Even in parts of the country buried under snow, our gardens remain busy places in winter. Flower bulbs root in, and shrubs replenish their energies in preparation for glorious spring blooms. Wildlife forages for food, and overwintering insects employ various survival strategies. While some winter pests enter a state akin to hibernation, others are actively eating and growing, ready to produce huge broods when spring arrives. Let’s take a look at the most common overwintering pests and see what they may be up to in your garden.

Most Common Overwintering Pests

The most common overwintering pests vary by region, of course. And they behave a bit differently in snowy Wisconsin than in sunny Florida. But there are many that can be found throughout the country. We’ll explore the ten most common overwintering insects. See how many of your neighbors you can spot!

Aphids

Aphids are tiny, sap-sucking insects that feast on the moisture in our plants. They produce a sugary liquid waste called “honeydew” that is irresistible to ants who actually “farm” aphids! (Our entomologists really dig this kind of stuff). If your garden plants are plagued by aphids, you likely wonder what temps kill aphids. Or even if aphids can survive freezing. Adult aphids cannot survive when their bodily fluids freeze. This occurs between 5 to 23 degrees Fahrenheit. But they lay eggs to ensure the next generation of garden-suckers will be born in spring.

Squash Bugs

Squash bugs are the bane of squash, pumpkin, and cucumber farmers. The ⅝-inch long dark gray or brown bugs can sicken and even kill young plants. As adults, these overwintering insects hide under plant debris and under rocks or logs in the garden. Just one generation of squash bugs develops each year.

Whiteflies

Closely related to aphids, whiteflies are tiny, winged insects that suck the juices from the underside of a plant’s leaves. Despised by gardeners everywhere, these moth-like pests can transmit disease between plants and even kill grown plants. Whiteflies are killed by the winter temps that fall below freezing. They remain year-round pests in mild climates and overwinter indoors or in greenhouses in colder locations.

Colorado Potato Beetles

Despite their name, orange and black-striped Colorado Potato Beetles are overwintering pests throughout most of the U.S. They burrow 5 to 10 inches deep underground to hibernate for months during freezing weather. They awake hungry and ready to reproduce in the spring garden or potato field.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are tiny oval insects covered in a wax-like substance that looks like white powder. They infest houseplants and citrus trees, with a marked preference for orchids, palms, and succulents. Mealybugs suck the juices from plants, producing honeydew that attracts ants. The nasty little winter pests overwinter as eggs or nymphs in tiny crevices like tree bark.

Scale Insects

There are roughly 8,000 species of scale insects, some with armored bodies and others that are soft. All suck the moisture and nutrients from plant leaves and stems. Hard-bodied scales overwinter as eggs, while soft-body scales cover themselves with protective waxy secretions. Typically, immature, fertilized female soft-body scales are dormant in winter, ready to lay their eggs in spring.

Thrips

These tiny, slender insects feast on the sap from flower buds, causing strangely deformed blooms. These overwintering insects hide dormant in leaf litter, bark mulch, and decaying plant debris. They wake up in early spring, ready to eat and lay eggs.

Spotted Lanternflies

These striking, damaging moth-like pests are highly invasive and do hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to our crops annually. Spotted scarlet flight wings are covered by translucent tawny wings at rest, looking pink. Spotted lanternflies lay egg masses that survive winter protected by a waxy secretion.

Cabbage Moths

These 1.5-inch-long moths do severe crop damage to a wide range of diverse fruit and vegetable crops yearly. The pupae, known as cabbage loopers, survive winter by staying in the soil or in cocoons attached to host plants. These damaging overwintering pests also migrate as adults to avoid the cold.

Stink Bugs

This brown-speckled, shield-shaped insect is invasive and found throughout the country. Stink bugs feed on fruits and vegetables, emitting a burnt-tire stench when they feel threatened. These foul-smelling bugs overwinter in our homes, finding small chinks in door frames and siding.

What Are the Signs of an Overwintering Pest Infestation?

With so many overwintering insects, winter pest control is crucial to an effective year-round strategy. Unfortunately, most people won’t notice any signs of overwintering pests unless the bugs move into the house! Dirty yellow or brown stains along your baseboards or furniture are a sign of stink bugs. If your houseplants develop a sticky residue on their leaves, look at the underside for whiteflies. Often, the clearest sign that you have pests overwintering on your property is robust populations of those insects come spring.

