No one wants to admit that they have any of these 10 most annoying bugs found in your house, but let’s face it!—these pests are exceedingly common, and even those of you clean-freaks and germaphobes can acquire them! With bugs outnumbering the human population 1.5 billion to one, and there being an estimated 91,000 different species in the U.S. alone, we humans really don’t stand a chance and are bound to pick them up one way or another. Are we starting to freak you out here, because these numbers could scare anybody! No matter how hygienic or unkempt we are, how sanitary or how filthy we keep our homes, we all are susceptible to these pests!
With all that being said, we’re not only going to help you identify the 10 most annoying bugs found in your house, but we are going to go a step further and give you some ideas on how to get rid of them, specifically—God, forbid!—they ever make a home out of yours! Some quick and versatile tips to keep the general bug population to a minimum inside would be: to keep your kitchen surfaces clean and disinfected to help eliminate odors and food particles that may linger on counter and tabletops; fix your leaky faucets, because not only are a lot of insects attracted to moist areas, but—um, duh!—they need water to live; make sure your drains and garbage disposals are free of any leftover food (a mixture of vinegar and baking soda followed by some boiling water does the trick!); relocate your dry goods to containers or jars that lock or seal completely; rinse essentially anything that came into contact with food before throwing it away or placing it in the sink; and simply use a trashcan with a lid.
And, hey! Even if it turns out that you reside in one of the 11 Worst Cities for Bedbugs in America, you may want to check out that list as well, just to be on the safe side. Ignorance is not always bliss, folks. Especially, in the presence of an infestation!
Now, rating the bugs featured on our list was easy. We simply took how common the bugs are in conjunction with how dangerous they are to us or how much harm they inflict on our homes, then compared how difficult they are to get rid of. And voila! The 10 most annoying bugs found in your house!
10. Stink Bug
Come fall, you may be finding that you are sharing your home with a putrid little pest known as the stink bug. Aside from their smelly odor, the stink bug really isn’t harmful to us humans. This doesn’t make them any less annoying, though. Most commonly described as having a shield-shaped brown body these stinky bugs will destroy your gardens in the spring and summer, then just let themselves in for the fall and winter. They’ll find their way in your house through any crack or opening whatsoever. This includes vents found in your attic, chimneys, damaged window screens, small cracks around windows and doors, gaps in your piping, etc. You’ll want to seal as many of those openings as possible in your house and add weather stripping to doorways, caulk-up cracks, what have you to help keep the bugs out. The female will have already laid her eggs outside in the summer, underneath the leaves of plants around your house. It may be a good idea to keep your eye out for these eggs during the summer, so you don’t have as much of an infestation in the fall.
In the event of an infestation, unfortunately, there really isn’t a whole lot you can do about stink bugs that rank 10th in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house, but on the bright side, they’re basically just hibernating through the cold months, so they won’t be eating, reproducing, moving… they won’t be doing much of anything in your house until warmer months when they start looking for their way out. An exterminator might be your best bet if you can’t stand knowing they’re lurking in your home. You can always try out some natural remedies to try to keep the stink bug population under control year-round. Like many insects, stink bugs are naturally repelled by the smell of garlic. You could boil garlic powder, minced garlic or garlic cloves in water and then spray your garlic solution by your garden and around any opening you might find them trying to get in your house from. Another safe and effective method would be to sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth around windows and other places you might find them hanging out in your home, then just vacuum up the dead bugs and flush ‘em!
9. House Fly
There are many different classifications of flies, but without a doubt, the house fly that ranks 9th in our list of the most annoying bugs found in your house is the most common of them all in the house. Hence the name, house fly. Often a grayish-black color, and generally smaller than 7.5 mm in length with wings and four black stripes on their thorax, flies are known to carry more than 100 pathogens that can cause diseases in humans and animals alike, such as dysentery, tuberculosis, typhoid, and cholera. Although these are rare extremes, these conditions are not to be taken lightly, as they have pretty common symptoms (fever, stomach ache, constipation or diarrhea, etc.) and in severe cases can result in death if left untreated! Bet you didn’t realize how serious your fly problem can get! You see, they have these tiny little hairs on their body, called tarsi; which can pick up and harbor an insane amount of bacteria from all the disgusting things you often find flies on (garbage, rotting food, feces… you get the idea).
So, considering house flies are more than just a buzzing nuisance in the house, it wouldn’t hurt to take proper precautions on controlling them in and around the home. You need to understand that flies need a suitable place to lay their eggs, so naturally, you wouldn’t want to have such places strewn about your property. These places are typically warm, moist, and definitely a place where there is a sufficient food supply for their larvae. Keeping in mind that these little guys will feed off of the waste of other animals, ridding your house and its surroundings of proper grounds for female house flies to lay their hundreds of eggs can be harder than it sounds. Keep lids on trash cans and pet food dishes clean and in cool, dry areas; dispose of pet waste properly—that sort of thing. If you find that you already have an infestation, find this breeding site and remove it entirely! If it is something that cannot necessarily be removed, then clean it as best you can!
After eradicating the fly’s breeding site, you can now focus on better controlling the adult flies left in your house. Fly bait, fly tape, traps or insecticide are all affordable options that can be easily found. If you find that these options don’t help I’d be in your best interest to call an exterminator before your problem gets out of control [again], but before you do, you may want to try out some more natural remedies that folks tend to swear by. Such as water-filled plastic bags. You literally fill plastic bags half full with water, seal the opening and hang them in doorways, patios, any kind of entry way to your home. The water in the bag will disorient the fly from its reflection in addition to appearing as a spiderweb through the eyes of the fly!
