4 Most Common Household Pests and How to Get Rid of Them

When did you last see a rodent or pest inside your home? Roach and rodent sightings in American homes were studied by the American House Survey. According to the survey, out of 124 million house units, 14 million reported seeing roaches.

In addition, 14.8 million households reported seeing rodents, and 2.9 million reported seeing roaches and rodents that year. The United Status Census Bureau data shows the likelihood of pests in your house is very high. These figures might frighten you if you have entomophobia.

Termites, bedbugs, cockroaches, and fleas are typical household pests. Mice, chipmunks, and rats are examples of rodents that you might encounter. Rodents are still a winter problem in Louisville, Kentucky. After all, mice and rats prefer to stay warm during the winter and seek food. As a result, they enter your home in search of shelter and food. The effects of these rodents and pests on your life vary.

Unfortunately, Kentucky has one of the worst bed bug infestations in the United States. Bed bugs are a common annoyance and challenging to eliminate. Luckily, they do not spread diseases, and bed bug treatment in Louisville,KY is available. Fleas and other pests, however, pose a health risk. They can spread illnesses like Lyme disease, typhus, and plague.

Property damage is another concern. Furniture, clothing, books, and other personal items can all be harmed by pests. By chewing on wires, rodents are notorious for posing a fire risk. They also put people’s health at risk and ruin fabrics and clothes.

In other instances, the effects of pests are only apparent after some time. For example, termites and carpenter ants may wreak structural havoc on your house without your knowledge. They frequently eat away at the wood beams and joists, endangering the stability of your home.

Pests are typically a hassle and a financial drain. Therefore, containing and managing them as early as possible is essential.

Let us examine some typical pests you might come across and how to eliminate them.

Bedbugs

Once they have infested your home, bed bugs are among the hardest to control. They can go between 20 and 400 days without eating if the circumstances permit. There are numerous ways for bed bugs to enter your home. This includes contaminated furniture, clothing, luggage, or hitchhiking on people and pets.

A few bedbugs can quickly spread an infestation thanks to their rapid reproduction. Finding shed skins and tiny reddish-brown fecal spots on your mattress are indications of a bed bug infestation. There will also be numerous bites on the skin, bed bugs on clothes and bedding, and a potent, musty odor.

Infected beds and clothing are cleaned, dried, and vacuumed as part of bed bug treatment. If that does not work, you can try bed bug treatment with heat or chemicals. Bed bugs cannot withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures, so heat treatments are the most effective.

Contact local pest control companies to get assistance with heat and chemical treatments. You will not need multiple treatments because the professionals can do it better. It would be beneficial if you also tried to avoid reinfecting your home.

This can be accomplished by looking over used furniture and clothing before bringing them into your home. Additionally, it would be best to be cautious about your hotel rooms and look for bed bugs when you check-in. Isolate the clothes you brought on your trip and wash them in hot water when you get home.

Your home can benefit from regular vacuuming and sealing of cracks and crevices. You can also cover your mattress to keep bed bugs out.

Termites

Termites frequently invade homes through the ground, creating tunnels to get to wood-framed structures. Termites are consequently attracted to moisture and favor dimly lit environments. This means homes with water damage, leaks, or high humidity are more susceptible to termite attacks.

Swarmers (winged termites), mud tubes on walls, and cracks are all signs of termites in your house. You can also tell by listening for hollow areas in the wood.

Termites can cause significant damage, and homeowners spend $5 billion annually on repairs and termite prevention. Chemical treatments and physical barriers are the typical termite control methods.

Insecticides, wood treatments, and fumigation are examples of chemical treatments. You can also use barriers like steel mesh and sand to prevent termites from accessing the wood. When constructing a house, these barriers are frequently erected.

Routine inspections, leak repairs, and water damage cleanup can decrease termite infestation risk. You must also ensure that your home has low moisture levels and is well-ventilated.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are common in homes and frequently denote dirty homes. Top stove grease and cat waste have attracted them. They can invade your home through cracks, ride along in packages, and climb up drains and sewers.

You can tell you have cockroaches if you see them moving around, feces, shedding, or egg casings. Nocturnal insects favor dim, damp, and cluttered environments as their home. They frequently contaminate your food and are regarded as a health risk.

Chemical treatments and physical efforts are two methods you can use to eliminate cockroaches. This can be accomplished by vacuuming, clearing clutter, and destroying their hiding places. To control their movement, you can also seal cracks and crevices.

Baits, insecticides, and boric acid can also catch and kill roaches. You can avoid roach infestations by keeping your kitchen spotless and storing food properly.

Fleas

Fleas are a common problem for people who have pets. They invade your home by climbing on furniture, rodents like squirrels, shoes, and clothes. Red, itchy bites, flea dirt, and scratching in pets are all signs that you have fleas.

Fleas procreate quickly and are frequently insecticide resistant. They can spread diseases like the plague and typhus and are also dangerous. You can get rid of fleas by vacuuming, washing your bedding, and cleaning your pet. Hot, soapy water instantly kills fleas, so use it when cleaning.

Regularly cleaning your pets’ bedding and the bedding at home will help you avoid a flea infestation. You should also check your pet and keep wildlife out of your home.

Conclusion

In most homes today, pests are a common sight. Getting rid of pests and rodents early would be best because some pose health risks. At home, you might encounter termites, cockroaches, fleas, and bed bugs.

Infestations happen quickly because most pests reproduce quickly. Chemicals and home cleaning can control most, though. Make efforts to keep pests out of your home as well.