![]() Their colors range from white to light brown, where worker termites often appear lighter and swarming termites darker. The queens and kings are larger, capable of reaching over one inch long. Per Orkin, they typically measure between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch long and have soft bodies with straight antennae. What it looks like: As perhaps the main insect that really strikes fear in most homeowners, termites can wreak significant havoc in a short amount of time. “Also, establish a schedule to regularly clean drain lines, garbage disposals, and any location where food waste accumulates,” he says. “Fruit flies also may breed and develop in drains, garbage disposals, trash cans, and mop buckets,” he adds.Ĭan they harm you? In general, Russell says that fruit flies “are just a nuisance.” But they have the potential to contaminate your food with bacteria and other pathogens, Ramsey says, which is why it’s so important to store produce in air-tight containers or refrigerators and inspect any fruits or vegetables brought into your home. Where you’ll find them: Fruit flies like to hang out around fruit and produce, especially when it’s ripe, rotting, or decayed, and they’re also attracted to fermented items like beer, liquor, and wine, Ramsey says. “There are two main types of fruit flies: the common red-eyed fruit fly and the dark-eyed fruit fly,” Ramsey says. They’re usually very small-about 1/8 of an inch. What they look like: Fruit flies look like light brown flies, says Russell. They can also trigger asthma “because of a protein in their saliva, droppings, and on their body,” Troyano says. While cockroaches don’t give people diseases through bites, they can transmit food-borne illnesses from one place to another. They could pop up in the bathroom-they love to snack on soap residue-dark places in your kitchen like cupboards and cabinets, laundry rooms, basements, and drains, she says.Ĭan it harm you? Unless you have a serious infestation, cockroaches won’t bite you. Where you’ll find it: You can find cockroaches in a lot of places in your home, Troyano says. “However, most winged cockroaches are not particularly adept at flying,” Ramsey says. They have six legs, two antennae, and some even have wings. ![]() “ Cockroaches can measure over two inches length, with tropical species tending to be larger than those found in other climates,” Ramsey says. What it looks like: There are different types of cockroaches, but the most common are the American, German, oriental, and brown-banded cockroaches, Ramsey says. However, “many bites can leave no mark and go completely unnoticed.” “While bed bugs have not been found to transmit any diseases to humans, their bites may cause symptoms such as itching, red welts, or swelling the day after being bitten,” Ramsey says. ![]() “They can travel from place to place with ease, including items such as luggage, purses, and other personal belongings,” Ramsey says.Ĭan they harm you? Yes. ![]() Bed bugs are normally nocturnal, and they’ll come out of hiding from places like a mattress to feed on sleeping or quietly resting people. “Blood is their only food source,” says Glen Ramsey, a board-certified entomologist and senior technical services manager at Orkin. Where you’ll find them: In general, you’ll find them around people. Bed bugs can range in color from a mahogany-red to light brown, “depending on when they last fed,” Troyano says. “They are often compared to the size of an apple seed,” says Nancy Troyano, Ph.D., a board-certified entomologist with Western Exterminator. What they look like: An adult bed bug can be anywhere from ⅛ - ¼-inch in size. Just remember that we share this Earth with all kinds of creatures, and they just happen to be the (mostly harmless) ones that give us the heebie jeebies. From invasive species like stink bugs to weird-looking wolf spiders to brightly-colored beetles, here are the most common house bugs to know, how to identify them, and whether or not you should worry if you spot one. So, we turned to several entomologists and pest control experts to help us round up a list of creepy crawlers you can find living in-or passing through-your home. You may notice more insects lurking about during a major season change, after a heavy rain sets in, or if you have food hanging around-and while most common house bugs won’t harm you, some will bite if they feel threatened, and it’s important to know how to ID the bug who did the biting. Still, it’s nice to know what they are and what their intentions could be during their stay in your humble abode. In fact, they’re likely more afraid of you than you are of them. The good news is that most common house bugs won’t harm you. And when they do, spotting one in your home is not fun, to say the least, no matter how big or small the critter is. We can all agree that bugs belong outside-but they somehow always make their way into an indoor crack or crevice you weren’t expecting.
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