Pests are organisms that can be detrimental to our homes, health, and wellbeing. Identifying and controlling common household pests is crucial to prevent property damage, disease transmission, allergies, and nuisance. Some of the most prevalent pests found indoors include ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, rodents, termites, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, spiders, and wasps.
Let’s dive into understanding and managing these unwelcome guests in our homes.
Overview
Pests invade our homes in search of food, water, and shelter. Their presence indicates available access and conducive conditions inside our living spaces. While some household pests like ants and spiders may just be a nuisance, others like termites and bed bugs can cause extensive property damage. Certain pests also spread diseases, trigger allergies and even inflict painful stings and bites.
Controlling pests responsibly starts with identification. Once you know what pests have invaded your home, you can take targeted action to eliminate them and prevent future infestations. Understanding the behavior and biology of common household pests can help you locate their harborage and breeding areas and cut off their food and water sources.
In this comprehensive guide, we will uncover the most prevalent domestic pests, how to identify them, prevent them from entering your home, and safely eliminate existing infestations through proven pest management methods. Let’s get started!
Common Household Pests
The top 10 pests commonly found in US homes according to HomeTeam Pest Defense are:
- Ants
- Cockroaches
- Rodents
- Earwigs
- Millipedes
- Fleas
- Crickets
- Flies
- Bed bugs
- Spiders
In addition, termites, mosquitoes, ticks, wasps and stinging insects are also frequently encountered by homeowners. Let’s look at each of these pests in detail.
Ants
With over 700 species in the US, ants are one of the most ubiquitous pests plaguing homes. They invade houses in search of food through structural cracks and crevices. Some of the most common ant species include:
- Carpenter ants: These ants nest in moist wood and can cause structural damage. They come in various sizes and are identified by a bi-colored body.
- Odorous house ants: As the name suggests, they emit a foul, rotten coconut odor when crushed. They love sweets.
- Pavement ants: Small and black in color, they build nests under stones, patio blocks, etc outside but may forage indoors.
- Argentine ants: Aggressive light brown ants that enter homes in large numbers to find food. They do not sting but can contaminate food.
- Fire ants:Their painful stings can cause blisters and allergic reactions in some people. They are reddish-brown with a darker abdomen tip.
Cockroaches
These nocturnal insects feed on human food, garbage, decaying matter and even book bindings! They reproduce rapidly and are major causes of allergies. Common species include:
- German cockroaches: Small and light brown, they can squeeze through tiny cracks. Found primarily in kitchens and bathrooms.
- American cockroaches: Largest roach species, reddish brown in color with yellow edges on the body.
- Oriental cockroaches: Also called water bugs, these dark colored roaches with a sheen are found in damp basements and drains.
- Brown banded cockroaches: Identified by distinctive light bands across their wings and abdomen, they prefer starchy foods.
Rodents
Rodents pose many risks to human health through contamination and damage. They can also transmit diseases through parasite vectors.
- House mice: Smallest rodent invaders that reproduce rapidly. They chew through wood and wires causing extensive damage.
- Norway/brown rats: Larger rodents with blunt noses that consume and contaminate large amounts of food. They transmit diseases through urine.
- Deer mice and white-footed mice: Wild mice that can enter homes from landscaping. Carry hantavirus, salmonella and Lyme disease.
- Voles: Resemble mice but with stocky bodies and short tails and ears. Burrow under lawns, roots and foundations.
Earwigs
Earwigs have pinching forceps on their abdomen which they use to attack prey and for defense. They do not attack humans but can inflict a pinch.
European earwigs: Reddish brown in color with yellow-white stripes, they are found in damp, dark areas in homes.
Millipedes
While mostly harmless, millipedes can sometimes secrete a defensive fluid that can irritate skin. They thrive in moist areas.
Garden millipedes: Long and black colored with many legs, they are discovered in mulch beds from where they may find their way indoors.
Fleas
These tiny wingless parasites feed on the blood of mammals and birds. They jump long distances and can transmit diseases to pets and humans through their bites.
- Cat fleas: The most common fleas plaguing companion animals and homes. They can trigger severe allergic reactions.
- Dog fleas: Slightly larger than cat fleas, they too readily attack humans.
- Rat fleas: As the name suggests, they live on mice and rats and can transmit plague.
Crickets
Mainly a nuisance pest, their loud chirping can disturb sleep. Some species can damage fabrics, books and papers.
- House crickets: Around an inch long and brown to black in color. They are attracted to lights at night.
- Field crickets: Bigger in size with brownish-grey wings, they invade homes from surrounding areas.
Flies
Flies are unhygienic pests that can contaminate food and transmit diseases. They breed rapidly in garbage and decaying organic matter.
