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Serving Polk County

Fall Invader Control in Des Moines, IA

Exclusion and timed barrier work keep boxelder bugs and lady beetles from overwintering inside a Des Moines house.

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  • Fall invader control
  • Mouse exclusion and sealing
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Fall Invaders

Fall Invader Control: what it covers

Quick answer

Fall invader control stops insects such as boxelder bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles from moving indoors to overwinter. Iowa State University Extension says exclusion comes first, with barrier sprays on the south and west walls applied before the pests enter, around September to mid-October. Des Moines Pest Control answers 24/7 in Des Moines.

Fall Invader Control illustration for Des Moines, IA, with grain silos in the background

Every autumn in Des Moines, a certain kind of insect shows up on the sunny side of a house. Boxelder bugs crowd the south wall and the siding around windows, and multicolored Asian lady beetles gather in the same places. Some of them find a gap and get inside, where they spend the winter in wall voids, ceilings and window frames. Then they appear on the walls of a warm room on a sunny afternoon in January, which is what makes them a nuisance.

Iowa State University Extension calls these insects accidental invaders. They do not breed indoors and they do not eat the house. They are looking for a sheltered place to pass the cold months, and a warm, sunny wall with a small opening is exactly what they want. The control that works is mostly about closing the openings before the movement starts, and only then about treating the outside.

Fall invader control from Des Moines Pest Control begins with an outside inspection, because that is where the decisions get made. The technician looks at window and door seals, screens, the gaps where wires and pipes enter, the chimney, and the foundation. A same-day visit is offered when a technician is free, and the timing of any barrier treatment is set against the season, not against a calendar date chosen in advance.

Service area
Des Moines & Polk County
Availability
Phones answered 24/7
Warning signs

Signs you need fall invader control

Do not crush the insects on a window or wall, because they release a smell and can stain the surface, and do not vacuum them with a bag you plan to reuse. Do not climb onto a roof or a ladder to reach the upper walls on your own. A technician will do the outside inspection with the right equipment, and will explain how to clean up the indoor insects safely.

  • Black and red insects, about half an inch long, crowding a sunny south or west wall in the afternoon.
  • Oval, orange-and-black or yellow-and-black beetles around window frames, siding seams and the eaves.
  • A cluster of insects behind a curtain, inside a wall switch plate or along a ceiling line in a room that gets sun.
  • Insects that fall out of light fixtures, or that land on food and drinks in a warm kitchen during cold weather.
  • A sharp, unpleasant smell when the insects are crushed, and a mark on the wall or window where they were disturbed.
  • Small gaps around window frames, a damaged screen, or a door sweep that no longer meets the threshold.
Our process

How our fall invader control visit works

  1. Find the entry points

    The technician walks the outside of the house and looks for the gaps the insects can use: window and door frames, screens, the seams where siding meets trim, the vents, and the places where a pipe, wire or cable comes through the wall. Each opening is recorded, because fall invaders can fit through very small gaps.

  2. Check the sunny sides

    The south and west walls are checked most closely, since those are the surfaces that get sun and draw the insects in autumn. The technician notes where the insects are gathering, and whether any have already entered. That tells the team where the barrier work should go.

  3. Seal and repair

    Gaps are sealed with a material suited to the surface, and damaged screens are repaired or replaced. Door sweeps are checked against the threshold. Where a foundation gap is open, the technician notes it, because it is one of the more important routes for overwintering insects.

  4. Barrier treatment, timed

    If the timing is right, a barrier treatment is applied to the south and west walls and the perimeter. Iowa State University puts the window for this work from September to mid-October, before the insects enter. A treatment applied after they are already inside does far less for the people in the house.

  5. Removing what is inside

    Insects already indoors are vacuumed up, not crushed, and the vacuum bag is removed and sealed outside. Crushing them releases the smell and can leave a stain. The technician explains how to keep the room clean until the outside work is finished.

Job stories

Typical jobs for fall invader control

Typical job
Illustration: Typical call: boxelder bugs on a sunny brick wall in Downtown and East Village

Typical call: boxelder bugs on a sunny brick wall in Downtown and East Village

What homeowners notice
In late summer a homeowner in the East Village sees dark insects gathering on a south-facing brick wall in the afternoon, with a few already around a window frame inside.
What we do
The technician walks the wall and the frames, notes the gaps at the sill and the screen, vacuums the insects found indoors and books a barrier date for the sunny walls before the window opens.
What to expect
Typically the homeowner gets a written list of openings and a barrier date, and the sealing is the first step rather than a spray alone.

60 minutes typical visit

Which fall invaders come indoors in Iowa homes?

Boxelder bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles are the two fall invaders Iowa State University names most often for homes. Brown marmorated stink bugs can also show up indoors in autumn, and they are handled the same way.

Boxelder bugs are black and red and about half an inch long. They feed on boxelder and maple trees in the warm months and then move toward buildings in the fall. Their numbers vary a lot from year to year, so one autumn may bring a steady line of them to the same wall and the next may bring very few.

Multicolored Asian lady beetles have a black W-shaped mark behind the head. They are useful predators in the garden during summer, but in fall they gather on the sunny sides of buildings and wander in through small openings. Brown marmorated stink bugs were discussed by an ISU entomologist in an October radio segment as a fall invader that can show up indoors. A technician checks for all three by their marks and by where they gather.

Why do the insects gather on the south and west walls?

The sun warms the siding in the afternoon, and that warmth draws the insects to the surface before they look for a place to overwinter. Walls that face south and west get the most sun, so they collect the most insects.

In autumn, the insects are looking for a sheltered spot where they can wait out the cold. A sunny wall gives them warmth during the day and an edge to crawl along, and the gap at a window frame or siding seam gives them a way in. The insects that land on the wall are often the ones that will try to get inside.

