The cool weather
of Fall is a welcome relief after the
hot, dry summer. As we begin to close
our windows and doors we may find
insects indoors that we did not notice
during the summer months.
One such insect
found indoors is the Indian meal moth.
This insect feeds on a large variety of
food products. Indian meal moth larvae
are often found feeding in whole wheat
flour, cereal., dried fruits, nuts,
seeds, graham crackers and powdered
milk. Foods infested with these insects
will have silk webbing present,
especially near the food surface.
Foods should be
stored in plastic containers with tight
lids. The moths and larvae also like
dried flowers, herbs, potpourri, dog and
cat food. The adult moths are gray
reddish brown. The larvae are usually
dirty white and can be found on ceilings
and walls As well as in foods.
You may find
flies are a nuisance now with the
changing temperatures. Flies swarm on
porches during the afternoon, then die
when the temperatures drop at night. Use
your sweeper to get rid of these
disease-carrying insects.
Millipedes live
out doors in damp areas such as under
leaves or mulch, in cracks and crevices
feeding on dead or decaying vegetation.
They Are active at night and usually
coil into a spiral when handled or when
they die in a corner of the basement.
They are brown and have 160 pairs of
legs. Millipedes are known as Accidental
invaders. They co not feed upon building
structures or furnishings, they can not
bite or sting and they do tot reproduce
inside the house.
Centipedes have
long, flattened, segmented bodies with
one pair of legs per segment. The house
centipede is up to 1 1/2 inches long and
has 15 pairs of very long, slender legs.
The body is brown to grayish-yellow and
has three dark stripes on top.
House centipedes
are found indoors and outdoors, The one
on the bathroom or bedroom wall, or the
one accidentally trapped in the bathtub,
sink, or toilet causes the most concern.
However, these locations are not where
they normally originate. Centipedes
prefer to live in damp portions of
basements closets, bathrooms,
un6kcavated areas under the house and
beneath the bark of firewood stored
indoors. They do not come up through the
drain pipes.
House centipedes
feed on small insects, insect larvae,
and on spiders. They are beneficial
insects even though many homeowners
consider them a nuisance. The house
centipede could bite, but it is
considered harmless to people. House
centipede control consists of drying up
and cleaning, as much as possible, the
areas that serve as habitat and food
source for centipedes. Sanitation both
indoors and outdoors will help to
eliminate most insect problems.
Using Chemical
sprays should always be the last option.
The Vacuum sweeper works wonders as a
quick and efficient method of removing
unwanted pests. Cold weather will soon
be hear and most insects will be gone or
hidden from view for the winter.
Read other articles about controlling insects & garden pests
Read other fall related gardening articles
Read other articles by Carol Morton