A few bugs in your house can quickly become an invasion because they lay lots of eggs. Most of them are not dangerous to humans–just small, quick, and creepy. Some make you sick. Some make you itch. Some ruin your food or house.
9 Worst Bugs To Have In Your House
Most people don’t want any type of bug in the house. Some bugs are nastier than others and should be eliminated as soon as they are found.
Bedbugs
Bedbugs bite to suck blood. A bad infestation can leave sleepers waking up covered in red itchy spots. The bites often result in rashes, allergic reactions, and even psychological effects. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) eliminating bedbugs can take weeks and even months.
The process is long, involved, and often expensive–even when you hire professional exterminators. Common bedbug females can lay up to 500 eggs during their lifetime. The bugs can also live up to 300 days without food.
On the positive side, bedbug infestations are not the result of a lack of household hygiene. They are usually carried into the house on clothing or bodies from external contact. Or brought in on used furniture or beds. Or move in from infested neighbors.
Dust Mites
Dust mites do not bite. They feed on dead skin and are found in bedding, upholstery, and carpeting. Dust mites trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions–including sneezing, and itchy skin and throat.
Deep cleaning of rugs and upholstered furniture and washing bedding weekly in hot water usually eliminates them.
Cockroaches
If you see one or two cockroaches in the house, be assured there are many more. They can carry and spread disease-causing germs. They make asthma attacks and allergies worse. And they stink.
Cockroaches enter houses through gaps and cracks in walls and foundations–usually in search of food. They eat almost anything–garbage, left-over food crumbs, books, papers, pet food, etc. Anything not sealed is fair game.
Cockroaches are fairly easy to eliminate. Keep the house clean. Seal all gaps. Use diatomaceous earth, borax, peppermint oil, sticky traps, or insecticides to get rid of them.
Termites
A termite infestation can make a house uninhabitable in five years. Termites are seldom seen as they hollow out framing and furniture. They don’t bite or carry diseases but may cause allergic reactions.
Various termite killers are available from building supply outlets. It may be difficult to be sure you have eliminated all of them. Hire a professional exterminator to ensure they are gone.
Fleas and Ticks
Fleas and ticks get into houses but don’t invade or live very long. They are carried in by pets, rodents, and humans. Both are bloodsuckers. The bites are usually just itchy inflamed red areas that disappear in a few days but there may be more serious problems.
Ticks can carry Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists four diseases carried by fleas–plague, typhus, cat scratch disease, and parasites such as tapeworms. All can transfer to humans. Flea collars, pet grooming, and regular house cleaning are the best ways to keep them out of your house.
Ants
Ants are always seeking food sources. If they find a steady and ready supply in a house, they may just move in and start a colony. Ants are fairly easy to get rid of using non-toxic means like borax, diatomaceous earth, and Tea Tree Oil, among others.
Ant colonies inside the house can be found by following the line of ants to and from a food source. Keeping food in sealed containers and cleaning up spills eliminates any urge for ants to stay inside or keep coming back.
Silverfish
Like cockroaches, silverfish eat almost anything. They find the glue used in bookbinding very attractive and destroy books. They are harmless to humans but will ruin dry food, carpets, wallpaper, and any paper products they can get at.
Silverfish are quick and rarely seen in lighted places. Nests can be found in cool, damp, and dark locations like attics, basements, garages, and even parts of the kitchen.
Bees and Wasps
Bee and wasp stings cause about 60 deaths and 220,000 emergency room visits yearly in the US. It can be dangerous and/or deadly for anyone who is allergic to have them inside the house.
It is not unusual to find nests under roof overhangs, in attics, and even inside wall cavities. If a nest is close by, bees and wasps get into the house through chimneys, cracks in walls, and faulty window and door seals. When trapped or angry, they usually attack and sting.
Moths
Moths can get into your house through gaps, open doors, and windows but the real problem is eggs and larvae attached to clothing and furniture. Often from garage sales. They move into closets, lay eggs, and start eating clothing.
Pantry moths–also called meal moths–usually infest packaged food in production facilities–then end up in your house. The females of some species of moth lay up to 400 eggs.
Getting rid of moths requires consistent effort. Some options include cedar oil, sticky traps, freezing clothing for 12 – 24 hours, washing clothes in hot water, and hiring an exterminator.
Beneficial Bugs You Don’t Want
Some bugs are helpful to humans but most people don’t want them in the house. Some of them may bite humans–but rarely. The bites are usually insignificant except for allergic reactions.
- Centipedes. Eat silverfish. Usually follow them into the house.
- Spiders. Capture and eat other bugs.
- Ladybugs. Eat aphids, mites, and insect eggs. Do not bite.
