The Pale King, David Foster Wallace’s posthumously published book about IRS auditors, contains the simultaneously pithy and profound line: “Insects all business all the time.” Knowing Wallace, he doubtlessly intended a deeply imaginative and metaphorical meaning for these words, but they also do a good job just generally describing how the world of bugs works. Insects don’t really take coffee breaks, go on vacation, or enjoy an early retirement. Their every action is somehow related to their ongoing survival and propagation — and that is just as true with winter bugs and winter pests as it is with irritants encountered any other time of the year.
In this guide, we’ll discuss why you encounter winter bugs, what winter bugs are around your property in typical condition, and how you can best manage them.
Winter is known for being frigid and inhospitable, but some surprising bugs actually thrive in the cold. While most insects die off or become dormant in winter, a handful of species have adapted to handle the cold weather and can become active pests indoors.
In this article, we’ll explore which bugs tend to come inside during winter and how they survive the cold. We’ll also provide tips on keeping them out of your home so you don’t have to deal with any uninvited winter guests.
How Bugs Survive the Winter
Bugs have evolved some clever strategies for making it through harsh winter conditions:
Diapause
Many insects enter a state of diapause in winter which is similar to hibernation. Their development and activity slows down or stops completely. Ladybugs are a common example – they often congregate inside attics and basements to wait out winter in diapause.
Migration
Some bugs like monarch butterflies migrate long distances to escape the cold. Others move more locally – for example, millipedes migrate short distances in fall to find shelter.
Sheltering
Bugs seek out protected spots like under logs or rock piles. Spider and ticks often overwinter in leaf litter or attached to animal hosts.
Adaptations
A few bugs can survive being frozen. Freeze-tolerant insects like the winter firefly produce cryoprotectants and antifreeze chemicals that allow them to survive freezing.
Indoors
For bugs like stinkbugs and boxelder bugs, houses provide an ideal sheltered spot to spend winter. They become inactive and focus just on surviving until spring.
Common Winter Bugs
Here are some of the most frequently seen indoor bugs during winter:
Stink Bugs
Stink bugs enter a state of diapause during winter and often sneak inside walls or attics. Even though they are inactive, they can still release a foul odor if disturbed.
Boxelder Bugs
These black and red bugs seek winter shelter in protected spots indoors, often congregating in large numbers. They become almost dormant but can emerge on warm winter days.
Ladybugs
Hundreds of ladybugs may cluster in building attics and basements to wait out winter in diapause. Homes with good sun exposure are prime targets.
Cluster Flies
These flies enter structures in fall to hibernate inside walls or attics over winter. They emerge in spring to look for food and breeding sites.
Carpet Beetles
Varied carpet beetles are common indoor pests in winter. The adult beetles eat natural fibers and can damage carpets, furniture, or clothing.
Western Conifer Seed Bugs
These bugs invade homes in fall, seeking out hidden overwintering spots like attics or wall voids. Their populations often spike in winter as they escape the cold.
Asian Lady Beetles
Asian lady beetles, a type of ladybug, cluster on exterior walls in fall before moving inside wall voids and attics. Large aggregations can stain walls and ceilings.
Spiders
Some spiders like the brown recluse spider may move inside in cold months. They retreat to undisturbed areas like attics or crawl spaces to overwinter.
Keeping Winter Bugs Out
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep uninvited winter bugs from entering your home:
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Seal cracks around windows, doors, and foundation: Caulk or weatherstrip any potential entry points so bugs can’t sneak inside.
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Install door sweeps and screens: Door sweeps and bug screens on attic vents or crawl space vents block access.
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Prune trees/shrubs near home: Pruning back vegetation prevents bugs from using branches to access the building.
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Check firewood before bringing inside: Inspect for hitchhiking bugs and remove them outdoors.
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Vacuum attics/basements regularly: Remove any bugs in overwintering spots before they can establish breeding colonies.
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Monitor for entry points: Pay attention to areas where bugs congregate like southern exposures and seal any crevices.
Taking preventative steps can go a long way in keeping uninvited winter bugs out of your home. Acting quickly at first signs of entry and sealing up access points will help stop existing infestations from getting worse. With some diligence, you can stay pest-free all winter long.
Fascinating Facts About Winter Bugs
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The winter firefly produces a natural antifreeze that allows it to be active even below freezing. It emerges during winter warm spells to feed.
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Snow fleas survive frigid temperatures by producing a protein that acts as a natural antifreeze. They can be seen hopping across the snow on sunny winter days.
