Pests can be a nuisance in homes, causing damage and presenting health risks. This guide covers identification, understanding, and elimination methods for the most common household pests.
The Prevalence and Perils of Household Pests
It’s a scene many homeowners have experienced: you spot an unwelcome insect scurrying across the kitchen floor, a mouse nibbling food under the sink, or wake up with mysterious bites.
Pests invade an astounding 48 million homes each year in the United States. Infestations disturb comfort, destroy property, and transmit dangerous illnesses. Termites alone cause $5 billion in property damages annually.
This guide will equip homeowners to take control by arming them with knowledge. Read on to identify your invaders, comprehend threats posed, and vanquish pests for good.
- Household pests
- Common pests
- Pest control
- Pest identification
- Home remedies
Meet the Most Common Culprits
The first step is recognizing usual suspects behind chaotic crime scenes. We’ll profile household pests generating the majority of complaints and destruction.
Ants
Over 20 species frequently enter homes seeking food and shelter. Some bite or sting, but most are merely a nuisance.
Habits: Forage along scent trails in daylight hours. Thrive in moist environments. Nest outdoors and indoors.
Damages: Contaminate food, soil indoor plants with secreted waste liquid. Destabilize structures by eroding soil near foundations.
DIY Controls: Liquid baits. Powder and chalk barriers outside entry points.
Prevention: Store food in airtight containers. Seal cracks and crevices around home’s exterior. Fix plumbing leaks.
Cockroaches
Nocturnal insects infamous for spreading filth wherever they roam. Over 55 species live in the United States.
Habits: Forage for food and water at night. Seek out dark, humid crevices. Can withstand a month without nourishment.
Damages: Spread bacteria on legs and droppings. Trigger allergies and asthma. Bite skin, leaving itchy welts.
DIY Controls: Insecticidal dusts and gels around hiding places. Sticky traps to catch migrants.
Prevention: Fix plumbing leaks. Store food properly. Take out trash regularly.
Rodents (Mice and Rats)
Though small, mice and rats wreck enormous havoc gnawing on everything to grind down ever-growing teeth.
Habits: Nocturnal. Nest in secluded areas near food supply. Enter through cracks as narrow as 1/4 inch.
Damages: Destroy insulation, woodwork, food supplies, and valuables while constructing nests. Chew electrical wiring risking fires. Spread over 35 diseases.
DIY Controls: Snap traps, electronic traps, rodenticides. Limit food access.
Prevention: Seal openings bigger than 1/4 inch. Clear brush around home’s exterior. Use sealed trash cans.
Bedbugs
Parasitic insects named for favorite feeding spot–your bed. Most active when hosts sleep.
Habits: Nest near beds in dark crevices of furniture and along baseboards. Feed on blood weekly. Each bug lives 6-12 months.
Damages: Itchy bite marks. Allergic reactions. Anxiety and insomnia.
DIY Controls: Mattress encasements to trap household pests. Contact insecticides inside encasements. Heat home or valuables to 120°F.
Prevention: Inspect pre-owned beds and furniture before bringing home. Upon returning from travel, wash clothing on hot cycle and quarantine luggage.
Mosquitoes
Summertime household pests active worldwide as prime bloodsuckers spreading diseases. Females most problematic, needing blood to produce eggs.
Habits: Breed in stagnant water. Most active dusk to dawn. Attracted by carbon dioxide, heat, sweat, and sweet scents.
Damages: Itchy, irritating bites. Vector serious diseases like Zika, West Nile Virus, malaria, and encephalitis.
DIY Controls: Eliminate standing water sources. Use window screens. Try electric bug zappers. Apply EPA registered insect repellents.
Prevention: Install tight window screens. Use fans. Drain temporary water reservoirs after rains. Manage vegetation near homes.
Pesky Household Pests Beyond the Big Five
Ants, roaches, rodents, bedbugs, and mosquitoes cause endless exterminator calls, but plenty other insects infiltrate homes. Let’s peek at a few more.
Silverfish
Slender, silver-coated bugs eating away at books, photos, plaster, and starches in dark, humid places.
Controls: Reduce indoor humidity. Utilize dehumidifiers and exhaust fans. Apply low-toxicity insecticides into hiding spaces. Store vulnerable items in airtight containers.
Spiders
Some species like black widows boast venomous bites, but most spiders pose no threats to people. Many eliminate pest insects.
Coexistence: Leave non-threatening spiders alone to control flies and mosquitoes without chemicals. Simply relocate dangerous varieties using cups and cardboard.
Termites
Insidious destroyers eating wood and plant materials rich in cellulose. Cause major structural damage.
