Invasive bugs looking for warm spot to hibernate, says entomologist
Keep windows and doors properly sealed to keep bugs out
With the weather getting colder Agriculture Canada entomologist Christine Noronha says some insects are looking for a place to hibernate — and a warm home is the perfect place.
"They are trying to find these overwintering sites, so they're cold-blooded and they move towards our houses."
Two of the insects Noronha said she is hearing about are Asian ladybeetles and the leaf-footed bug.
The Asian ladybeetle is a non-native species to Canada and was first found in P.E.I. in 1998.
"It's a predator like all other ladybeetles but in the winter it tends to aggregate. So they're aggregating and coming closer to the houses. Some are finding their way into houses."
Noronha said if the population of the Asian ladybeetle grows, they can last longer in the season and cause damage to fruit crops like grapes and pears.
Ensure house is sealed properly
While the leaf-footed bug was once found only in western Canada, it is now found on the Island as well.
Noronha describes the hind legs on the bug as being a bit wider, making it look like a leaf.
"It feeds on conifers, the seeds of conifers so any kind of pine, Douglas fir, those kinds of trees."
Noronha said the leaf-footed bug overwinters as an adult.
"They're pretty big...they're coming in or they're trying to find their way in."
Noronha said the best way to prevent the insects from getting in is to make sure windows and doors are properly sealed.
"Make sure your vents have screening on them."
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With files from Island Morning