- House flies: Recognized by four lengthwise stripes on the thorax. They carry pathogens and spread diseases.
- Fruit flies: Tiny flies gravitating toward ripe fruit and rotting produce. They can appear in large numbers.
- Drain/moth flies: Look like small moths but are actually flies with furry wings. Found near drains, pipes and sewers.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are sneaky pests that hide in bedroom furniture and bedding and emerge at night to bite and feed on blood. Their bites can cause severe itching and allergic reactions.
- Common bed bugs: Reddish-brown in color, apple seed sized. Leave red welts on the skin from their bites.
- Bat bugs: Closely related to bed bugs, they too bite humans if bats leave a roost inside the home.
Termites
Termites are notoriously destructive pests that damage wood structures and carpentry from the inside out. Their presence often goes undetected until the damage is extensive.
- Subterranean termites: Most common termite species that builds tunnels into wood from nests underground.
- Drywood termites: Do not require soil contact. Live and feed inside wood with low moisture.
- Dampwood termites: Found in coniferous woods in damp areas. Can severely damage homes in wet climates.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are vectors of life-threatening diseases like malaria, dengue, Zika and West Nile virus. They breed in stagnant water.
- Culex mosquitoes: Most common species that carry encephalitis, West Nile and other diseases. Bite at dusk and after dark.
- Aedes mosquitoes: Aggressive daytime biters that spread Zika, dengue, yellow fever, etc.
Ticks
Ticks are arachnids that bite to feed on blood often transmitting Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other illnesses to humans.
- Deer ticks: Very small ticks that cause Lyme disease through their bite. Active mostly during summer.
- Dog ticks: Larger brown ticks that carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
- Lone star ticks: Very aggressive ticks that spread ehrlichiosis, tularemia and STARI disease.
Wasps
Wasps, hornets and yellowjackets all sting aggressively when threatened. Their stings are painful and repeated stings can cause life-threatening allergic reactions.
- Yellowjackets: Black and yellow striped wasps that scavenge on meat and sweets at picnics and barbecues.
- Paper wasps: Long-legged wasps that build umbrella shaped nests under eaves of homes.
- Hornets: Larger than regular wasps with potent sting venom that can be fatal for those allergic.
Identification and Prevention
Identifying pests correctly allows you to locate nesting and harborage sites and remove conditions that attract and sustain them. Here are some tips:
- Use a pest identifier guide to compare unknown infestations against images, descriptions and distinguishing features of common pests.
- Look for signs like droppings, cast skins, rub marks or damage that can pinpoint nesting areas. For example, termite mud tunnels indicate hidden structural infestation.
- Inspect carefully in secluded spaces and prime harborage areas like attics, basements and garages where pests seeks refuge. Check under sinks, behind appliances and inside cabinets.
- Monitor for activity using adhesive traps and monitors to capture and identify pests. Note areas and times of increased activity.
- Seek expert advice from a pest control professional if identification is challenging. An exterminator can inspect using specialized tools and provide targeted solutions.
You can prevent pests from ever entering your home by denying them access, food and breeding conditions. Follow these tips diligently:
- Seal cracks and gaps so pests cannot sneak inside. Use weather stripping, caulk, steel wool and screen mesh to fill openings around windows, doors, pipes, vents, etc.
- Install door sweeps and screens to cover ground level access points. Repair tears in window and door screens.
- Keep the perimeter tidy by clearing piled debris, leaf litter, high grass and vegetation that attract pests.
- Remove exterior lighting that draws night-time insects like moths. Use yellow bulbs instead.
- Store food in airtight containers so pantry pests cannot infest edibles. Clean up spills promptly.
- Take out trash regularly, fix leaky pipes and drain standing water to eliminate breeding sites.
- Vacuum and mop floors frequently to remove food crumbs and traces of pests like roaches.
- Keep firewood and lumber stacked at least 20 feet from the house.
- Use dehumidifiers to eliminate dampness that attracts pests. Ventilate enclosed damp areas.
- Routinely inspect the home for signs of pests and address issues before they get out of hand. Keeping your home clean and inhospitable is key.
Pest Control Methods
When faced with a persistent pest problem, it may be time to take professional help. There are several chemical and non-chemical methods exterminators use to control infestations:
Physical Controls
Also called mechanical pest control, these methods physically block pests, remove infested materials or make the environment unsuitable. Common techniques include:
- Traps: Various traps are available to catch different pests without poisoning them such as glue boards for cockroaches, live cage traps for rats, and zappers for flies and mosquitoes.
- Barriers: Physical barriers like window screens, door sweeps, steel mesh, copper bands on tree trunks, gravel beds under foundations, etc can block pest entry or movement.