Things You Need to Do to Protect Beneficial Winter Insects

Beneficial insects are invaluable. They are made up of pollinating species and those that prey on pests. About 75% of flowering plants and nearly 40% of crops around the world depend on pollinators like bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, and ladybugs. For many reasons, our pollinators are in severe decline, and they need the support of home gardeners. Unfortunately, most of the care that supports beneficial insects in winter, like leaving leaf litter and weeds in place, also helps overwintering pests. One step you can take to control the pests and protect the beneficials is to hire professional pest control like Mosquito Joe®. Our service professionals take extraordinary care to leave pollinators and other beneficial insects unharmed while targeting garden pests.

Keep Your Winter Garden Pest-Free Without Harming Beneficial Winter Insects

Eliminating overwintering insects interrupts the pests’ life cycles, significantly reducing the springtime population. Mosquito Joe performs comprehensive pest control services, including winter treatments, each one conducted with sensitivity for beneficial insects.

Trust your property to Mosquito Joe. The Neighborly Done Right Promise™ and the Mosquito Joe Guarantee backs all our work because the job isn’t done until it’s done right.

Request a free quote today, or call your local pest control experts. We’ll get those overwintering insects to bug off!

Overwintering Insects — How Do Insects Survive the Winter?

Winter is a challenging time for all forms of life. We bring precious plants indoors to protect them from winter’s chill. Some people retreat to warmer climates, while others turn up the thermostat and bundle up in warmer clothes. Birds, animals, and insects face the same choices, with some migrating and others sheltering in place. Some even go dormant to pass the winter in slumber. Let’s take a look at overwintering insects to see how these winter pests survive the cold. (Spoiler alert: some of them come indoors to spend the winter in your home!)

What Is Overwintering?

Overwintering is the method a living organism employs to survive the winter. Your grandparents might overwinter in Miami. Many plants and animals overwinter by going dormant to sleep through the cold months. Your pets overwinter by spending more time indoors, where it’s warm. Insects also overwinter, and they do so by migrating, going dormant, or moving into your home and outbuildings.

When Insects “Hibernate”

Many overwintering insects enter a state akin to hibernation called diapause. In this condition, their metabolic rates slow dramatically to conserve energy. During diapause, insects don’t eat, grow, or reproduce. They are simply surviving until the return of warmer weather.

Overwintering insects typically don’t bite people or do property damage during winter. They focus entirely on surviving the winter chill. But winter can be an excellent time to use pest control methods against slower-moving pests that often cluster together to conserve body heat and moisture. Typically, the overwintering pests of greatest concern are those seeking out the warmth of our homes to ride out the winter. Imagine giving winter shelter to the same bugs that bite and bedevil you spring through fall.

Types of Overwintering Pests

Technically, all pests overwinter in that they have strategies to survive the season’s cold. But some are more likely than others to seek shelter in our homes. Overwintering insects that see your home as a cold-weather vacation spot include:

• Stink bugs
• Asian lady beetles
• Boxelder bugs
• Cluster flies
• Carpenter ants
• Spiders
• Mosquitoes

Of course, small mammals like mice and rats can also be considered overwintering pests. Most overwintering insects that shelter in our homes seek out warm, protected areas like the attic, crawl spaces, and the spaces within walls. Carpenter ants, however, prefer to nest in moist, decaying wood and favor spots with water damage or leaky pipes or in damp basements. Spiders will also make use of quiet corners inside the home, and mosquitoes seek dark spaces in basements and garages when they overwinter indoors.

Where Do Insects Go in the Winter?

While some insects migrate to warmer climates, and others seek shelter in our homes, most overwintering insects burrow deep into the soil, nest inside fallen logs or plant debris, or hide under the bark of trees. They seek out small niches in their habitat that are likely to remain undisturbed to shelter from the cold. Some overwintering pests lay eggs that survive the winter while the adults die off. These include some species of:

• Mosquitoes
• Aphids
• Grasshoppers
• Beetles
• Stink bugs
• Fruit flies

Others hide out as adults, larvae, or even pupae, ready to continue their growth and development when warmth returns in the spring.

While most winter pests hide as individuals, some species gather in great numbers to share and conserve body heat and moisture.

The following species overwinter in great clusters in or around our homes and outbuildings:

• Asian lady beetles
• Stink bugs
• Cluster flies
• Boxelder bugs
• Wasps

While certainly not considered a pest, monarch butterflies are the most extraordinary of overwintering insects. They migrate in enormous groups called “flutters” that fly a staggering 3,000 miles to key habitats in Mexico. There, they huddle together in such enormous clusters that they can weigh down the branches of trees as tall as 80 to 160 feet.

Ways to Keep Pests That Overwinter Out of Residences

There are a number of steps you can take to keep overwintering insects out of your home. Focus on securing entry points and denying the critters the habitat they seek.

