1. Have you correctly identified your pest problem? If in doubt, your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or garden center may be able to help.

2. Is the “pest” really a problem? Many insects are occasional invaders of homes and buildings and may only enter under adverse weather conditions or at one time of year.

3. If you believe a pesticide is needed, have you chosen the proper pesticide for your situation and are you applying it in the correct way at the right time? Applying a pesticide for cluster flies, for instance, in June would be totally ineffective. If flies are a problem in June, they are not cluster flies, which only begin to enter buildings in mid- to late August.

4. Have you planned to prevent future outbreaks? Eliminate harborage outdoors near the house foundation. Regular maintenance can help keep numbers of insects and arthropods low outside the home and may prevent them from getting indoors. Do not allow birds to nest on or adjacent to the building. Mites that feed on birds often get into homes from these nests once the young have fledged. Tighten and repair screening. Clean up brush, accumulated dead leaves, and other debris; trim trees and shrubbery so that they do not touch the building; and select plants and mulching materials carefully to avoid future pest problems.

Table 7 lists some pesticides and other management options for annoying pests outside the home (for toxicity information, see Table 3 in Chapter 3, and Table 4a in Chapter 4). Remember that pesticides are only one choice for managing pests and that they are temporary measures. Consider developing an integrated pest management plan optimizing cultural techniques for the future. Also see Chapter 6 in Part I: Cultural Methods, of Pest Management Around the Home.

