Summary: Nocturnal pests are a common concern for homeowners since these critters are well-hidden. This blog describes the habits, diets, and risks of 5 less popular nocturnal pests. The featured pests are: slugs, kissing bugs, black widows, crickets, and katydids. Pointe Pest Control provides year-round pest solutions, even for nocturnal pests, for homes and businesses.

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We always talk about the classic nocturnal pests: bed bugs, moths, roaches, and so on. These pests are frustrating enough, but there’s a whole world of nocturnal pests that we don’t always think about. Their active hours can adjust depending on their environment, but nocturnal pests are generally active when we’re asleep at night. Let’s discuss 5 nocturnal pests that aren’t always talked about, but still cause us plenty of trouble!

Slugs

Slugs don’t want to invade our homes, so that’s one redeeming quality for these slimy plant-eaters. But their herbivorous diet is exactly what makes slugs such a terrible garden pest. Slugs eat holes in the leaves of aromatic plants, and are most active when it’s damp and cold outside. You’ll see more slugs in the spring when the fresh sprouts are popping up in the cool air. The longer that they feed on a plant, the more likely the plant will die.

These pests are professional hiders during the day since they camouflage themselves in the soil that they burrow into. The easiest way to find slugs before they destroy your garden is to follow their trail of mucus. The slime allows slugs to glide across the rocky soil without harming their squishy bodies. If you start seeing slimy trails in the garden, follow them to the source. Thankfully, slugs can be plucked off plants by hand, just like snails!

Kissing Bugs

a photo of a Kissing Bugs on a leaf

Kissing bugs don’t give the types of kisses we ever want. Their name comes from their habit of biting sleeping humans near the mouth. Kissing bugs are technically bloodsuckers, but they don’t attach to their hosts or deliver painful bites. Like bed bugs, kissing bugs live near their host to keep a steady food source. They can live for 2 years if they have a steady diet of warm blood. Kissing bugs feed on a mammal for a few minutes at a time, so it’s possible to catch them.

As if the bites weren’t enough, 50% of kissing bugs carry parasites. They can transfer a parasite through their droppings — which are also nearby — if the feces comes in contact with the bite. If you’re bitten, don’t scratch the bite! The kissing bug’s parasite is the Chagas parasite that causes Chagas disease. The disease has flu-like symptoms, but with the added risk of heart issues. If you’re bitten by the kissing bug, try to get tested for Chagas disease ASAP.

Black Widows

This spider wears a lot of hats (not literally). The black widow builds intricate webs that capture its prey, then it produces hundreds of eggs that it packs into sticky egg sacs. Black widows live in dry and dark spaces that allow them to safely feed at night. They’re usually found in the basement, attic, or garage. Black widows don’t bite anyone just for kicks, but they won’t hesitate to defend their web and offspring from a threat.

One of the clearest signs that your spider problem is a black widow is if the webs are close to the ground and/or have tiny white egg sacs in the strands. Black widows are technically beneficial since they eat smaller pests like mosquitoes, beetles, grasshoppers, and flies. But their diet doesn’t mean we want them hanging out in our homes! Their bites are extremely venomous and can lead to serious symptoms, but they are treatable with immediate medical care.

Crickets

Crickets are probably the least surprising addition to this list, seeing as how their chirps are the soundtrack to our summer evenings. Two types of crickets are usually found near homes: field crickets and house crickets. Field crickets are found in — you guessed it — fields, and they can invade houses that back up to lush fields. The crickets are black-colored, stay on the ground, and use the nighttime to find mates and food.

House crickets are similar, but they’re found in houses more often than field crickets. These crickets also like dumpsters since they eat anything plant-based or rich in protein. House crickets like humidity and moisture, and are drawn to artificial lights at night. You will definitely know if you have a cricket in the house. They don’t stop chirping as they search for mates and other crickets. Their chirps are pleasant outside, but much louder when the cricket is indoors!

Katydids

Katydids are actually pretty similar to crickets, what with their steady chirping. But crickets look like your standard creepy insect, while katydids resemble a dressed-up grasshopper. Also known as long-horned grasshoppers, katydids camouflage themselves in trees since their wings look like leaves. They rub their front wings together to create their grating chirps that sound like they’re yelling “Katydid! Katydid!”

Katydids can technically fly, but their wings aren’t very strong. They protect themselves by living in thick shrubs, plants, and trees. Katydids have ears on their forelegs, similar to grasshoppers, and they raise their legs when they need to listen. They use the nighttime to feed and find mates, so you’ll only hear them at night. Katydids eat both live insects and leaves, which makes sense considering they don’t like to leave their leafy hideouts.

Pest Solutions Don’t Take A Day Off

These nocturnal pests have their own habits, but that doesn’t mean your sleep schedule should be interrupted by their activities! Pointe Pest Control understands the importance of a pest-free home, which is why our licensed technicians solve each pest issue with the utmost care and efficiency. We know how to eliminate the trickiest of pests through a combination of full inspections, targeted treatments, and exclusion work. Our long-term solutions ensure that even your most annoying pests stay away for the long run. Contact us today to learn how our reliable pest control services will save the day (and night)!

Citations

Black widow spider. (n.d.). Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_blackwidow_spider.php

Coelho, S. & Shein, N. (n.d.). Beware of these 14 pests that only come out at night. Bob Vila. Available at https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/beware-of-these-14-pests-that-only-come-out-at-night-100826 (Accessed on September 25, 2024).

Condon, M.A. (2022, July 2). Katydids make summer nights come alive. Daily News-Record. Available at https://www.dnronline.com/lifestyle_and_entertainment/katydids-make-summer-nights-come-alive/article_0b7c15dc-30bf-5262-a452-d0c9404e8c49.html (Accessed on September 25, 2024).

Eaton, E.R. (n.d.). Night-time noisemakers: Singing insects. Insectlopedia. Available at http://insectlopedia.com/night-time-noisemakers-singing-insects/ (Accessed on September 25, 2024).

Kissing bugs & chagas disease in the United States. (n.d.). Texas A&M Agriculture & Life Sciences. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://kissingbug.tamu.edu/

Mahr, S. (n.d.). Katydids. Wisconsin Horticulture. Available at https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/katydids/ (Accessed on September 25, 2024).

Russell, E.M. (n.d.). Where do slugs come from at night?. Gardening Channel. Available at https://www.gardeningchannel.com/where-do-slugs-come-from-at-night/ (Accessed on September 25, 2024).

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