As fall approaches, there are a few happenings that are certain. School starts up again, football has many of us glued to our TV's, trees and shrubs will turn glorious shades of red, orange, and yellow and Boxelder bugs and the multicolored Asian Lady Beetle will be looking at your home as a possible winter retreat.

Boxelder bugs are about one half inch long. The brownish-black adults have very visible red markings on their backs. Boxelder nymphs look like the adults except they are smaller and a bright red. The bugs feed primarily on Boxelder trees, but will also feed on maple, ash, cherry, apple, grape, peach, and strawberries.

The oval-shaped multicolored Asian Lady Beetle is about one-third inch long. The beetle can vary from a yellow to red to orange in color. They can be with or without black spots on their wing covers. An identifying characteristic on the beetles back is four black spots that look like a "W" when viewed from the front and an "M" when viewed from behind. These beneficial insects consume large numbers of aphids and scales.

As the weather starts to cool, Boxelder bugs and the Asian Lady Beetles will seek shelter for over wintering. Homeowners will often find thousands of these bugs clustered on the south and west sides of their homes. Some of these will work their way into the home. Caulking cracks, crevices, and closing openings around doors, windows, exhaust and roof vents, air conditioners, utility pipes, and the foundation is the best method of control.

In your home these invaders are a nuisance, but they will not feed or reproduce indoors. If disturbed, both the Boxelder Bug and the multicolored Asian Lady Beetle will leave stains on curtains, walls, fabric, carpets, etc. The Asian Lady Beetle will actually excrete a smelly body fluid which is their blood. So instead of grabbing the nearest fly swatter, vacuum them up and empty the bag.

Use of insecticides indoors is not really necessary and if used will only give temporary control. Instead, just grab the vacuum cleaner and bag 'em!