Bugs and pests can invade homes, wreaking havoc for homeowners as they damage property and create unhealthy living situations. It is impossible to keep your home utterly bug-free as we live with nature. However, keeping your home clean and well maintained ensures that dangerous bug infestations are kept at bay. Let's look at some of the most common bugs found in homes.
Meal Moths
Often referred to as pantry moths, meal moths are attracted to the food stored in your house. Flour, beans, and dried fruit are some of the favorite foods on which meal moths love to munch. But other items in your home can also be food for meal moths. You may find that your holiday decorations and pet food have also become menu items for meal moths. Fortunately, these moths don't carry diseases, so your food is not tainted if you find them living in your cupboard.
Crickets
Many species of crickets live alongside homeowners in gardens and wooded areas of the property. However, some species of crickets, like the Jerusalem cricket, may bite humans if provoked. Still, the cases of cricket bites are rare, and most North American cricket species are harmless. Feel free to pick up the cricket you find in your home and place it back outdoors where it belongs.
House Centipede
It is at the very least unsettling to see a house centipede shoot across your floor and under your sofa only to disappear. Most homeowners are frightened at the appearance of the house centipede, which typically has 15 legs and can travel 1.5 feet per second! This creepy-crawly critter is challenging to catch, but that's ok because it is helpful around the house.
Fleas
Even if you don't have house pets, animals that visit or even those that lived in your house previously can leave behind fleas. Fleas are biting pests that quickly multiply and can be challenging to eradicate. Fleas like to lay eggs in soft materials, especially carpets and bedding. In the warmer months, fleas will multiply and bite pets and humans relentlessly until the infestation is quelled.
Bed Bugs
Like fleas, bed bugs love to bite humans. Bed bugs are brown and tiny with flat, oval-shaped bodies with no wings. These prolific creatures hide in bed frames, mattresses, bedding, furniture, carpets, baseboards, bedroom clutter, and even stuffed animals. Bed bugs feast on humans at night during their sleep and hide during the day. If you have bed bugs, it is best to call an exterminator to help you fix the problem.
Keeping Your Home Bug Free
Bugs are attracted to the warmth inside your home and any moisture in its structure. Keeping your house clean and free from clutter will help keep nasty pests at bay.