Seal Gaps and Repair Screens

Overwintering pests enter the home through small tears in window screens and small gaps in attic walls and around the openings that allow pipes and wires to pass through walls. Look for these openings and seal them with screen, caulk, or expandable polyurethane foam.

Screen Chimney Vents

A well-ventilated chimney is essential for the safe operation of your fireplace. But it is also an inviting entrance to all manner of overwintering pests. Inspect your chimney screen and replace a vinyl screen with a metal one that won’t tear or be chewed through.

Store Firewood Away from the Home

Stacked firewood makes a cozy hideaway from many overwintering insects. If it is stored too close to the house, it serves as an easy entryway to your home. Instead, store it at least 20 feet away, up off the ground, to allow airflow underneath it. Plan to burn any wood you bring in immediately so if there are any hitchhikers, they won’t get a chance to settle into your home.

Turn of the Taps

In addition to warmth, overwintering insects need water to survive. It’s more important than food to them. Leaky faucets and spilled water can provide a lifeline to indoor insects and an invitation to others to join them. Repair any leaks and clear blocked gutters and any places where water collects. Don’t leave dirty dishes soaking in water, and squeeze out wet sponges.

Overwintering Pest Control Treatment

Trust the pros at your local Mosquito Joe® for effective pest control to keep your home free from overwintering insects and other uninvited guests like mice and rats. All our work is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™ and Mosquito Joe Guarantee because we understand that the job isn’t done until it’s done right.

Request a free quote today and live pest-free from tomorrow on.

Walking around your property, you may spy little eggs on leaves and in your garden area. There’s a high likelihood you’re looking at insect eggs just waiting to hatch. Understanding some basic insect egg identification can help you know what types of eggs they are and when you should be concerned about their presence.

At Mosquito Joe®, we know all about insect eggs and the nuisance they can cause. Our tell-all guide will provide further insight.

Why Should You Care About Insect Eggs?

You should care about insect eggs because insects lay eggs in large quantities. The sooner you can remove the eggs, the more insects you can prevent from hatching. Understand what you’re looking at when you are checking your property for insect eggs by looking for some of the more common characteristics.

Common Insect Egg Characteristics

Color

Depending on the species, insect eggs come in various colors, such as:

• White
• Yellow
• Green
• Brown,
• Spotted/patterned

Shape

Some insect eggs can be round, oval, or barrel-shaped, while others can have a cylindrical or flat appearance.

Size

Insect eggs come in various sizes, ranging from specks to pellets. Mosquito eggs are about one millimeter in length, and wasp eggs generally are about the size of a sand grain. The largest known egg laid by an insect is actually from the Malaysian stick insect, estimated to be about half an inch long and bigger than the peanut size!

Arrangement

If you were to look at the finished product of an insect laying eggs, you would be impressed. Some lay their eggs in different forms, such as clusters, rows, or spirals. Other species will lay single eggs in various spots throughout an area.

Texture

We wouldn’t recommend touching them, but insect eggs have different textures. Some are smooth, while you may come across a hairy egg.

Identifying Specific Insects by Their Eggs

With over a million different insect species, it’s no surprise that insect eggs characteristics vary. We’ll dive into a few of the most common eggs you’re likely to find in your yard.

White Insect Eggs

Whiteflies: Adult whiteflies place their tiny white eggs on the undersides of leaves in concentric patterns from the bottom to the upper portion of a plant. These insects can produce as many as 200 to 400 eggs.

Cutworms: The cutworm’s white eggs show up on grass and weed stems and in the soil surrounding plants. The eggs tend to become darker right before hatching.

Yellow Insect Eggs

Aphids: Bright yellow in color, aphid eggs are often found on rose bushes, milkweeds, and other plants. Aphid-affected plants show stunted growth and puckered leaves and typically die without proper treatment.

Spider Mites: The adults lay up to 200 eggs on the undersides of leaves. They can infest over 180 species of plants, stunting their growth and potentially killing them. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, and landscaping plants are susceptible to spider mites.

The Verdict: What to Do Once You’ve Identified Insect Eggs

Once you’ve found and identified insect eggs around your yard, you can try DIY methods to keep eggs and insects at bay. You can also call pest control like Mosquito Joe to come and remove them for you. We are seasoned pest inspection pros. In addition to helping you tackle insect eggs, we can also help with spotted lantern fly control and other pest treatments.

Plus, our Neighborly Done Right Promise™ ensures complete satisfaction starting with our first project together.

Request a free quote today to find out more!

Have you considered adding flowers or other plants to your backyard? It’s a great way to spruce up the area and really embrace what the summer is all about. But before you begin, you should be aware of potential issues you might face, and we’re not talking about insects.

