Five Insects That Are Gaining Ground in Homes
A home is a refuge away from the rigors and stresses of life, and this means that your house is the place where you can relax and find peace. This is far from the truth if your apartment, house or condominium is infested with pests. Insects make up the vast majority of pests that enter the home searching for food. There are a wide variety of invasive species that can make their way into your home. Listed below are five of these insects and how you can get rid of them.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are ants that use wood from the home to create nests. The ants do not eat wood, but they create tunnels within the home that quickly deteriorate the structural integrity of your living space. The tunnels become a part of the carpenter ant colony. This means tens of thousands of ants may inhabit your home. The ever expanding colony formed by the worker ants creates a type of mud or sawdust within the home. This evidence means that baited traps need to be set up inside and outside the home immediately. Bait traps contain poison that the ants bring back to their colony. The poison kills some ants and the rest will abandon the nest.
Bedbugs
Bedbugs are small red insects that feed off human blood. The insects live in beds, furniture and clothing, and they find a way into the home in suitcases and inside infested mattresses. Evidence of bedbugs is noticed when a series of three or more welts appear on the skin. Also, blood may appear on mattresses. Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of due to the vast amounts of eggs that the adults can produce. This means that professionals must be contacted to control the bedbug situation. You can find professionals in bed bug control in Indianapolis and around the U.S. who can provide solutions without spreading chemicals in the home. Specifically, a heat treatment in which the home reaches a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit is utilized to kill bedbug eggs and adults.
Wasps
Wasps are social insects that create nests both inside and outside the home. Wasps send out workers to investigate new food sources. If the wasps find fruit, candy, soda and other leftover foods within the home, then this information is provided to the entire wasp colony. The new nest is created and wasp activity is noted during the day. Wasps return to the nest in the evening. This means that insecticides can be sprayed inside wasp nests after dark. Numerous applications are generally necessary.
Lice
Head lice is one type of insect that infests the people living within a home. Head lice is found on the scalp, and eggs are located on the hairs growing out of the head. Head lice is transmitted through direct contact. Both adult insects and eggs will infest bedding, stuffed animals and other soft objects. This means that very thorough eradication is necessary. Head lice may not be noticed until adult insects have amassed across the scalp. An itching sensation soon occurs. A shampoo that contains piperonyl butoxide is necessary to kill lice on the head.
Fleas
Fleas are small black or reddish-brown insects that feed off animal blood. Fleas attach themselves to pets and humans. The insects can jump over a foot through the air to attach to animals outside the home. Animals must be treated with flea sprays, spot treatments and shampoos. These products should contain insecticides such as selemectin, ethofenprox or methoprene to offer effective control. Also, steam cleaning must be completed in the home to kill flea eggs, larvae and adults.
Pests in the home can cause damage, distress and injury. Immediate control is necessary to keep your home as comfortable and clean as possible. Pesticides can be used to control pests, and the EPA offers a good pesticide resource if you want to learn more.