There are many outdoor pests which accidentally invade
structures. Sowbugs, Pillbugs, European Earwigs, Centipedes, Millipedes and
Clover Mites are some of the many pests normally found outside that can
become nuisances inside too.
| Sowbugs and
Pillbugs
are related. Both are a grayish colour, are small and rounded in shape and
have a lot of little legs. Pillbugs will roll into a ball when disturbed
whereas Sowbugs do not. These creatures are crustaceans and require moisture
to live. They are often found outside in damp areas, in mulches and under
objects. If they get into a dry area such as inside your house, they will
quickly perish.
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Sowbug |
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Pillbug, in its Protective Rolled Position
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European Earwigs
are found hiding in many different areas. These insects have a pair of
pincers at the back ends that are used for defense. Very large numbers of
them can sometimes be found together in favourable hiding spots.. They
originated in Europe and are now a permanent visitor.
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Centipedes
and Millipedes
are worm-like creatures with lots and lots of legs. Millipedes have more
legs than Centipedes. They are commonly found in gardens and landscapes
where millipedes feed on plants and decaying materials and centipedes feed
on insects.
Clover Mites live on
vegetation. They become a problem when they enter buildings while searching
for a new places to live, and end up on inside walls. They are very small
reddish specks. If you rub your hand across the wall you get reddish blood
coloured smears.
At certain times of the year there may be large numbers of
these pests. They get inside because the outside of the house forms a
natural barrier to their movement. They congregate at the outside walls and
search for openings to pass through or to hide in. These openings often lead
right into the house. They normally find conditions inside your house to be
too dry and rapidly perish.
Prevention
Do not allow any trees, vines, shrubs or other plant
material to touch the house. Maintain the soil level outside so that at
least 15 cm (6 inches) of bare foundation shows above ground.
Keep moisture levels in crawl spaces low by using vapour
barriers and lots of ventilation.
Maintain a strip of ground at least 1 to 2 feet wide around
the outside perimeter of the house where there is no tall grass, firewood or
other stored materials.
Do not use bark mulches next to buildings. Gravel mulches,
short grass or pavement are acceptable materials.
To stop pests from entering buildings, caulk and
weather-strip around doors, windows, pipe entries and wire entries. Install
a slippery EnvirosafeTM Teflon® barrier on the foundation to
prevent these pests from climbing the foundation.
Control
It is important to properly identify the pest, find out
about where it normally lives, and determine why it is a problem (for
example, dry weather may be forcing pests to search for a new place to
live).
Indoor and outdoor spraying may provide temporary relief.
For long-term control, preventive measures must be used.
Our company can provide consultation services, perform the
preventive measures for you and do the treatments for these types of pests.
