It's that time of year. The leaves are falling, children are planning Halloween costumes and pest control services' phones are ringing off the hook.
"It really picks up this time of year," said Jerry Block of Steve's Pest Control.
It's time for the invasion.
"We've got a group of insects that we kinda call the 'fall invaders,'" Block said.
These creatures (not all technically insects) begin seeking shelter from the cold when temperatures reach about 50 F.
Ladybugs, cave crickets, wolf spiders and cluster flies are all on the list.
Mice, house centipedes and certain outdoor roaches are also spotted often in the fall.
How worried should you really be about these creatures? And how can you keep them at bay?
Here to help
Some so-called invaders are actually beneficial: they'll eat other nuisances.
This includes that much-reviled creature, the house centipede. You've probably been startled by the striped, long-legged little centipedes as they zip around at night.
"They're an eerie-looking little character," Block said. "There's really no harm to them."
According to a Pennysylvania State University fact sheet, while house centipedes are capable of biting, bites are rare and cause only brief pain. They'd rather run than fight.
They prey on many arthropods, including silverfish, spiders, flies, cockroaches and more. If they seem numerous, it's because they have plenty to eat - numbers will die down when their food source does. The fact sheet says they lurk in floor drains, crawl spaces, cardboard boxes and other damp, cool locations.
Spiders are the other predator of note.
"Number one, people mainly call about wolf spiders," Block said.
Wolf spider is a slight misnomer. According to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, true wolf spiders (family Lycosidae) live outside, only blundering in occasionally. However, they're similar in appearance to the house spider (genus Tegenaria). Both have long legs proportionate to the body, stripes on the cephalothorax (where the legs attach) and a coating of fine hair.
Both types are harmless and prey on many of the same creatures as centipedes.
Also commonly seen inside, both during autumn and at other times, are cellar spiders (those pale, spindly spiders that make cobwebs in basement and cellar corners) and jumping spiders (compact, hairy little hunters with big eyes). These are also harmless. See the sidebar for information about brown recluses.
Uninvited guests
While much less likely to inspire fear, ladybugs and cluster flies can be far more annoying than other creepy-crawlies.
In the winter, these two come inside in vast numbers to hide from the cold.
"Ladybugs can get into attics around the light fixtures," Block said. "Those gaps are like an eighth of an inch, a 16th of an inch."
The University of Illinois Extension said the Asian ladybug, a non-native species, tends to cluster inside houses by the hundreds during winters, usually in attics. They use pheremones - chemicals released into the air - to find each other by scent. When startled, they can secrete a staining yellow fluid.
If they can't find their way out again, you may open your attic to find a carpet of ladybug carcasses.
Cluster flies, says Penn State, are a bit larger than a house fly. While they don't reproduce indoors, they often try to overwinter between walls and in attics. On warmer days, they attempt to escape and end up buzzing around the house in swarms. Though annoying, they do not bite or carry diseases.
Finally, cave or camel crickets may show up, though in much smaller numbers.
"They like basements," Block said.
Pale and hunchbacked, these crickets don't look much like Jimminy.
"I've had people swear there's a spider that jumps a foot off a ground, but it's actually a camel cricket," Block said with a laugh.
Health risks
The above-listed creatures are annoying or alarming but ultimately not dangerous.
The same can't be said for mice and other rodents.
"People can be sensitive to their urine and feces," Block said. "As feces dry, it can flake off and become airborne."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of rodent-transmitted diseases is longer than a rat's tail. One of the more common is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. This severe respiratory disease can be fatal.
Several species of mice carry the virus, which they shed in their droppings, urine and saliva. When these dry, the particles can get into the air. Simply cleaning up mouse droppings is enough to stir up the virus.
"Mice can carry fleas, which can spread other (diseases)," Block said.
During autumn, mice start looking for food and shelter.
"Right now, until winter sets in, mice are in hoard mode," Block explained. "They're storing their food: dog food, cat food, any dry food they can find. They hoard it in wall voids and attics."
An ounce of prevention
If you haven't started prepping for the autumn invasion yet, now is the time.
Some opt for spraying pesticides inside and on exterior walls to provide a barrier against entry.
But there are also non-chemical-based methods.
"If you don't want to spray, go up and down the side of your house making sure the weather stripping is good," Block suggested.
Patch any cracks in the foundation or openings around pipes. Also, make sure to clear away grass clippings and leaves, which can shelter pests. Block said to maintain a 10-foot-wide clear area around your house.
Diatomaceous earth is also popular. While harmless to mammals, it damages arthropods' exoskeletons and can kill many small pests.
"People need to read the label and apply it right," Block said. "It's meant to go outside. It can be a nice barrier."
You can also preemptively set up traps. Glue traps placed under and behind furniture and along walls will capture roaches, centipedes and spiders. Wooden snap traps are a classic for a reason when it comes to catching mice.
Block said regardless of how creepy these critters can be, most of them aren't there to hurt you.
"Mostly they just want to warm themselves," he said.
Steve's Pest Control can be reached at 573-642-6300.
