Common pests in the North Central U.S.
This region has a variety of moisture gradients from west to east, the key factor here is temperature. Pests are active during the warm seasons before going dormant (or moving indoors!) once cooler weather hits in winter.
The most active and problematic pests will depend on the season:
- Spring (May): ants, overwintering pests, and mosquitoes
- Summer (June-August): mosquitoes, house flies, and ants
- Fall (September-October): overwintering pests, ticks, and crickets
- Winter (November-March): indoor nesting ants, pantry pests, and overwintering pests
Sunday Tip:
What’s an overwintering pest? These are the bugs that may be active outdoors on warm winter days, or may find themselves indoors to escape the cold—things like boxelder bugs, stink bugs, ladybird beetles, elm leaf beetles, and kudzu bugs.
Pest prevention in the North Central region
When it comes to pests, the best offense is a good defense. Sticking to Integrated Pest Management principles will help prevent and reduce general pest issues:
- Remove or reduce habitat and food and water sources.
- Scout for pests regularly around the home and yard.
- Identify pests if one does emerge.
- Practice pest prevention and change the environment to be less pest-friendly.
- Use chemical control as a last resort.
For more specific guidance, follow these tips for preventing and managing the top pests in the North Central U.S. during their active seasons:
How to control overwintering pests
- Install or refit things like window screens, weather stripping, and door sweeps to prevent entry to the home.
- Keep firewood stored away from the house, clean up debris around the yard, and create a vegetation-free zone close to the house to help reduce pest habitat.
- Store food in airtight containers and clean up spilled food or drink to reduce pest’s food sources indoors.
- Use Sunday’s Bug Doom to create a barrier to the home, or treat pests inside the home.
How to control mosquitoes
- Dump and prevent standing water around the yard, which can serve as breeding habitat for mosquitoes.
- Mow the lawn, trim trees, and prune shrubs to reduce shade- and moisture-rich mosquito habitat.
- Use Sunday’s Mosquito Deleto to treat your protected zone.
How to control ants
Outdoor ants
- Store trash, compost, and recycling bins away from the areas of the yard that you use the most, and clean up any trash or spilled food.
- Only treat with Sunday’s Ant Adios if ants are causing damage to the lawn or landscape or as a barrier to prevent ants from entering the home—many ants are actually beneficial soil aerators, pest predators, and even lesser-known pollinators.
Indoor ants
- Clean spilled food, crumbs, or liquids to reduce ant food sources.
- Seal entryways to the home where you see ants coming inside.
- Treat with Sunday’s Bug Doom only if indoor ants continue to be an issue.
North Central pest control
Deciding what practices and products to use to help you manage pests in and around your home can be tricky. Start by narrowing in on the specific pest issues you’re facing. Then, modify the environment to be less welcoming to that pest, and then determine if pest products are necessary to help prevent or manage your pest problem.
Here are some of our go-to products for the North Central U.S. that you can get shipped to your door from Sunday!
Total Home Pest Medium Protection Plan
- Protects your home against unwanted bugs, inside and out
- Kills ants, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, spiders, and more
- Active ingredients include pyrethrin and canola oil
Mosquito Control Pest Plan - Medium
- Contains yard spray, personal insect repellent, mosquito dunks, citronella candle
- Mosquito Deleto kills and repels mosquitoes, ticks, and ants
- Plan includes 4-6 months of protection
Ant Adios Insect & Ant Killer (2-pack)
- Controls ants, earwigs, cutworms, sowbugs, pillbugs, and crickets
- See results in 3–14 days
- Effective for up to 4 weeks
- OMRI-listed for organic gardening
Resources for North Central pest management
Mosquitoes
Use this handy guide to help you identify, prevent, and control mosquitoes in your backyard.
House flies
We’ve got the buzz on house flies—including house fly identification, prevention, and control tips.
Ants
Ants are common indoor and outdoor pests—learn more about identifying, preventing, and treating ant problems.
Natural ways to prevent pests
Follow these pest prevention tips, to help keep pests from becoming a problem in the first place.
Ticks
We’ve got all the tick identification, prevention, and control tips you need.
Indoor insect ID guide
Have a critter that worked its way inside the home, but not entirely sure what it is? Use this indoor insect ID guide to help identify your pest and get some quick tips on how to prevent and control them.
Outdoor insect ID guide
Got a backyard bug that’s really bugging you? Our outdoor insect ID guide can help!
