Look Out: You May Not Have Realized Pests Could Be Hiding in Your Home

When the average person thinks of household pests, they might be tempted to imagine a dirty apartment, or a ramshackle farmhouse. We tend to associate the presence of bothersome insects with dirt and squalor, when in fact, there are many pests that can infest even the cleanest home. These obnoxious trespassers might have come as uninvited guests on secondhand furniture, or stowed away on clothing following a visit to an infested hotel. They may have migrated over from a neighbor’s house, or a nearby restaurant or grocery store. Maybe they were attracted by stacked firewood and a cool, dark environment. There are many reasons that an otherwise pristine house might become infested with pests, and it can happen to anyone. Some factors, such as less tidy neighbors or a disturbance that caused an existing population to relocate, are completely outside of the homeowner’s control. Oftentimes, the homeowner won’t even know that they have a problem until the infestation is severe enough that the signs are unmistakable. The following list will cover some of the more insidious and harmful pests that could be lurking in your home, and how to recognize an infestation.

1 – Termites

Though somewhat resembling ants in both form and behavior, termites are actually a member of the cockroach family. Living in massive colonies in much the same way as bees and ants, termites are divided into separate “castes,” including workers, who gather food and build the colony infrastructure; soldiers, who defend it; and Kings and Queens, responsible for breeding new termites. Termites subsist mostly on dead wood and other detritus, and don’t discriminate between discarded branches and structurally important building material, which is where they most often become problematic for humans. A termite infestation generally leaves no external sign until it has become extremely advanced, so proactive investigation is vital. Signs of termite infestation include sightings of flying termites anywhere nearby, thin mud tubes around your home, and visible holes or other damage in wood.

2 – Bed bugs

Tiny parasitic insects, bedbugs can result some of the most insidious and intractable infestations imaginable. Ranging in size from a little larger than a grain of sand to about the size of the head of a pin, depending on their age, bedbugs are voracious bloodsuckers at every stage of life. Notoriously prolific travelers, they can be found in hotels, trains, or anywhere that people congregate, and will readily hitch a ride on a passing human, or in clothing or luggage. Once home, the bedbugs will set up shop in secluded, out of the way areas around people, like box springs, in the folds of bed linens, or inside electrical sockets. Once established, bedbug infestations can be difficult to detect, and infamously difficult to get rid of. Signs of bedbug infestation include blood stains on sheets, droppings and egg shells on bed rails, and dark stains on walls and mattresses.

3 – Ants

One of the most numerous and prolific organisms on the planet, ants are native to every continent except Antarctica. While most species of ants endemic to the United States are completely benign, and very few pose any sort of health hazard, certain species can become a nuisance, and carpenter ants in particular can cause severe structural damage if they’re allowed to go unchecked. Larger than most other species and darkly colored, carpenter ants make their nests in wood, and their extensive networks of tunnels can cause costly damage. Other species to watch out for are red imported fire ants, which are extremely aggressive and have a nasty sting; and odorous house ants, which give off a noxious odor when crushed. Signs of ant infestation include visible ants near or on exposed food, ants congregating around pet food bowls, and numerous anthills or nests outside, in close proximity to your home.

4 – Cockroaches

The stereotypical household pest, when the average person thinks of an infestation, they think of cockroaches. Unsightly and potentially hazardous to one’s health, cockroaches are associated in popular culture with squalor and filth, but may infest a home as a result of factors beyond the resident’s control, such as nearby restaurants or other food sources, or the roaches scattering from another home following an extermination effort. Roaches may even be ‘inherited’ from a prior resident. Commonly encountered species of cockroach include the American cockroach, German cockroach, and brown-banded cockroach. All commonly encountered species can spread pathogens and allergens, and should be treated as a health hazard. Signs of cockroach infestation include shed skins, droppings, brown smears in areas that the roaches frequent, and, in certain extreme cases, a foul, musty odor.