Table 7. Management of annoying pests outside the home Also see Chapter 6 in Part I: Cultural Methods, of Pest Management Around the Home.
Ants 3/16 to 5/16 inch See also Carpenter Ants.	Ants are beneficial, helping to clean up the environment. They feed on a variety of things including dead insects, other animal matter, sweets, starches, and fats. Ants will enter houses in search of food. Caulking and other home repairs help keep them out. Locate and eliminate nesting sites. Ant baits are the best management tactic for many ants – they control the entire colony. Baits that offer both a sweet and protein matrix work well for many species. Ingredients in baits may include boric acid (borax), hydramethylnon (an insect growth regulator), abamectin, or fipronil. Registered insecticides for treatment of the house perimeter or ant mounds include bifenthrin, boric acid (borax), cyfluthrin, diatomaceous earth, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, fipronil, lambda-cyhalothrin, d-limonene, permethrin, and propoxur (Baygon).
Black flies, Buffalo gnats 1/8 inch	These biting flies are active during the daytime. They breed in fast-moving streams and rivers. Avoid being outdoors during blackfly season. Wear protective clothing that the insects cannot bite through; head netting is sometimes useful. To protect people, use a repellent containing either DEET (N-N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, formerly called N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin, or p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus).
Boxelder bug 5/8 inch	Boxelder bugs (red and black colored) feed on developing seeds of boxelder and other maple trees. For tree treatment options, see “Boxelder” in Chapter 10 (Tree and Shrub Pest Management). Outdoor spot treatments of accumulations of the insects, if needed, may be made using bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, or lambda-cyhalothrin.
Carpenter ants 1/2 to 1 inch	The main nests are often outside, in dead wood in trees or stumps, with satellite nests indoors, such as in the walls. Baits are available for use outdoors for carpenter ants around the home. Products labeled for spot or perimeter treatments by homeowners include bifenthrin, boric acid (borax), cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, fipronil, lambda-cyhalothrin, or permethrin. Consult a certified pesticide applicator for difficult situations.
Carpenter bees 1 1/4 inches	These are beneficial as pollinators, but are considered structural pests when they nest in wood of our homes and buildings. Once nesting sites are established they tend to return year after year. Rough-cut untreated wood is preferred for nesting. Screening or trap boards may help deter them from the structure. If necessary, use a commercial wasp and hornet spray to kill the bees, and treat the nest holes in the wood with bifenthrin, carbaryl, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or tetramethrin (with other ingredients). Nest hole openings can be sealed with small pieces of stainless steel wool, wood filler, or putty, after spray application.
Chiggers 1/8 inch	These minute red larval mites may bite people and cause itching. Use repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus). Apply per label directions. If you are walking through areas of low vegetation, only socks and cuffs of trousers may need to be treated. Keep grass mowed low. If necessary, use bifenthrin to treat infested areas. Spray grass, surrounding weeds, and shrubs.
Clover mites 1/16 inch	Clover mites, which are reddish-brown and pinhead size, may enter buildings to overwinter. Caulk and weatherstrip to prevent entry. Establish a vegetation free border 18-24 inches wide around the house foundation. If needed, apply deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, or permethrin. Check the label for use: some products can be used around window casings or door frames, others are used to treat the soil in a band 15 to 20 inches wide around the foundation wall. Turfgrass products labeled for clover mites may be used to treat the lawn area near houses.
Crickets 7/8 inch	These insects feed on vegetation outdoors, but may enter homes when food is scarce or cold weather arrives. Remove moist debris from around entrances and windows. If needed, use bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or pyrethrins (with other ingredients). Apply in areas where crickets may hide around the foundation perimeter, especially near doors and windows.
Earwigs 1 1/16 inch	Keep areas around entrances dry and clear of compost, debris and decaying leaves. If needed, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, diatomaceous earth, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or bioallethrin may be used outdoors around foundation walls as a perimeter treatment.
Fleas 1/8 inch	If needed, spot treat outdoor pet resting or sleeping areas with an approved veterinary formulation. In severe infestations, it may be necessary to spray or dust the pet yard with bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, or permethrin.
House flies 3/8 inch	Eliminate breeding areas: manure, garbage, piles of grass clippings, and other rich decaying organic matter, or spread the material so it dries out rapidly. Good screening is helpful in keeping flies outside. Sticky flypaper is useful in entryways if flies congregate there. If needed, use bifenthrin or permethrin, or a product with residual action, containing bioallethrin plus deltamethrin. Non-residual fly spray will allow quick knock down and reduction of numbers at the time of use.
Millipedes 1 to 1 1/2 inches	Keep ground-level entrance areas free of decaying leaves and debris and trim or remove shrubs to promote air circulation and drying near foundations. Sweep up and destroy millipedes daily. They are difficult to control with sprays. Registered products include bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin. Apply near foundations, entryways, near basement doors and windows, and other areas where millipedes occur. In very moist years large numbers of millipedes may move near foundations to escape excessive soil moisture; control may be difficult.
Mosquitoes 3/8 inch	Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. Source reduction: dispose of all receptacles, including old tires, or empty weekly (such as birdbaths). Be sure rain gutters are not blocked and clear of debris. Install and/or repair damaged window screens to keep mosquitoes out. These small biting flies can vector diseases, such as West Nile Virus. Use repellents or protective clothing when out of doors and mosquitoes are active. The active ingredients of some common repellents include DEET (N-N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, formerly called N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin, or p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus). Follow product label directions carefully when using repellents. To control larvae in enclosed aquatic containers such as small ornamental ponds (with no fish), Bti may be used (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis), per label directions. Check with your Department of Environmental Conservation regional pesticide specialist on legality before you apply anything to water. Contact the local mosquito abatement district if one exists in your area. Space spraying provides only temporary control. Cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, and tetramethrin (with other ingredients) are labeled for outdoor mosquito control. See labels for use information.
Punkies (No-see-ums; Sandflies) Less than 1/16 inch to less than 1/8 inch; the size of a period: . (That’s why they are “no-see-ums”!)	For these biting midges, use repellents or space sprays as recommended for mosquitoes.
Slugs and Snails Size varies greatly	If needed, use metaldehyde, iron phosphate bait or iron phosphate + spinosad. Caution: pellets may resemble pet food - be sure to place where pets or children cannot get into them. Metaldehyde should only be applied where pets or wildlife have no access. Deltamethrin dust may be used as a perimeter treatment for slugs.
Sowbugs and Pillbugs 1/2 inch	These small crustaceans are gray in color and oval shaped. They feed mainly on decaying plant material, and are found in damp or moist areas. Pillbugs can roll up into a ball when handled. A product with lambda-cyhalothrin may be used. Also see Millipedes for management options.
Subterranean Termites 5/16 inch	Effective insecticides for soil treatment are restricted for application by certified applicators only. Borates (disodium octaborate tetrahydrate) can be used by a professional to treat infested wood. Commercial baiting systems are also used for termite management. Homeowner formulations of sulfluramid (bait stations) are available. Be sure to understand and follow instructions for the use of baits. Products with bifenthrin, boric acid, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or tetramethrin are available for homeowner use. However, professional treatment is best.
Ticks 1/4 inch or less	Avoid tick infested areas. Stay in the center of trails or paths. Wear light colored clothing, tuck pants legs into socks, and shirts into pants. Check yourself, children, and pets at least once in a 24 hour period. Ticks must feed for a while (10 to 24 hours at least, for most species) before diseases are transmitted to people or pets. Use insect and tick repellents containing DEET, p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus), or (for clothing) permethrin. For DEET, the NYS Department of Health recommends using concentrations of 30 percent or less (NOTE: not all DEET products are labeled for ticks). Permethrin products should be applied to clothing only, especially pants, socks, and shoes. (Read the label thoroughly when using any repellent). Always wash hands after applying repellents. Although outdoor treatments can help reduce the numbers of ticks, they do not guarantee a tick free environment. Registered products include bifenthrin (for spot treatment), carbaryl, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin (for house perimeter band treatment), or permethrin. Follow product label directions. For treatment of lawns and edge habitats for the deer tick, one application in early June during peak nymphal activity may be recommended in endemic areas. A second application in late September or early October helps control adult deer ticks.
Wasps and hornets 15/16 to 1 inch	Use commercially available wasp and hornet sprays of mint oil, clove oil, bifenthrin, carbaryl, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin + prallethrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or tetramethrin (with other ingredients). Apply at night directly to nest opening(s), preferably when the temperature is cool. Wear protective clothing: long sleeves, trousers tucked into socks, gloves, and a beekeeper’s hat or mosquito netting draped over a wide-brimmed hat and fastened to protect the face and neck from stings. Note: for digger wasps in lawns, use deltamethrin as per product label instructions.

