Tire Swing

08/29/2026

Tire Swing Seasonal Invader Forecast 2026

About Three Weeks Until the Historical Peak of Seasonal Invader Activity

Over the past few weeks, we’ve introduced two of Central Alabama’s most common seasonal invaders: the Asian lady beetle and the brown marmorated stink bug.

Now let’s answer another common question:

“How do they get inside?”

The truth is, they usually don’t need much of an opening.

As these insects search for a protected place to spend the winter, they take advantage of tiny gaps and construction details that often go unnoticed throughout the rest of the year.

Common entry points include:
• Around windows and doors
• Utility penetrations
• Siding transitions
• Gaps around soffits and fascia
• Attic and foundation vents
• Garage door weatherstripping
• Areas where different building materials meet

Finding these openings doesn’t mean your home was built incorrectly. Every home expands, contracts, and settles over time, creating opportunities that seasonal invaders are remarkably good at finding.

Historically, we’re now about three weeks away from the busiest period of seasonal invader activity in Central Alabama. That’s why understanding where insects enter is just as important as knowing which insects you’re seeing.

Next week, we’ll discuss why timing matters and why preparing before peak activity can make a significant difference.

Tire Swing
A Different Kind of Pest Management

08/28/2026

The seasons often announce themselves before the weather gets the message.

Today, at two different properties, I found a spiny-backed orb-weaver suspended in its web and dozens of grass spider webs spread across the shrubs. Both are familiar late-summer sights—and welcome ones for someone more than ready for a break from the Alabama heat.

There is something humbling about stopping long enough to notice how much life is quietly unfolding around us. These spiders are remarkable little builders, doing exactly what they were created to do.

A small reminder that change is coming. Cooler days are ahead.

08/28/2026

Some of my amazing clients actually update their five-star reviews after another service—as if they’re still trying to improve upon five stars.

Templin has updated hers more than once, and I’m truly humbled and grateful each time.

Best clients on the planet! Quality, not quantity.

08/26/2026

Why Are There So Many Wasps Flying Around… But No Nest?

Have you noticed more wasps flying around your yard lately—even though you can’t find a nest?

You’re not imagining it.

As summer begins giving way to fall, wasp colonies enter the final stage of their annual lifecycle.

Instead of producing more worker wasps, the colony begins producing new queens and males. The males leave to find queens, newly fertilized queens begin searching for protected places to spend the winter, and the worker wasps spend more time searching for food as the colony gradually winds down.

That’s why you may suddenly notice wasps flying through your yard, around patios, or investigating outdoor food and drinks without ever seeing them return to a single nest.

It’s a normal seasonal transition.

Over the next several weeks, many of the workers and males will die as cooler weather arrives. Only the newly fertilized queens will survive the winter, tucked away in protected places until they emerge next spring to start entirely new colonies.

So if wasps seem to be “everywhere” this time of year, it doesn’t necessarily mean there are more nests around your home. In many cases, you’re simply witnessing the final chapter of this year’s colonies.

Tire Swing
A Different Kind of Pest Management

08/25/2026

Thank you, Tire Swing Pest Solutions, for your support of Rockets Volleyball!

08/25/2026

GO ROCKETS!

08/22/2026

Tire Swing Seasonal Invader Forecast 2026

Meet the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

If you’ve noticed shield-shaped brown insects gathering on your home’s exterior each fall, you’ve probably encountered the brown marmorated stink bug.

Like the Asian lady beetle, it isn’t trying to feed on your home or damage the structure. As temperatures begin to cool, it’s simply searching for a protected place to spend the winter.

That’s why they’re often found on sunny exterior walls before attempting to move into small cracks and gaps around windows, doors, soffits, and siding.

One thing that makes this insect different is its defense mechanism.

When disturbed or crushed, brown marmorated stink bugs can release an unpleasant odor—one of the reasons they’re better removed gently than swatted.

The good news is they don’t bite people, they don’t reproduce indoors, and they aren’t damaging your home. They’re simply following the same seasonal instinct that brings many insects closer to our homes each fall.

Next week, we’ll look at the tiny openings seasonal invaders use to get inside—and why some homes experience more indoor activity than others.

Tire Swing
A Different Kind of Pest Management

08/19/2026

Why Are There Suddenly Giant Spider Webs Everywhere?

Have you noticed large spider webs appearing overnight between shrubs, porch lights, trees, or even stretched across your walkway?

You’re not imagining it.

Late summer is when orb-weaving spiders become most noticeable throughout Central Alabama.

These spiders spend the season growing, and by August they’re reaching maturity. At the same time, flying insects are abundant, making it the perfect time for them to build the large, intricate webs they’re known for.

While they can certainly startle you on an early morning walk, orb weavers are considered beneficial. They help reduce populations of flying insects by catching mosquitoes, flies, moths, and other insects in their webs.

One interesting thing about orb weavers is that many rebuild their webs almost every evening, then remove or abandon them by morning before constructing a new one the following night.

If you’re seeing more webs this time of year, it’s not a sign that spiders are taking over your property.

It’s simply one of the many natural changes that signal the transition from summer into fall.

As temperatures cool later in the season, their life cycle comes to an end, and these large webs gradually disappear until next year.

Tire Swing
A Different Kind of Pest Management

08/15/2026

Tire Swing Seasonal Invader Forecast 2026

Why Is My House Covered… But My Neighbor’s Isn’t?

It’s one of the questions we hear every fall.

“My neighbor lives 30 feet away. Why are all the Asian lady beetles on my house instead of theirs?”

The answer usually isn’t luck.

Asian lady beetles are attracted to warmth.

Homes with long afternoon sun—especially those with south- and west-facing walls—often become gathering points as the beetles search for a place to spend the winter. They’re looking for warmth, protected surfaces, and tiny openings where they can shelter until spring.

Other factors can also make a difference, including:
• The home’s location and elevation
• Nearby trees and wooded areas
• Exterior colors and building materials
• Landscaping and surrounding vegetation

No two homes are exactly alike, which is why one house may have hundreds of beetles while the one next door has very few.

Understanding why they’re choosing your home is the first step toward reducing the number that eventually find their way inside.

Next week, we’ll meet another familiar seasonal invader: the brown marmorated stink bug. While it follows a similar seasonal pattern, its behavior is very different.

Tire Swing
A Different Kind of Pest Management

08/10/2026

On Saturday, we talked about why Asian lady beetles begin looking for places to spend the winter as temperatures start to change.

For those of you who enjoy the technical side of pest behavior, here’s an excellent article that takes a deeper look at the science behind their fall movement—including the fascinating “death spiral” behavior that researchers sometimes observe.

It’s a more technical read, but it’s a great resource if you’re curious about what drives these seasonal invaders.

Enjoy!

Every fall, pest management professionals (PMPs) start seeing the same thing: Phones light up with frantic customers saying, “Ladybugs are everywhere!” The