Every year America goes through a festive season of pumpkin spices lattes, cool crisp weather, and leaf-covered lawns. One part of that season that isn’t so festive, however, are the many uncommon pests that look for ways to invade homes. One lesser-known pest that invades home in large numbers during the fall is the western conifer seed bug. If your Richmond home isn’t prepared to stop these invasive pests when they come knocking, here is a handy guide to use to make sure they’re stopped dead in their tracks.

What Are Western Conifer Seed Bugs?

Western conifer seed bugs are not home pests by nature but rather by necessity. During the warmer months, these pests nest around trees and use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to suck the pulp from seeds. Common trees these pests congregate around include white pine, Scotch pine, red pine, mugo pine, white spruce, Austrian pine, Douglas fir, and hemlock. If you know anything about trees and identifying these species around your property, it might be good to put that expertise to use. It will help you assess your risk of a western conifer seed nug invasion this fall.

Identify a western conifer seed bug by its 16 - 20mm long, thin shield-shaped body, brown coloration, and overlapping wings. Although similar in appearance to stink bugs, western conifer seed bugs do not produce a pungent odor when squished; they do, however, share all their annoying tendencies.

Why Western Conifer Seed Bugs Invade Homes

The western conifer seed bug is primarily a fall and winter pest. As the weather cools down in our area, these insects will start congregating to the sides of buildings, nearby the trees they were previously living within, to soak up warmth from the sun.

From here they will find holes, gaps, and cracks and use them to get inside. Once inside, these pests will then look for areas where they can settle down and weather the winter months. If you notice one or two western conifer seed bugs buzzing around your home during the winter, there is a good chance there are much more hiding just out of sight.

How To Prevent Western Conifer Seed Bugs

There are very few things more annoying than having bugs flying around your home at all hours of the day. Before western conifer seed bugs invade this fall and winter, try these helpful prevention tips around your Richmond home:

Use a caulking gun to fill in gaps, cracks, and holes in your home’s exterior foundation.
Repair damage to window/door screens.
Address problems with weatherstripping around your home.
Make sure all of your exterior doors have door sweeps.
Keep unscreened doors and windows closed when not in use.
Fix leaky piping and fixtures in and around your home.
Check your gutters and make sure they are clean and working properly.

As a bonus tip, consider removing trees that attract western conifer seed bugs to your property. This is the only real individual way you can drastically reduce your chances of finding these bugs indoors come winter. If you would rather not cut down your trees to prevent these tiny pests but are still committed to keeping them out this winter, get a professional involved.

At Pestmaster® Services - Richmond, VA, we offer comprehensive services to keep overwintering pests like western conifer seed bugs out of your home. Using advanced pest control methodology and industry-leading treatments, we will ensure your Richmond home stays pest-free through the colder months.

Give our team a call today to find out more about our pest control options or to schedule a treatment for your Richmond property.