These biting flies are active during the daytime. They breed in fast-moving streams and rivers. Avoid being outdoors during blackfly season. Wear protective clothing that the insects cannot bite through; head netting is sometimes useful. To protect people, use a repellent containing either DEET (N-N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, formerly called N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin, or p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus).

Boxelder bug

boxelder

5/8 inch

Boxelder bugs (red and black colored) feed on developing seeds of boxelder and other maple trees. For tree treatment options, see “Boxelder” in Chapter 10 (Tree and Shrub Pest Management).

Outdoor spot treatments of accumulations of the insects, if needed, may be made using bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, or lambda-cyhalothrin.

Carpenter ants

1/2 to 1 inch

The main nests are often outside, in dead wood in trees or stumps, with satellite nests indoors, such as in the walls. Baits are available for use outdoors for carpenter ants around the home. Products labeled for spot or perimeter treatments by homeowners include bifenthrin, boric acid (borax), cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, fipronil, lambda-cyhalothrin, or permethrin. Consult a certified pesticide applicator for difficult situations.

Carpenter bees

carpenter bee

1 1/4 inches

These are beneficial as pollinators, but are considered structural pests when they nest in wood of our homes and buildings. Once nesting sites are established they tend to return year after year. Rough-cut untreated wood is preferred for nesting. Screening or trap boards may help deter them from the structure. If necessary, use a commercial wasp and hornet spray to kill the bees, and treat the nest holes in the wood with bifenthrin, carbaryl, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or tetramethrin (with other ingredients). Nest hole openings can be sealed with small pieces of stainless steel wool, wood filler, or putty, after spray application.

Chiggers

chigger

1/8 inch

These minute red larval mites may bite people and cause itching. Use repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus). Apply per label directions. If you are walking through areas of low vegetation, only socks and cuffs of trousers may need to be treated.

Keep grass mowed low. If necessary, use bifenthrin to treat infested areas. Spray grass, surrounding weeds, and shrubs.

Clover mites

1/16 inch

Clover mites, which are reddish-brown and pinhead size, may enter buildings to overwinter. Caulk and weatherstrip to prevent entry. Establish a vegetation free border 18-24 inches wide around the house foundation. If needed, apply deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, or permethrin. Check the label for use: some products can be used around window casings or door frames, others are used to treat the soil in a band 15 to 20 inches wide around the foundation wall. Turfgrass products labeled for clover mites may be used to treat the lawn area near houses.

Crickets

7/8 inch

These insects feed on vegetation outdoors, but may enter homes when food is scarce or cold weather arrives. Remove moist debris from around entrances and windows. If needed, use bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or pyrethrins (with other ingredients). Apply in areas where crickets may hide around the foundation perimeter, especially near doors and windows.

Earwigs

1 1/16 inch

Keep areas around entrances dry and clear of compost, debris and decaying leaves. If needed, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, diatomaceous earth, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or bioallethrin may be used outdoors around foundation walls as a perimeter treatment.

Fleas

1/8 inch

If needed, spot treat outdoor pet resting or sleeping areas with an approved veterinary formulation. In severe infestations, it may be necessary to spray or dust the pet yard with bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, or permethrin.

House flies

flies

3/8 inch

Eliminate breeding areas: manure, garbage, piles of grass clippings, and other rich decaying organic matter, or spread the material so it dries out rapidly. Good screening is helpful in keeping flies outside. Sticky flypaper is useful in entryways if flies congregate there. If needed, use bifenthrin or permethrin, or a product with residual action, containing bioallethrin plus deltamethrin. Non-residual fly spray will allow quick knock down and reduction of numbers at the time of use.