Controls: Eliminate conducive conditions like moisture and wood debris around home’s exterior. Hire pest control company for whole-house treatment covering walls, foundations, and surrounding soil.
Fleas and Ticks
Tiny household pests plaguing pets and people through biting and disease transmission.
Controls: On pets–use vet recommended flea and tick control products like monthly topicals. Indoors–thoroughly vacuum then apply insecticides for lasting effects. Manage humidity, foliage, and woodpiles outside.
Beetles
Over 300 species damage property and food supplies indoors. Common invaders include cigarette beetles, drugstore beetles, cigarette beetles, and carpet beetles.
Controls: Discard infested items. Use pheromone traps. Apply insecticides into floor cracks and crevices around potential food sources like pet food. Keep pantry areas dry using dehumidifiers and exhaust fans.
DIY or Professional Pest Control?
With household pests identified and dangers understood, implementing control strategies emerges as the next crucial step. Should you tackle troubles solo or hire an exterminator? Let’s weigh both routes.
Benefits of DIY Pest Control
- Lower cost than professional services
- Readily available products at home goods stores
- Less hazardous options like traps and boric acid
Drawbacks of DIY Methods
- Inability to comprehensively treat multi-room infestations
- Lack expertise pinpointing optimal nest elimination locations
- Short-term solutions less effective than professional treatments
Benefits of Professional Pest Control
- Experience accurately identifying and eliminating nests
- Utilize powerful commercial grade chemicals safely and legally
- Provide long-term preventative solutions after eliminating current invaders
Drawbacks of Professional Services
- More expensive than do-it-yourself approaches
- Use harsh chemicals requiring homeowner vacate premises
- Risk continued infestations if company hires inexperienced or negligent technicians
Key Decision Factors
Consider pest type, degree of infestation, occupants’ health conditions, willingness for involvement, and budget when deciding between DIY methods or professional pest control companies.
Seek certified experts for termite treatments, widespread issues, and eliminating dangerous pests like spiders or disease-carrying rodents. Reserve DIY solutions for isolated ant or cockroach invaders.
Living Pest-Free: Keeping Homes Unwelcoming Long-Term
Battle pesky bugs by implementing preventative measures making homes inhospitable environments. Here are tips for maintaining pest-free houses long after eliminating current infestations.
Sealing Up Shelter Sites
Block access preventing reentry. Seal cracks around windows, doors, utility pipes, vents, and foundations using caulk, steel wool, concrete, metal kick plates, and wire mesh.
Maintaining Cleanliness
Sanitize indoor and outdoor spaces. Regularly clean floors, countertops, and baseboards. Properly store human and pet foods. Use lidded garbage cans. Never leave pet food dishes out overnight.
Managing Moisture
Fix dripping faucets and leaks. Ventilate kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. Install and use fans regularly. Replace water damaged surfaces. Improve drainage around foundations. Dehumidify damp indoor spaces.
Employing Natural Pest Repellents
Use cedar blocks, lavender sachets, citrus and peppermint oils to drive away common invaders without chemicals. Place dryer sheets around pet beds
Here is a continuation of the article after the paragraph on natural pest repellents:
Keeping Pets Protected
Use natural methods safe for four-legged roommates. Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth around pet bedding. This chalky powder dehydrates insects killing them within 48 hours. Growth regulators prevent larval development without toxins.
Consult veterinarians before using topical and oral treatments to ensure safety and effectiveness for furry friends. Carefully follow all label instructions. Never use dog products on cats.
When commercial pesticides become necessary, remove pets from treated rooms until dried. Ask companies to avoid spraying baseboards, flooring, and pet items.
Inspecting Incoming Items
Check secondhand furniture, plants from nurseries, and suitcases after vacationing in hotels before moving items inside. Wash all clothing after trips in hot water then dry on high heat ensuring hitchhiking pests perish.
Leave luggage unpacked in garages for a week if suspicious stains appear. Pest control specialists can treat items still questionable afterwards. It’s better safe than sorry!
Conclusion
While occasionally spotting household pests induces panic, arm yourself with knowledge transforming fears into control. Protect loved ones against dangers posed by evaluating each invader according to evidence-based risk levels while considering the most effective removal methods.
This guide covered all common household varieties–their habitats, damages produced, and best elimination practices balancing efficacy, safety, and affordability based on infestation extent.
Implement preventative measures like sealing up entry points, managing moisture, employing natural deterrents like cedar and essential oils, keeping pets protected, and carefully inspecting new items entering your home.
By stopping household pests before they pass the threshold, you’ll keep your house a serene haven free of freeloading insects! What invaders have bugged you most? Share your pest encounters and elimination successes with us!