- Removal: Eliminating infested materials like nests, droppings, contaminated food, etc removes a pest’s refuge and food source.
- Heat treatment: Heating infested items like furniture to kill bed bugs, or even whole buildings for termite control.
- Cold treatment: Lowering temperatures well below freezing kills many stored product pests and insects through freeze drying.
Chemical Controls
Pesticides and insecticides are commonly used with caution to eliminate household pests. Examples include:
- Insecticide sprays and dusts applied into hiding and walking areas of roaches, ants, fleas, etc. Some can last for months.
- Rodenticides or rat poison baits placed in burrows, attics, etc to kill mice and rats. Contain blood anticoagulants.
- Fumigants or foggers that release chemicals to suffocate pests in enclosed spaces and buildings. Used for severe infestations.
- Repellents and insecticides sprays that keep mosquitoes, flies, ticks, etc away. Used outdoors or on skin.
- Wood preservatives and insecticides protect furniture, slabs, framing etc against termites and beetles. Contain permethrin, bifenthrin.
When using pesticides, always read the label and take necessary safety precautions. Avoid overusing chemicals and combine with other IPM methods. Only use outdoor treatments certified for indoor use. Never utilize banned or restricted pesticides.
Biological Controls
Natural predators, parasites and pathogens that attack pests can be introduced as biological control agents. Common biocontrol methods include:
- Natural predators like ladybugs that feed on plant pests like aphids. Green lacewings eat various soft-bodied insects.
- Parasites wasps that lay eggs inside pests like caterpillars, killing them from inside to emerge as more wasps.
- Bacteria and fungi based products can control roaches, carpenter ants, fire ants and termites when applied to nesting sites.
- Nematodes microscopic worms that invade and kill grubs, fleas, cutworms etc. Safe for plants, pets and humans.
- Sterile insect technique uses sterilized male insects to mate with females resulting in no offspring and declining pest population.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
IPM utilizes a combination of control methods focused on prevention and eliminating root causes of pest infestations. Steps include:
- Identify and monitor pest population levels and habits. Focus on hot spots and high activity areas.
- Set action thresholds defining when to implement controls based on pest populations or degree of damage.
- Modify the environment to be less inviting by removing food, leaks, clutter etc that attract pests.
- Employ multiple controls methods like physical barriers with biopesticides and natural predators to eliminate pests.
- Focus on prevention and staff training to limit conditions that enable infestations in the first place.
- Continuously assess results and modify the plan. Always use a gentle approach targeted at the nuisance pests.
Other Methods
Modern pest control includes innovative techniques that do not rely on poisons. Examples include:
- Insect growth regulators (IGRs) like juvenile hormone analogues that interfere with a pest’s development and reproduction.
- Repellents like DEET, citronella, lemon eucalyptus oil that keep mosquitoes, ticks, flies away from humans and pets.
- Pheromones synthetic scents that disrupt pest mating cycles by confusion. Used against many agricultural and household pests.
- Diatomaceous earth (DE) mineral dust that damages the waxy coating on soft-bodied pests like roaches, fleas, bed bugs causing dehydration.
- Botanical insecticides derived from neem, pyrethrin, etc that are relatively safe yet effective against wide ranging pests.
- Vacuuming is an effective and immediate way to remove pests like fleas, bed bugs, mites, roach nymphs, etc along with their debris and eggs.
- Heat treatments using portable heaters, steamers or whole building heating to kills pests through dehydration and denaturing of bodily proteins.
Conclusion
Identifying and controlling common household pests responsibly is key to safeguarding our homes and health. Seeking professional pest control services is recommended, especially for severe infestations of pests like termites, bed bugs and rodents.
Combining preventive modifications to your home environment and meticulous hygiene practices with targeted, low-risk pest management methods gives the best results. An integrated pest management approach prevents pests from getting established while eliminating existing ones safely through proven techniques recommended by experts.
With proper identification, diligent prevention and gentle but effective pest removal methods, we can keep our living spaces free of troublesome pests for good.
FAQs
1. How can I identify unknown pests in my home?
Use an insect/pest field guide or mobile app that contains images and details about common pests. Compare the unknown specimen closely and look for distinguishable features. Seek expert help from an exterminator if needed. Locate nests and signs like fecal droppings, shed skin, rub marks etc to identify origins.
2. What are some effective do-it-yourself methods to get rid of pests at home?
- Seal cracks, crevices and entry points
- Install door sweeps and weather stripping
- Remove food sources and clutter
- Use traps and barriers
- Apply boric acid powder for roaches and ants
- Use botanical insecticides like neem oil sprays
- Place rodent snap traps or electronic traps
- Clean with peppermint soap, vinegar to repel spiders