The tree of heaven is an invasive plant species that could already be growing in the soil around your home or near plants in your yard. Either way, if you come across this plant, it’s essential to let the qualified service professionals at Mosquito Joe® remove it from your property. Although we specialize in outdoor pest control services, we can also help with these trees.

How to Identify a Tree of Heaven

Tree of heaven identification can be tricky because it has a similar appearance to other species. It has pinnately compound leaves featuring a central stem with leaves on each side. But it stands out because the stem is a reddish-brown color. If you run your hand across the stem, you will also feel a little fuzz.

Another factor that can help you pin down the tree-of-heaven plant in your yard is the smell. Whenever you break a twig or crush one of the leaves, it’s followed by a foul odor. When this tree secures its roots and leaves start growing, a chemical is released into the soil that’s toxic to other plants. Plus, it reproduces rapidly, allowing it to infiltrate areas and knock out other species.

How to Remove a Tree of Heaven

If you suspect you might have a tree of heaven in your backyard, it would be best to dispose of it. Keeping it around will kill the remaining plant life as the roots spread. It will also create a habitat for the unwanted spotted lanternfly, an insect that can do extra damage.

Rather than dealing with these issues, get rid of the tree of heaven. A simple way to control its growth is by pulling seedlings by hand before the roots get a chance to develop. Once roots take hold, it’ll be much more challenging to remove them. Even if you do, removal might not be clean, and the root fragments can resprout.

Cutting a mature tree-of-heaven plant from the ground level may seem like the best course of action, but it’s not for two reasons:

1. Cutting is a process that will have to continue for a few years to weaken the plant.
2. When a tree of heaven gets cut, it produces root suckers which are hazardous to other plants in the area.

So, instead, attack the roots using herbicides. It’s an effective method for removing a tree of heaven that may be too comfortable.

Invasiveness of the Tree of Heaven

When you see trees and leaves, the idea that they might harm each other probably doesn’t occur to you. But as mentioned, the tree of heaven is an invasive plant species that does more harm than good.

While its roots make their way into the soil and get cozy, they destroy other roots and disperse a toxic chemical that hurts other plants. Furthermore, you’ll see more spotted lanternflies around because of them (their favorite type of grub). And they won’t be so friendly to the other plants and flowers you might have around.

Tree-of-heaven threats don’t stop there. Since these trees can thrive as long as there’s soil and space, you may find them peeking through cracks in concrete or building foundations. If left unattended for too long, they could cause lasting damage.

Difference Between Tree of Heaven vs. Sumac

Again, the tree of heaven has a lot of similarities to other species, which can make it challenging if you want to remove it from your yard. But there are a few ways to tell the difference between it and sumac trees. We already mentioned a few above, like the reddish-brown stem and the foul odor emanating from the leaves when crushed. However, there are a few other ways to differentiate between a tree of heaven and a sumac.

Tree of Heaven

• Grows in colonies
• Does not thrive in full sun
• Has smooth leaves with a longer trunk and can grow up to about 80 feet tall

Sumac

• Can produce berries or drupes when female
• Has branches that are covered in brown hairs
• Has leaves that are serrated at the base
• Has a short trunk that can grow up to 40 feet tall

Keep an eye out for these trees in your backyard and consider removing them with the help of the professionals at Mosquito Joe. We specialize in tree of heaven removal and other important services. Our commitment to excellence and the Neighborly Done Right Promise™ ensure complete satisfaction. Request a free quote to find out more!

 
When discussing potentially harmful pests, a common one you’ll often hear about is ticks. These strange creatures latch onto a host through physical contact. You might be out enjoying nature and inadvertently come in contact with them in the grass or by brushing against one on a tree branch. These opportunistic pests can also be transferred onto you by another person or your pet.

Unfortunately, these pests can negatively impact your health. While mosquitoes are known to carry certain diseases like West Nile or Zika, infected ticks can transmit Lyme disease, which can cause serious health issues for many people. The thought of ticks may have you asking the question: Where did Lyme disease originate? To help you better understand Lyme disease and its origin, the pest control experts at Mosquito Joe® have some valuable information to share.

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is a product of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, commonly found in ticks in the United States. While you can get Lyme disease from a tick bite, not all ticks carry the disease. But you should take extra precautions, especially when walking in areas that are heavily wooded or have a lot of tall grass.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Symptoms of Lyme disease can vary between individuals who are infected, and symptoms don’t always show up immediately. Lyme disease skin manifestations and other symptoms can begin to appear anywhere from 3 days to a month after the initial bite.

