Bugs in homes is never a welcome sight. Here are the most common bugs you can find as well as some information on how you can get rid of them.
1. Ants
Ants scavenge for food but usually, they’re just trying to shelter themselves especially during the coldest and hottest times of the year. You’ll often find these insects on your kitchen counters but are generally harmless, although they can bite when threatened. What you need to keep an eye out for are the carpenter ants. They will burrow into wood to make nests and can eventually cause structural damage. Keep ants out by sealing up any holes in your walls, floors, windows and doors.
2. Beetles
Beetles are very common in the United States and they like to scour your kitchen for dried foods like cereal, cornmeal and flour. They can also be found in drawers, closets, carpet, and other storage areas. There are products you can use to effectively kill these little critters such as Bifen LP granules which you can spray around your property. To keep beetles at bay, there are some things you can do such as not leaving leftovers in your kitchen and throwing away unused or expired food items in your pantry. Also inspect your home for any cracks, holes and wall gaps and seal them.
3. Centipedes
Centipedes many-legged critters which can have up to 177 legs can indeed look scary, but they actually help get rid of bugs in your home. They eat cockroaches, silverfish, beetle larvae, firebrats and spiders. If you don’t like them lurking in your home (who does, anyway?) check for cracks in concrete, as well as damp crawlspaces and floor drains since they usually hang out in these areas.
4. Bees and Wasps
Honey bees, yellow jackets, paper wasps and hornets can set up shop under your roof. To get rid of them, you need to find their nests although this can be hard to do as well since they’re usually inside walls. If you see these insects flying in your home and crawling into tiny holes, you might want to call a professional as it could mean there’s an infestation.
5. Cockroaches
Cockroaches contaminate food, trigger allergies and asthma, and bring bacteria and viruses. A female German cockroach can produce up to 30,000 babies in one year so if you spot one in your home you need to take steps to eliminate them and fast! You’ll usually find them under the sink, kitchens, bathrooms and places where there is food.
6. Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes carry with them serious and even deadly diseases. The Zika and West Nile viruses, as well as Dengue are all carried by mosquitoes. Mosquito bites can be itchy but the health issues they can cause is even more worrisome. Make sure your home does not have mosquitoes by keeping the doors and windows closed, and use screens if you live in an area prone to mosquitoes.
7. Spiders
In spite of their scary reputation, spiders rarely bite people. Instead they can be quite helpful in eliminating other bugs in your home. But if don’t like the sight of spiders, you can catch them in windows, near doors and quiet areas.
8. Flies
Fruit flies, drain flies, house flies, and gnats are always hovering in homes and sneak in through open windows and doors. Flies can carry diseases as well as cause food poisoning. Be sure to keep your doors and windows closed all the time, and trash needs to be taken out in a timely manner.
9. Lice
The booklice feed on fungi and mold, and food items like cereal. Booklice don’t bite but they’re definitely not a welcome sight in your food. They like to lurk under wallpaper, in furniture, potted plants, and window sills.
To prevent any bug infestation, it’s always important to seal cracks and holes in your home, as well as to keep doors and windows closed at all times. Storing food in air tight containers also help make sure your home does not attract any unwanted visitors. If you have a pest infestation problem, be sure to call in the professionals like Arrow so that the problem can be fixed before it gets blown out of proportion.