain most of their water from their prey.
Threats: Use caution. Their sting is painful and rarely produces swelling. The sting can be harmful in sensitive people.