How to Get Rid of Bugs in Your House: 10 Common Pests

Table Of Content

• Mosquitoes – Small Flying Bugs in House that Bite
• Solved! What Are Those Tiny Black Bugs in the Bathroom?
• House fly control
• Clothes Moths (Tineola bisselliella)
• Gnats – Small Flying Bugs in House Plants
• Seven Outside California Bugs That Bite Hard
• How to Get Rid of Gnats Fast, According to a New York City Exterminator

Eliminating their habitat, using pesticides, being aware of your surroundings and wearing the right protection all help decrease the likelihood of getting bit. Pest prevention is one of the most important parts of pest and bug control. While rodents such as rats and mice are not bugs at all, they are common pests that can infest homes, causing potential health risks and structural damage. In addition, these rodents can spread dangerous bacteria and viruses that can make you and your family sick. To reduce the risk of mosquitoes in your area, reduce areas of dense vegetation and areas of standing water, which quickly become breeding grounds for these pests. Here we look at 15 of Ventura County, California’s most common household pests.

Mosquitoes – Small Flying Bugs in House that Bite

Pharoah ants are small yellow ants that often seek shelter in your walls and behind baseboards. Thief ants like sugar and are commonly found in cupboards and pet food bowls. While not considered dangerous, ants can spread bacteria throughout your home that they pick up when walking. Blow flies (Calliphoridae) are mostly large, metallic flies. These insects invade homes and can transmit bacterial and viral diseases.

Solved! What Are Those Tiny Black Bugs in the Bathroom?

Use the following ideas to get rid of gnats and learn how to fend them off for good. Like most bugs that fly into the house, preventing wasps from entering your home is the best advice. If you have already sealed cracks and crevices to prevent other flying pests from getting indoors, you will rarely have wasps inside. The best way to rid your home of biting midges is to prevent them from entering through open doors and windows. It is also vital to eliminate any traces of standing water in your yard.

House fly control

The combination of a diet based on plants and a preference for damp soils makes Crane flies a common sight on lawns. Crane flies have larvae that develop in high moisture and damp soils. Bees are one of the most beneficial insects for plant pollination. Bees can get in the house by accident or are attracted to sugary items such as honey, flowers, fruits, and sugar. They only live a few days and they tend to die whenever you clean the drains as a preventive measure. Yet, they can still be annoying as they are noisier than other house flies.

Clothes Moths (Tineola bisselliella)

Strategically place the pots in your kitchen, by windows and doors and in other areas where you've noticed the flying bugs' unwanted attention. The larvae are common in the moist soil of the plants that have been overwatered and the soil remains wet or very moist. This may occur in the fall when plants are brought inside for the winter, or in the winter when house plants (or office plants) are overwatered. Females of some species, such as the black gnat or black fly, feed on blood. These gnats have been known to carry parasites and spread diseases to humans and livestock. Due to the spread of river blindness and other health concerns, numerous programs have been established throughout the world to control gnat populations.

Gnats – Small Flying Bugs in House Plants

Those annoying little bugs aren't fruitflies, they're fungus gnats. Here's how to get rid of them. - North Country Public Radio

Those annoying little bugs aren't fruitflies, they're fungus gnats. Here's how to get rid of them..

Posted: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Kissing bugs do not have wings, but this will not stop them from biting. If you have a water feature like this and notice these bugs you should treat the water to kill the larvae. While most wasps found in California make nests in the ground, paper wasps will make nests in the eaves or in areas of a garage or shed that they deem safe. In Ventura County, the European paper wasp is the most common wasp species, often mistaken for yellow jackets. These wasps can deliver a painful sting, and the removal of an established nest in the home should be left to professionals. Here we take a closer look at some of the most common insects and pests you are likely to find as a California homeowner.

Why are the gnats so bad right now? How to get rid of those annoying pests in Phoenix

However, they are still found in several areas of Northern and Central California as well. The two most common types of painful biting mites in California are the fowl mite and the tropical rat mite. If you have had rats in your home or in a nearby area then your home can get infested with rat mites. If these mites are unable to find rats, they will look for an alternative host, which can be a human.

Seven Outside California Bugs That Bite Hard

You can use sticky yellow traps to reduce their numbers if you have fungus gnats in the kitchen. However, eliminating the source of black gnats is the only way of getting rid of them for good. You can try DIY methods of pest control, but for infestations like silverfish, the better option is to call pest control in Los Angeles. Because the pest control workers know a lot about pests, they have a good idea of where to look to find the silverfish populations. And once they find them, they can easily get rid of them for you.

The best way to identify fungus gnats is to observe their behavior. The females lay eggs in the top layer of moist potting soil. The larvae hatch and feed on organic matter in the plant pot.

All types of compost are known to attract these flies, especially homemade compost. Eliminating all fruits that are too ripe is recommended to keep these flies out. You can add mesh screens on doors and windows to keep these flies out. It’s best to wear protective insect spray in these months as well as bright clothes which repel these flies. Refraining from overwatering plants and flowers can help as well. You can also consider growing mosquito-repelling plants such as lemongrass, mint, and lavender.

To control mosquitoes, eliminate standing water around your property, use mosquito repellents, and install screens on windows and doors. Consider using mosquito traps or professional mosquito control services. To identify them, look for their small size, hairy wings, and hunched appearance. Reducing breeding sites, using insect repellents, and installing screens on windows and doors can help prevent and control them.

Pantry moths, also known as Indian meal moths, have a distinctive appearance. Pantry moths have wings that showcase a combination of gray, copper, and bronze colors. You should clear all of them from around the house or from the ground to avoid the formation of fruit flies and similar bugs.

If you see one and are wondering if there may be more, head to your plants, windows, and lights. You may also want to peep around your fruit basket because the sweet aroma will draw them in. Whether they're in your home or outside, gnats are problematic. You probably have most of the ingredients that can be used to bait and trap them, such as vinegar, wine, and rotting fruit.

Then, combine the dry ingredients with a cup of white vinegar in a bowl. Although you may see them coming out of sink drains, drain flies don’t enter the home through the drainage or sewage system. Instead, drain flies get into your house through open windows and doors. We chatted with Diana Ludwiczak, a home pest inspector certified in New York City, where unwanted bug invasions are quite common. They are identified by their medium size, metallic appearance, and buzzing flight.