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The woolybear caterpillar freezes solid during winter but survives due to cryoprotectants in its tissues. It thaws out in spring to continue growing.
-Goldenrod gall fly larvae already produce their own antifreeze compounds to survive winter inside goldenrod stem galls. Their survival rates actually improve if they are frozen.
- Crickets and some other insects empty their guts before winter. They don’t eat all winter but still need to excrete waste to survive.
-Ladybugs can survive through winter by grouping together. Large aggregations allow them to collectively lower the freezing point of their cluster several degrees.
The Bottom Line
While most bugs perish or become inactive during winter, some species have evolved strategies to cope with the cold weather. Being aware of which pests may try to shelter in your home and sealing up entry points can help keep populations down. With vigilance and prevention, you can avoid playing host to these uninvited winter guests.
Do Bugs and Pests Come Inside During the Winter?
When we think of pest problems, we tend to imagine summer, those warm months where bugs proliferate, and we can’t go more than a few minutes without slapping away some buzzing or biting creature. However, plenty of people find winter bugs in houses, and to understand why, it helps to study some common insect patterns.
As the mercury starts to fall, insects seek different ways to survive. Some migrate to warmer climates. (Think of the famous monarch butterfly, which migrates as far as 3,000 miles.) Some accept their own demise and guarantee the survival of their species by laying eggs or overwintering as larvae, pupae, or nymphs. But some go into full hibernation as grown, adult insects. In fact, the Smithsonian states, “To survive the cold of winter months, many insects replace their body water with a chemical called glycerol, which acts as an ‘antifreeze’ against the temperatures.” It’s these sorts of creatures that become the indoor winter bugs you’ll find in a home.
How do winter flying bugs and winter bugs that bite end up in your abode? Well, some of them were in your house to begin with and you only happened to encounter them during the cold months. (These would include winter bed bugs and spiders.) Others may have sought shelter in leaf piles around your property, including leaves in your gutters, and then gained access to your house through cracks in the foundation, siding, and/or roof. And sometimes the culprit can be your seemingly innocent woodpile. When you bring in a log or two, the pests that have buried themselves in the middle of it seeking warmth end up inside.
Most common winter bugs
While bugs don’t disappear during the winter, you shouldn’t expect every insect to continue to bother you once it gets cold. In this section, we will describe a number of common winter bugs and what sorts of behavior you can expect from them.
Termites (one of a homeowner’s most dreaded pests) don’t hibernate during winter, and their reproductive cycles don’t synchronize with the seasons. That makes it sound as though freezing weather should wipe them out, right? Not so fast. As soon as temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, termites start to seek warmth. They may burrow deeper into the ground — or they may make their way into your property. Cold can discourage further colony development if one is in a nascent stage. However, as long as established colonies have a link with moist soil, they experience no corresponding decrease in activity. If that colony is already extant in in your house, you could have a real issue on your hands.
Cold is so effective at killing bedbugs that pest control companies use it to eliminate them, Smithereen included! (Read more about our Cryonite® treatments.) Frosty weather also makes it less likely that they will hitchhike into your home on a piece of luggage or a delivery. However, cold temperatures will cause bed bugs to seek warmth, and an easy-to-access source is your home. If they’re living near your home, they could very well end up inside it.
Ants are among those insects that use glycerol to survive in winter. When the temperature drops below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, most ants will burrow deep into their nests until the weather gets warmer. Buildings are nicer than nests, though, and if they can find a way into your property through cracks in the walls or by being brought in on packages or plants, they will thrive.
“Winter beetles” isn’t an oxymoron. To start with, the term “beetle” refers to some 300,000 different types of bug, which is quite a diverse assortment. Still, most of them behave like many other insects: When it gets chilly, they look for warmth. It’s annoying to have them appear in your property, but they rarely cause significant damage.
Stink bugs may have earned their name for the noxious aroma they exude when squashed, but they’re really just a particular kind of beetle. The same behavior that motivates their wider family also motivates them, with one exception. They can’t thrive indoors, so they may swarm around doorways and windows. However, you may want to think twice before squashing winter stink bugs, because they really do earn their name.
A more unique species, box elders belong to the Hemiptera classification, a grouping that includes aphids and cicadas. Box elders, though, behave like many other insects: The striking, black-with-orange insects prefer dark, isolated places. As the weather warms, they may attempt to exist your home. They also have a distinct (and unpleasant) odor.
