I’m sure most of the common household pests make you go eww. This nasty little, let’s call them bugs, are tiny but can cause a lot of damage. They annoy your pets and make you itch (or worse). They also bring health problems, so as minute as some of them might be, common household pests should be recognized and dealt with.
These six-legged pests with red-brown body and long claws are one of those common household pests found all around the world. They suck blood and are often known to trigger allergic reactions. Not only can fleas be annoying, they can be extremely dangerous as well and sometimes lead to diseases like tapeworms and typhus. You can use pet preventive medications to avoid dealing with fleas, but if they have already entered your life, it is never easy to get rid of them. Start by vacuuming regularly – make sure to discard the bag after you have vacuumed completely. Use hot water and soap to wash your pets. You may also consider using natural herbs, traps for bugs, and aromatics, like citronella, lemon, rosemary, and wormwood to keep fleas away.
Bed bugs have six legs and a flat oval-shaped body – they are usually no bigger than an apple seed and are brownish in color. You can find them around the world, but especially in the United States, Canada, and the UK – they have recently attacked some other European countries as well. They usually thrive in areas where many people pass through on a regular basis, such as hostels, apartments, trains, dorm rooms, and buses. It's not easy to get rid of these little critters, but washing all the pillows, sheets, curtains, towels, and other stuff where bed bugs might thrive will help a lot. Make sure to use hot water – you will get better results if you dry them at the hottest setting for no less than 30 minutes. Be sure to vacuum regularly – don't forget to scrub your mattresses with a stiff brush. Use pure essential oils, such as clove, lemongrass, cinnamon, thyme, lavender, or tea tree to keep bed bugs at bay.
Ants are among the most common household pests and found everywhere in the world. They usually nest in soil under old buildings or near trees, or anywhere where they could find some warmth and dampness – you may find them under floors, between walls, and so on. To get rid of them, you will first have to find their entry points. Then, use petroleum jelly, caulk, or something similar to seal those points. You may also consider sprinkling spice around these entry points to ensure ants don't enter the house. Try natural any repellants for good effects – you can opt for pure cinnamon, cream of tartar, chili pepper, garlic, cloves, paprika, or even dried peppermint.
You can definitely count lice as one of the most common household pests, as these grey-white bugs are everywhere in the world – they usually live on the scalp and thrive on animal and human blood. They may cause insomnia, itching, and infected sores. You can get rid of them by washing your hair regularly. Lather, rinse, and repeat the process again. Tea-tree oil shampoo is a good choice for those who want to ditch these bugs once and for all. Or, wash your hair with a solution made of vinegar and water. You can also get a special nit comb and sprinkle tea tree oil or peppermint on the comb before use.
To get rid of these grey and reddish-brown bugs with long wings, you simply need to start cleaning and look for any packages with bugs. Don't forget to check unopened packages, as meal moths can chew through aluminum foil for food. After thorough cleaning, you should vacuum crevices of all kitchen cabinets – you may also consider thoroughly washing your cabinets with hot water.
Who doesn't know what these brown-bodied bugs with wings and legs are capable of doing? Found everywhere around the world, these nasty little things eat human and animal blood. Their red, itchy bite is quite annoying, but they also play a role in transmitting several diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis, heartworm, and more. To keep mossies at bay, you need to keep windows closed and take steps to drain standing water – keeping yard grass short will also help a lot. You may also want to use a natural repellant like peppermint, lavender, and citronella – using lemon eucalyptus oil may also help the fight against mosquitoes.
Termites can survive in most climatic conditions and love eating stumps, dead wood, mulch, and roots. To get rid of these vicious eaters, you should avoid keeping woodpiles and mulch piles anywhere close to your house. It is also a good idea to avoid building any wooden structure near a crawl space. You can opt for chemical treatments and try orange oil, borax, and neem tree oil to make these bugs find a home elsewhere.
Sorry if that was a bit of info that creeped you out. I know for many it’s an icky subject but common household pests are well, common, so we all need to know how to recognize them and deal with them. Agreed?