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Why You’ll Want To Keep These 15 Types Of Bugs Out Of Your Home
By JENNIFER ANUM
Meal Moths
Meal moths (aka pantry moths) love to feed on dry foods, especially cereal products, pasta, dry fruits, dry pet foods, nuts, powdered milk, and whole grains.
While they don’t carry diseases, meal moths can infest quickly, as one adult female can lay up to 400 eggs. They typically gain entry into homes through packaged foods.
Ants
Ants rarely invade homes alone. They are a colony often seen marching in a single file in search of food and water, as well as concealed places to make a home.
Beetles
Beetles prefer to be outdoors but will come into your home when tempted by a light source. They get in through open windows, doors, and foundational cracks.
You do not want beetles in your home because some species bite, which can cause extreme pain and blistering of the skin.
Fruit Flies
Fruit flies like food waste and moist environments, which explains why they breed in garbage disposals, trash cans, drains, mops, and cleaning rags.
These pests can transfer germs when hopping from a dirty surface to a clean one, which can lead to food poisoning since they may carry E. coli, salmonella, and listeria, per WebMD.
Centipedes
Centipedes don’t damage your house or contaminate food sources. Rather, they feed on home-invading insects, which is probably what draws them into your home in the first place.
You’ll likely find them in your bathroom, closet, and basement. While they’re harmless to human health, a centipede’s appearance and quick movements often alarm homeowners.