Ah, roaches! Their longevity has become the punchline to endless jokes, and their hardiness has caused people to wonder if they could survive even a global nuclear bombardment. Unfortunately, the hardiness of the common cockroach means that it’s one of the wintertime bugs you’re most likely to encounter, especially if it has access to food and water inside your property.
Perennial pests, spiders may seem to turn up around your home or business more often during cold months. That’s because they’re seeking warmth and shelter like so many other kinds of bugs. Clutter can help facilitate their flourishing.
Not every kind of tick remains active during winter, but deer ticks are an exception. Also known as the black-legged tick, it appears coast to coast. Exercise vigilance if you have pets, because these ticks can latch on to your furry friends when you walk them outside.
The proper name for snow fleas is springtails, and these feisty little jumpers like to hop around on top of the snow even during modest thaws — hence their nickname. They don’t live long inside, but they can make their way into structures, which often consternates those who find them there.
Midges behave much in the same way as springtails. Aquatic and ephemeral, they flourish near water and quickly become active as the temperature rises. While they may enter your house or business, they won’t bite or sting.
This ferocious-looking creature may seem to be a cross between a dragonfly and a scorpion. Fear not, though: It’s utterly harmless and rarely enters properties, preferring to remain outside. Its active period is October through March.
Stoneflies share a lot of commonalities with midges. However, they look a lot more like termites, which can prompt some panicked calls to a local pest control service. However, stoneflies have slightly different body and wing shapes than termites. Additionally, they virtually never appear in large swarms and are harmless.
You might be surprised to learn that finding ladybugs in winter in your property isn’t unheard of. And while it’s surprising, these garden-friendly, warmth-seeking little bugs won’t do much damage. They can secrete a yellow, staining liquid, but otherwise they won’t do any damage.
Where do Bugs Go In the Winter?
FAQ
What kind of bugs come out in the winter?
Not many insects are active in the winter, but the nymphs of dragonflies, mayflies and stoneflies live in waters of ponds and streams, often beneath ice. They feed actively and grow all winter to emerge as adults in early spring.
Are there any winter bugs?
During the winter, stink bugs and boxelder bugs will enter a diapause state similar to hibernation in animals. They will search for warm places like attics, basements, or inside walls where they will remain until spring arrives.
What is winter pest?
When winter weather arrives, some pests go into hibernation while others enter homes seeking warmth and food sources. The National Pest Management Association encourages homeowners to take several precautions against common winter pests like mice, rats, raccoons, cockroaches and spiders.
How do you treat winter bugs?
- stay at home and get plenty of rest.
- drink lots of fluids, such as water or squash – take small sips if you feel sick.
- carry on breast or bottle feeding your baby – if they’re being sick, try giving small feeds more often than usual.
What do Bugs do in the winter?
Bugs do one of 5 things in the winter: get in your house, migrate somewhere warmer, hibernate, lay eggs and die, or go into diapause (which is a dormant state that helps them survive without food or water).
Does winter cause itchy skin?
Yes. Winter causes itchy skin and it is also known as pruritus hiemalis, a type of dermatitis which happens mostly during cold weather. It affects most commonly the legs, however, it can affect any part of the body except the hands, face, feet and scalp. Another type of winter itch is Asteatotic eczema, which has similar symptoms. Symptoms include constant itching because of the rough, dry irritated skin resulting in more rough akin and visible stretch marks. The treatment of less severe cases includes a warm bath followed by moisturising the skin. Severe cases can be treated by the use of hydrocortisone cream along with moisturizer.
Can bugs survive winter?
Few bugs can survive winter temperatures without taking shelter in some way. Most insects seek soil to burrow into or rocks to live under, however many insects prefer a good old-fashioned 3-bedroom, one-bath on Main Street. Note: Not all of the following winter insects will try to make it into your home during cold weather and cause a pest problem.
Where do bugs eat in winter?
Bugs like ladybugs, mourning cloak butterflies, and wooly bear caterpillars often seek refuge in tree bark and leaf litter during the winter. These habitats provide protection from the wind and cold temperatures. Bugs can also find food and moisture in these areas.
How do insects survive in winter?
They may burrow underground, hide in tree bark, or find their way into homes and buildings to stay warm. Insects also conserve water during the winter season. Since water freezes at low temperatures, insects need to ensure they have enough water in their bodies to survive.
Do bugs bite in winter?
However, some biting bugs invade homes during the fall and winter months while looking for a warm place to spend the winter. The worst part is that some of these pests’ bites can cause severe diseases.