If you have be bitten by a tick or suspect you have Lyme disease, here are some critical signs to look for:

Stage One

• A standard bug bite: Most people won’t know they’ve received a bite from a tick because they won’t feel the initial bite. Tick saliva has a chemical that acts as a local anesthetic. The chemical numbs the bite area, which often results in a bite going undetected. However, things can change by day three.
• Rash: Rashes are common Lyme disease skin manifestations. They may not hurt, but they’ll be warm to the touch. It’s best to stay away from scratching it. The tell-tale sign of a tick bite is a bulls-eye rash that appears around the bite area. The rash is red in the center and has additional red rings of red around it, which may increase in size over time.
• Fever, headache, chills: In addition to a rash, you may also experience a high fever, headache, and/or chills.

If you experience any of these symptoms after a tick bite, it’s important to seek medical attention as soon a s possible.

Stage Two

Failing to treat stage one of Lyme disease can lead to more severe symptoms in stage two, such as:

• Widespread rashes over your entire body.
• Extreme muscle soreness and weakness.
• Facial weakness on one or both sides of the face.
• Pain in lower limbs.

Once again, if any of these symptoms appear, you should seek help from a medical professional.

Stage Three

Stage three of Lyme disease includes many of the symptoms in stage two. However, a person may experience more pain and swelling in localized areas, such as the knees and other joints. You may also experience arthritis in certain joints.

FAQs About Lyme Disease

How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed?

Lyme disease is tricky to diagnose because it shares similar symptoms with many other medical conditions. However, if you have been bitten by a tick or suspect that you may have Lyme disease, a blood test should be taken to confirm any presence of the disease.

It’s important to note that depending on when the test is administered, blood tests for Lyme disease are not always 100% accurate. During the early stages of the disease, a blood test may come back negative. However, if you receive positive results from your first blood test, you’ll be asked to submit another to determine the severity of your Lyme disease.

How Is Lyme Disease Treated?

Additional research still needs to be done to improve Lyme disease treatments. It is currently treated with antibiotics While this treatment is effective in the early stages, many people report experiencing long-term effects like fatigue and muscle pain.

Can You Get Lyme Disease From Mosquitoes?

When you hear that one pest has a disease, it’s not far-fetched to think others may carry the same disease. While mosquitoes can carry insect-borne illnesses, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), the answer is no.

There’s currently no evidence that indicates you can get Lyme disease from mosquitoes. Additionally, mosquito bites are typically very brief, whereas ticks must hang onto their host for hours or days to fully transmit Lyme bacteria.

Long-Term Complications of Lyme Disease

As mentioned above, if you don’t address the symptoms of Lyme disease during the initial stages, it can lead to longer-term complications. Even after treatment, some people still experience side effects of the disease, such as:

• Bodily aches
• Arthritis in knees and other joints that don’t seem to go away
• Lethargy

You could also face some neurological effects of Lyme disease that can impact your memory, facial muscles, and the muscles around your neck.

Ways To Protect Yourself From Lyme Disease

Lyme disease can be very debilitating for those infected, but this doesn’t mean you should never venture outside again. There are steps and precautions you can take to mitigate the risks. Follow these simple steps when visiting heavily wooded or sparsely populated areas, especially areas with tall, unkempt grass:

• Use tick repellants: Spray tick repellant on your clothes and shoes before going to a grassy or wooded area. It’ll keep them away while you’re outdoors.
• Wear light-colored clothing: Ticks and other pests are attracted to dark colors. Wear lighter colors to reduce the risks and to help someone spot one on you.
• Dress for protection: Although it might be warm during the summer, you’ll still need to wear the proper clothing when venturing outdoors. Avoid wearing open-toed shoes in areas where ticks may lurk. Also, wear long-sleeved shirts and/or pants for the time you’re outside to avoid a tick latching onto your legs.
• Hire service professionals: Rather than waiting to find out if you have ticks on your property, be proactive and hire a professional service. A barrier spray treatment provides a protective shield around your property, keeping pests out and away from your family and pets.
• Check for ticks: Always check for ticks if you’ve been engaging in an outdoor activity. Have someone inspect your clothing or use a mirror to check yourself and areas you cannot easily see.

Protect Yourself From Ticks and Other Annoying Pests

Insects are innovative, adaptable creatures, which explains why they have been in existence for so long. Protecting you, your family, and pets from the dangers of ticks requires a proactive approach. If you enjoy the outdoors, take preventive measures to keep ticks and other pests off your property.

For ultimate peace of mind, call on the professionals at Mosquito Joe®. Our tick control services are developed to protect your property from potentially harmful insects. We offer a range of pest control services. that are all backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™, which ensures your satisfaction. You don’t have to spend all your time indoors, because Mosquito Joe is making the outdoor fun again! Request a free quote today!