Fall Invaders in Overland Park: The Bugs That Move In When Nights Get Cool

The first cool night in the KC metro feels great to us.

It feels great to bugs too.

Late August into September is when common fall invaders Overland Park homeowners deal with—like crickets, spiders, stink bugs, and mice—start looking for a warm place to spend winter. Your house is the warmest thing on the block. Here is what shows up, why it happens, and what you can do about it this weekend.

What are fall invaders?

Fall invaders are bugs that live outside all summer and try to move inside when the weather turns.

They are not looking for you. They are looking for heat and shelter.

Think of your home like a restaurant on a cold night. The door opens, warm air rolls out, and everybody outside notices.

Most fall invaders are a nuisance, not a danger. They do not chew your house. They do not breed in your walls. They just want to be warm until spring.

Which fall invaders show up in Overland Park homes?

Here is what our techs pull out of Overland Park and Kansas City basements, garages and window wells every September.

Brown marmorated stink bugs. Shield shaped and marbled brown, with white bands on the antennae. They gather on warm sunny walls, then slip in around window frames.

Camel crickets. Humpbacked, no wings, big back legs. They jump toward you when startled. Damp basements are their favorite place on earth.

Asian lady beetles. They look like ladybugs. They gather in big groups and give off a smell that calls in more of them.

Spiders. Cooler nights push wolf spiders, cellar spiders and brown recluse deeper into homes. Basements, closets and storage boxes are the usual spots.

Boxelder bugs. Black with orange lines. They pile up on the sunny south side of the house, then work their way in.

Mice. A mouse needs a gap the size of a dime. Once the nights drop into the 50s, they start testing every gap around your foundation.

Millipedes and pillbugs. After a good rain they move by the dozen toward window wells and basement doors.

Why do bugs come inside in September and not July?

Two reasons.

First, temperature. Once nights cool off, insects that survive on outside heat go looking for a heat source. Your foundation soaks up sun all day and stays warm after dark.

Second, life cycle. A lot of these bugs spend winter as adults, not eggs. They have to find shelter or they do not make it. Fall is their deadline.

That is why a house can look totally bug free in July and feel busy the first week of September. Nothing went wrong. The calendar just flipped.

Where do they actually get in?

Nine times out of ten it is one of these spots.

1. Uncovered window wells packed with leaves

2. The sill plate seam where the foundation meets the framing

3. Gaps under garage doors and worn weather stripping

4. Gaps around pipes, hose bibs, dryer vents and AC lines

5. Window air conditioners still in the frame

6. Torn screens and basement doors with daylight at the bottom

7. Mulch, leaves and firewood stacked against the house

Walk your foundation at dusk with a flashlight. If light gets out, bugs get in.

What can I do this weekend?

You do not need special tools. You need an hour and a caulk gun.

1. Cover the window wells. Clear covers are cheap and they solve a lot in this metro.

2. Caulk cracks around the foundation. Start on the south side. That side gets the most sun and the most traffic.

3. Seal the sill plate from inside the basement with caulk or foam.

4. Pack utility penetrations with copper mesh, then seal over it. Mice cannot chew copper mesh.

5. Fix the garage door seal. The rubber wears out at the corners first.

6. Run a dehumidifier in the basement. Camel crickets and millipedes need moisture. Take it away and they leave.

7. Pull mulch and leaves back about a foot from the foundation.

8. Swap outdoor bulbs for warm or yellow LEDs. White light pulls in bugs all night.

Johnson County K-State Research and Extension gives the same first step we do. Their writeup on stink bugs makes the point that these are a nuisance pest, not a destructive one. They do not bite, do not spread disease, and do not damage your structure. You can read it at Johnson County K-State Extension, which is a solid free resource for homeowners on this side of the metro.

University of Missouri Extension says the same thing for the Missouri side. Their guidance is that mechanical exclusion, meaning screens, caulk and sealing, is the best way to keep stink bugs out.

When should I call a pest control company?

Call when you see any of these.

• The same bug shows up daily for more than a week

• You find droppings, chewed food packaging or scratching in walls

• Spiders keep showing up in bedrooms, closets or basements

• You have sealed the obvious gaps and it is still happening

• You would just rather not crawl around your foundation in September

A fall perimeter service is timed to hit bugs before they reach the door. Done in late August or September, it does more work than the same service done in November.

Frequently asked questions

When does fall pest season start in Overland Park? It starts with the first stretch of cool nights, usually late August into mid September. Activity peaks in October.

Are fall invaders dangerous? Most are not. Stink bugs, boxelder bugs, lady beetles and millipedes are nuisance pests. Spiders and mice are the two worth taking seriously.

What is the jumping bug in my basement? Almost always a camel cricket. Humpbacked, no wings, long back legs. Harmless, but they thrive where it is damp.

Why are there so many bugs on the south side of my house? That wall gets the most sun and stays warmest longest. Bugs gather there before they look for a way in.

Will one treatment stop fall invaders? One well timed exterior treatment helps a lot. Sealing gaps is what makes it last. The two work together.

Do I need a contract for fall pest control? Not with us. Bug Shockers is no contract, always has been. You stay because it works, not because you signed something.

The bottom line

Fall invaders are predictable. That is good news.

They come in the same weeks, through the same gaps, on the same side of the house. Seal those gaps before the weather turns and you skip most of the problem.

If you would rather have someone else handle it, we are local, family owned, no contracts, and serving Overland Park and Kansas City.

Bug Shockers Pest Control. The Shockingly Smart Choice.