That is why the treatment and the sealing focus on those walls. The insects do not gather on the north side of the house as often, so the technician spends more time on the sunny sides and the openings that connect to them.

Why is sealing the first step, before any spray?

Sealing the openings stops the insects from getting inside, and the sprays work best on the outside surfaces they land on. Iowa State University recommends exclusion as the preferred control, so the first work is always to close the gaps.

Exclusion means tight windows and doors, intact screens, and sealed gaps around the foundation, pipes, wires and chimneys. ISU also lists a band of gravel at the foundation, two to four feet wide, as part of the exclusion approach. A spray applied to a house with open gaps will be out-run by the next wave.

Barrier sprays are applied on the south and west sides, and they have to be on the surface before the pests enter. ISU puts that window from September to mid-October. A spray applied after the insects are already inside does not reach the wall voids where they spend the winter.

When is the right time to call for fall invader control?

The right time is late summer, before the insects start moving. For most homes in Iowa, that means inspecting and sealing in late summer and timing any barrier work for September to mid-October. A call made after the insects are indoors still helps, but it does less.

A visit in late summer lets the technician close the gaps before the movement begins. It also gives the team time to plan a barrier treatment for the right week, rather than working in the middle of the rush. Calls to Des Moines Pest Control are answered 24/7, and a visit is offered the same day when a technician is free.

If the insects are already gathering when you call, the technician will still do the outside inspection and the sealing. Indoor removal is handled on the same visit where possible, and a second visit can be set for the barrier treatment if the timing is still right.

What affects the price of fall invader work in this area?

The price depends on the number of gaps, the height and type of siding, the number of sunny walls, and whether the house has a finished attic or basement. The technician explains what each part of the work involves before anything is approved.

A single-story house with a few open screens is a short job. A two-story house with a lot of siding seams and high eaves takes more time, because the technician needs to reach the upper walls. A house with many windows on the south side has more surface to treat, and the sealing and screen repair add to the total.

The price is confirmed with you on the visit, before any work starts. No figure is printed on this page, because the work depends on the house, not on a standard package.

Options

Types and options for fall invader control

Exclusion only

Used when the house has many gaps and few insects so far. Sealing the openings and repairing screens is the main work, and it can be done on its own. It is the lowest-impact option and it works on the next season's invaders as well as this one.

Barrier treatment on the sunny walls

Used when insects are already gathering on the south and west walls. The treatment is applied to those walls and the perimeter before the insects enter. Timing matters: it is most useful when it goes on before the movement, and it is less useful once they have moved in.

Indoor removal after entry

Used when insects have already got inside. Vacuuming removes the bulk of them, and the technician checks the wall voids and ceiling lines where they tend to gather. Indoor removal does not stop the next wave, so it is usually paired with exclusion or a barrier.

Combined seasonal plan

Used for houses that have had the problem every year. Exclusion is done first, a barrier treatment is timed for the autumn window, and a follow-up visit checks the openings again. The plan is written down so you know what was done and what to check next year.

Polk County

Why fall invader control is different in central Iowa

In Des Moines, the fall invader pattern follows the houses. Single-family homes with sunny south and west walls and a lot of siding seams tend to get the most attention from insects in autumn, and the window and door frames are where the work usually starts. Iowa State University's guidance on exclusion applies to those homes as much as it applies anywhere, and the inspection is built around the openings a technician finds.

The timing is set by the season and the weather in the autumn months, not by a date printed on a calendar. A warm October can keep insects active on the walls for longer, and a cold snap can drive them inside faster. For that reason the plan is reviewed on the visit, and the barrier treatment is timed to the week the insects are most likely to move.

Des Moines has a mix of older houses with original windows and newer homes with tighter construction. The older houses usually need more sealing work around the frames, and the newer ones may have gaps where the cladding meets the trim. A technician checks both kinds of gap before any treatment is applied, so the work matches the house.

One call and it gets handled.

Tell us when you need someone and we book the earliest visit a fall invader control technician has, and you approve the price before any work starts.

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Where we work

Fall Invader Control across Polk County

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Guides

Read before you book

What Moves a Pest Control Quote in Des Moines, Iowa

A pest control quote in Des Moines depends on the pest, how far it has spread, the size and access of the building, the number of entry points that need sealing and how many visits the plan needs.

FAQ

Fall Invader Control FAQs

Are boxelder bugs and lady beetles a sign of a structural problem?

They are a sign that the house has openings the insects can use, not that the structure is failing. Iowa State University describes them as accidental invaders that do not breed indoors. The technician will still check the gaps and the frames, because the openings are what the visit is for.

Can I just vacuum them and be done?

Vacuuming removes the insects already inside, and it is a good first step. It does not stop the next group from coming in through the same gaps. A technician will vacuum the indoor insects and then close the openings, which is the part that stops the problem from coming back.

When should barrier spraying happen?

Iowa State University puts the window from September to mid-October, before the insects enter. A technician will look at the house and the season before setting a date. A treatment applied too late is much less useful, which is why the timing is set during the visit.

Do fall invader treatments harm pets or children?

Keep pets and children off treated surfaces until they have dried or settled, as the technician explains. Do not wipe the surfaces down before the product has set. The technician will tell you which areas to avoid and for how long, and will leave written instructions.

Why do the insects come back the next year?

A house with open gaps will attract the insects again each autumn, because the openings are still there. Exclusion is the step that stops the cycle, and a follow-up visit checks the sealing. Repairs made once are usually enough, but the screens and the sweeps need checking every year.

Can I do the sealing myself?

You can seal small gaps around windows and doors with a suitable material, and you can replace a worn door sweep. Gaps high on the walls, at the eaves and in the attic are harder to reach safely, and the technician can handle those on the visit. Ask before you start so the work is not duplicated.

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