While October is the time for creepy crawlies to be out and about, don’t let yourself be frightened by all bugs this season! Check out these autumn arthropods that are no trick, all treat.
Fireflies
While these twinkling insects may bring back fond memories of summer nights and mason jars, fireflies are also an insect you can see throughout the fall. As temperatures cool, fireflies begin their search for overwintering sites. These are areas where they can camp out until the weather warms up. If the late summer/early fall weather is particularly rainy, some fireflies will remain active and glowing until late into the year.
Speaking of glowing… did you know that fireflies glow during each stage of development? Adult fireflies are the easiest to spot as they fly about twinkling, but larvae, pupae, and even eggs are bioluminescent.
Monarch Butterflies
With their traditional orange and black coloration, monarch butterflies fit right in with the aesthetics of fall. Fall also happens to be the season when monarch butterflies are making their south for the winter, flying from Canada through the United States to their winter breeding grounds in the southern US and Mexico. When monarchs migrate, many people assume the same butterfly flies north in the spring and south in the fall… but that’s only half true.
Unlike migratory birds whose lifespan is longer than butterflies, monarch butterflies flying north break up the journey into generations. Monarch butterflies live on average 2-4 weeks, so each stopping point of their way to Canada is used to lay eggs for the next generation to pick up the flight where the previous one left off. However, when monarchs begin moving south, a “super generation” is formed. This group of butterflies is able to make the entire migration by themselves, over 3,000 miles of travel.
Web-building Spiders
Compared to fireflies and butterflies, spiders may seem like they don’t belong on this list. Spiders are not only icons for fall, but they also play crucial roles in pest control during the cooler months. In particular, web-building spiders are efficient predators of many fall nuisance pests like flies, cockroaches, and ladybeetles. Even the invasive Joro spider, found throughout Georgia and making its way into neighboring states, is an active predator of stink bugs.
When clearing your home of pests this season, consider relocating spiders outdoors or leaving them alone entirely. Of course, when facing a dangerous web-building spider, such as a black widow or brown recluse, safety comes first. Be sure to identify the spider you are dealing with before attempting to engage with it. For non-dangerous web-builders however, I would recommend keeping them around, so long as they aren’t bugging you too much!
Who You Gonna Call?
The pros at Mosquito Squad ain’t afraid of no bugs! Call us today for a free quote at (512) 488-5331.