Millipedes

1 to 1 1/2 inches

Keep ground-level entrance areas free of decaying leaves and debris and trim or remove shrubs to promote air circulation and drying near foundations. Sweep up and destroy millipedes daily. They are difficult to control with sprays. Registered products include bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin. Apply near foundations, entryways, near basement doors and windows, and other areas where millipedes occur. In very moist years large numbers of millipedes may move near foundations to escape excessive soil moisture; control may be difficult.

Mosquitoes

3/8 inch

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. Source reduction: dispose of all receptacles, including old tires, or empty weekly (such as birdbaths). Be sure rain gutters are not blocked and clear of debris. Install and/or repair damaged window screens to keep mosquitoes out.

These small biting flies can vector diseases, such as West Nile Virus. Use repellents or protective clothing when out of doors and mosquitoes are active. The active ingredients of some common repellents include DEET (N-N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, formerly called N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin, or p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus). Follow product label directions carefully when using repellents.

To control larvae in enclosed aquatic containers such as small ornamental ponds (with no fish), Bti may be used (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis), per label directions. Check with your Department of Environmental Conservation regional pesticide specialist on legality before you apply anything to water. Contact the local mosquito abatement district if one exists in your area.

Space spraying provides only temporary control. Cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, and tetramethrin (with other ingredients) are labeled for outdoor mosquito control. See labels for use information.

Punkies (No-see-ums; Sandflies)

Less than 1/16 inch to less than 1/8 inch; the size of a period: .

(That’s why they are “no-see-ums”!)

For these biting midges, use repellents or space sprays as recommended for mosquitoes.

Slugs and Snails

P35SNAIL

Size varies greatly

If needed, use metaldehyde, iron phosphate bait or iron phosphate + spinosad. Caution: pellets may resemble pet food - be sure to place where pets or children cannot get into them. Metaldehyde should only be applied where pets or wildlife have no access.

Deltamethrin dust may be used as a perimeter treatment for slugs.

Sowbugs and Pillbugs

sowbugs

1/2 inch

These small crustaceans are gray in color and oval shaped. They feed mainly on decaying plant material, and are found in damp or moist areas. Pillbugs can roll up into a ball when handled.

A product with lambda-cyhalothrin may be used. Also see Millipedes for management options.

Subterranean Termites

subt

5/16 inch

Effective insecticides for soil treatment are restricted for application by certified applicators only. Borates (disodium octaborate tetrahydrate) can be used by a professional to treat infested wood. Commercial baiting systems are also used for termite management. Homeowner formulations of sulfluramid (bait stations) are available. Be sure to understand and follow instructions for the use of baits. Products with bifenthrin, boric acid, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or tetramethrin are available for homeowner use. However, professional treatment is best.

Ticks

ticks

1/4 inch or less

Avoid tick infested areas. Stay in the center of trails or paths. Wear light colored clothing, tuck pants legs into socks, and shirts into pants. Check yourself, children, and pets at least once in a 24 hour period. Ticks must feed for a while (10 to 24 hours at least, for most species) before diseases are transmitted to people or pets.

Use insect and tick repellents containing DEET, p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD; oil of lemon eucalyptus), or (for clothing) permethrin. For DEET, the NYS Department of Health recommends using concentrations of 30 percent or less (NOTE: not all DEET products are labeled for ticks). Permethrin products should be applied to clothing only, especially pants, socks, and shoes. (Read the label thoroughly when using any repellent). Always wash hands after applying repellents.

Although outdoor treatments can help reduce the numbers of ticks, they do not guarantee a tick free environment. Registered products include bifenthrin (for spot treatment), carbaryl, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin (for house perimeter band treatment), or permethrin. Follow product label directions.

For treatment of lawns and edge habitats for the deer tick, one application in early June during peak nymphal activity may be recommended in endemic areas. A second application in late September or early October helps control adult deer ticks.

Wasps and hornets

wasps

15/16 to 1 inch

Use commercially available wasp and hornet sprays of mint oil, clove oil, bifenthrin, carbaryl, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin + prallethrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, or tetramethrin (with other ingredients). Apply at night directly to nest opening(s), preferably when the temperature is cool. Wear protective clothing: long sleeves, trousers tucked into socks, gloves, and a beekeeper’s hat or mosquito netting draped over a wide-brimmed hat and fastened to protect the face and neck from stings.

Note: for digger wasps in lawns, use deltamethrin as per product label instructions.

Pest Management Guidelines A Cornell Cooperative Extension Publication	New York Pest Management Guidelines
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