10 Home Pests and Signs You Might Have Them

Your home has become like a haunted house. There are creatures moving in your walls.

You hear something scuttle across the floor behind you, but when you turn around, there’s nothing there.

You find bite marks on the door frames and scratches on the floorboards. What sort of monstrous creature is haunting you?

The bad news is, your home is probably infested with pests. The good news is, we can help you identify which pests are causing you sleepless nights.

Read on to learn about 10 common home pests and the signs you can look for to identify them. Also, Drake Lawn & Pest Control covers the 5 most common pests in Orlando in their blog post here: https://www.drakepest.com/5-most-common-pests-in-orlando/

Article Content

1. Termites

Termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage each year, so you’ll want to get rid of these little pests as fast as you can.

Termites are noisy eaters. If you listen closely to a piece of termite-infested wood, you’ll hear them chewing away. You may also hear clicking sounds coming from your wooden walls or floors.

Watch out for discarded wings, a sure sign that flying termites have been in your house.

Some termites eat wood from the inside out. Knock on the wooden panels in your house. If an area sounds hollow, the center of the wood may have been eaten away by termites.

2. Bed Bugs

The vampires of the bug world, bed bugs feed on your blood while you sleep. These little Dracula wannabes spread quickly so keep a close eye out for them!

If you have itchy, red marks on your skin when you wake up, there may be bed bugs hiding in your bed. Examine your sheets and mattress for small blood stains, rust-colored spots of bug excrement, or discarded skin or eggshells.

If you suspect you have a bed bug problem, call in the experts at Custom Bed Bug. Their professional technicians and specialized equipment will eliminate your infestation, quickly and efficiently.

3. Ants

Ants are a nuisance, swarming around your leftover food, but some species of ants can pose a danger to your home.

Carpenter ants, much like termites, destroy wood. Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat the wood. Instead, they build their nests inside of it.

If you see one ant, another is sure to follow. Watch out for large ants crawling around your home, small piles of wood shavings, and rustling noises in your walls.

4. Spiders

House spiders can lay up to 1800 eggs! No one wants that many baby spiders roaming around their house, so keep an eye out for possible spider infestations.

The most common “house spider” species include Wolf Spiders, Cellar Spiders, and Jumping Spiders.

A few spider webs here and there are perfectly normal. An increased amount of webs may signal an infestation. If you notice silky egg sacks attached to your walls, remove them quickly before the eggs hatch.

5. Flies

Flies buzz around your house contaminating your food and spreading diseases. One or two of these pests are a nuisance, but dozens of flies can pose health risks to you and your family.

Common signs of fly infestations include regular sightings of flies, the presence of maggots, and egg clusters that look like small, black pinheads.

6. Wasps

A wasp infestation is one of the scariest infestations on this list. They are not particularly difficult to get rid of, but angry wasps can sting you multiple times, sometimes even landing you in hospital.

Over and above the physical threat that wasps pose, some species, like the Yellow Jacket, can cause damage to your home too. Yellow Jackets can chew through softwood and drywall, using these materials to build their nests.

Signs of a wasp infestation are an increase in wasp activity and chewed wood around your home. Look out for nests in your roof eaves.

7. Cockroaches

Cockroaches spread around 33 different types of bacteria and can trigger allergies and asthma attacks.

These hardy bugs are difficult to kill. They can even live up to one week without a head!

Cockroaches like to hide in dark nooks and crannies, like under stoves, sinks, and refrigerators. Examine these areas in your house, keeping an eye out for cockroach droppings and eggs. You might find an oily or musty smell in areas where groups of cockroaches gather.

8. Rats and Mice

Rats and mice not only cause destruction as they burrow into your home, but they also contaminate your house and spread several serious diseases.

A common sign of a rat or mouse infestation is bite marks on furniture and food packaging. They often gnaw on electrical cables too, creating a dangerous fire hazard.

Other signs include rodent droppings, the sight or smell of urine, scratch marks, greasy rub marks on the walls, and scratching or scuttling sounds at night.

Your pets might spot a rodent infestation before you do. Watch out for unusual behavior from your pets, like pawing or barking at the walls.

9. Moths

Moths are not as creepy as some of the other bugs on this list, but they can cause irreparable damage to clothes and fabric.

Moths lay their eggs on your clothes. When the larvae hatch, they dine out on the fabric, creating circular holes in your favorite garments.

If you open your closet door and notice a moth flying around, you may have an infestation. Clear out your closet and check for moth larvae, discarded larvae casings, silk cocoons, and crawling moths.

10. Fleas

Fleas usually enter your home by hitching a ride in your pet’s fur. Much like bed bugs, fleas feed on blood.

They hide and breed in soft, warm places, like your couches, bedding, and carpets. Flea bites can cause nasty rashes, hives, or allergic reactions.

The first place to check for fleas is on your pet. You may notice your furry friend scratching or biting its coat.

Examine the fur for small insects, or brown debris left behind by the fleas. Your pet may also lose patches of its fur.

If a flea bites you, you will develop a red itchy bump. Much like a mosquito bite, the red bump will swell and become more agitated as you scratch it.