On the very first night I moved into my apartment in Boardman, I was awakened by a faint buzzing sound. In the darkness of the room, I could make out the silhouette of an insect about half an inch long crawling up the wall. “Please don’t be a cockroach,” I whispered to myself as I jumped up, grabbed a slipper and turned on the light, ready to strike. To my relief it wasn’t a cockroach but a brown marmorated stink bug.

From that night on, they started appearing regularly, one or two each evening. I must have killed at least 20 by the end of spring. How and when did they get in there, if one may ask?

Well, autumn is the time when such insects get tired of the increasingly cold weather and decide that your house or apartment is a better place for them to keep warm. Now is the time to do some basic prevention to keep them from gaining access to your home.

Brown marmorated stink bugs are more common inside the home during the fall of the year. Slightly over 1/2″ long, these bugs have a shield shape with white markings around the shield and on their antenna. They are not harmful, just a nuisance. Let’s not forget about their unpleasant scent too.

Multicolored Asian lady beetles will cluster on homes and buildings after cooler evenings.

This nonnative beetle is a great predator of numerous pest insects.

The beetles are rather large for a lady beetle, but they can easily slip through any crack. Adults seem to be especially attracted to light colored structures on warm afternoons.

They creep around the edges of windows and doors and are unafraid of entering any opening.

Boxelder bugs are attracted to lights and will readily fly in open doors and windows. These bugs are a nuisance in great numbers, produce a foul odor when crushed and may stain curtains with fecal matter.

Adults are flat-backed, elongate, narrow, about 1/2″ long, and dark brownish-black with three lengthwise red stripes behind the head.

They are most common around homes with boxelder trees in the yard.

Some tips on preventing them from getting inside

NOW — Caulk and close openings around light fixtures, doors and windows, unscreened vents, holes in walls around utility pipes or conduits, air conditioners, heat pump lines and through the foundation.

Screen all windows, doors, crawl spaces, exhaust and roof vents.

Sweep up the bugs indoors with your vacuum and dispose of the bag.

Rake leaves and grass away from the foundation in a 6 to 10-foot-wide strip, especially on the south and west sides.

Outdoor insecticides are available for use around your home, but this is not an effective control method — especially in fall. Read all labels before purchase or use.

With that said, it’s easier to keep them out than to chase them down later. As they say, “Forewarned is forearmed!”

Barrett and Motswaledi are OSU Extension educators for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County.