8. House Centipede/Silverfish
Although house centipedes and silverfish who rank 8th in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house are two completely different types of insects, they tend to be very commonly confused with one another. We thought it best to clear up this general misconception by bundling them together and pointing out their differences because each pest comes with its own set of problems and ways of ridding them.
Luckily, they are very easy to tell apart! While they both have long antennae, silverfish are a smaller teardrop shape with fewer legs (three on each side) and three long bristle-like appendages on their abdomen known as cerci. If you couldn’t guess by their name, they are typically a silverish color.
Like the house centipede, silverfish are rarely seen because they are nocturnal. Although very robust and can survive almost anywhere, silverfish that really is one of the most annoying bugs found in your house, prefer moist or humid areas, so you may be able to find them in sinks and tubs, cabinets below sinks, crawl spaces, attics, and basements. It won’t take you long to realize that you have an infestation of silverfish because they’ll be eating your food, different types of fabric, your shampoo, and binding in your books! Oh! And they’ll be peppering your home with their feces along the way! Although they are not harmful to humans, they are considered to be more of a problem than house centipedes due to the damage they cause to your home by their destructive eating habits. Unfortunately, if you find yourself with an infestation, the only thing you can really do is call a professional to address the problem. No home remedies or even store-bought traps or insecticides will prove effective.
The house centipede, on the other hand, are easier to control. These guys are much larger than the silverfish with an elongated, flat, brown body and legs for days! They tend to hang out in the same types of places you would find silverfish in your house, but are carnivorous, so they won’t be too interested in your food or belongings. While they feed on other insects like silverfish, spiders, cockroaches and other insects and arthropods, they might actually aid in keeping the rest of the bug population in your home to a minimal! But be careful! House centipedes are known to have a nasty bite!
Aside from calling an exterminator, you could take some precautions to keep the humidity levels to a minimum in your home. Put a dehumidifier in your basement, keep organic material (leaves, compost, etc.) away from the sides and roof of your house, and of course, seal as many access points as you can so they don’t try to enter. Sticky traps can help with not only keeping the number of house centipedes down in your house but could also help you figure out where they are coming in from! Ridding your house of these creepy crawlers could be as simple as sprinkling some boric acid in your basement or anywhere else you might notice them in higher populations. And now, let’s see what else we have in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house.
7. Spiders
With the tens of thousands of different identifiable species of spiders in the world, it’d be quite the phenomenon to have gone your whole life without coming across one or maybe even a couple thousand! The eight creepy legs, all those little eyes and the silky webs you hope and pray you don’t walk through when you’re trying to enjoy yourself in nature. Yeah, the different species all have their unique traits, but we all know a spider when we see one! Even though they tend to keep to themselves in corners, basements, attics, crawl spaces, what have you, men and women alike are generally not thrilled when they come across one in their house. Some spiders may have a pretty nasty bite, but overall, are not harmful to us humans. In fact, typically the only reason they find their way into your home is to find food; and being as though they eat insects and basically anything they can subdue, it’s really not that bad to have them around, as they will keep the general pest population to a minimum in the home.
However, a few spiders here and there is no biggie, but if you feel as though you are infested the smartest thing to do would be to call your local exterminator. Spiders which rank 7th in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house can be tricky to get rid of in the event of an infestation, and you really want someone who knows exactly what they’re dealing with to take over, because you may have an even bigger problem that the spiders are keeping under control for you (hence why there would be so many), and without the spiders your other issues may take over. If you’re one of those people who just can’t stand the sight of a spider, you can always try to control their presence in your house safely with a saline solution (dissolved salt in water). Just spray it around your house (can even be sprayed outside on bushes and plants) to prevent spiders from trying to get in. Essential oils such as eucalyptus, lavender, citronella, tea tree, peppermint, and citrus will all effectively kill spiders when mixed with water and sprayed onto them! Remember to us this spray not only where you see spiders, but where other bugs tend to linger, as the spiders are looking for these bugs.
6. Head Lice
Technically speaking, you’re not going to find these guys that rank 6th in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house crawling around your house… at least not for very long. Head Lice are a parasite that only affects humans (so, your pets will not be disturbed by lice), and cannot live off of a host for more than two days. However, if even just one of these sesame seed sized blood-suckers finds its way onto you, you can have a pretty bad infestation relatively quickly! If that one critter happens to be a female, she has the potential to create an entire colony on your head—producing roughly 150 eggs within a matter of just one month! Luckily, they are not known to carry disease, however, they can cause a great deal of irritation from constantly giving you the urge to scratch your scalp. If left untreated, you may develop sores on your scalp; which could potentially lead to a bacterial infection.
So, you’re gonna want to address the issue as soon as it’s noticed! You can easily find over-the-counter head lice treatments at any pharmacy or grocery store, however, in more recent years Head Lice that rank 6th in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house have been found to be evolving with a genetic mutation that makes them immune to the treatments that have since been working all these years. It’s becoming more and more common for someone to acquire Head Lice and spend hundreds of dollars on treatment trying to get rid of them! Making an appointment with your physician might help, but before you go through all that you could easily try a more natural approach. Again, saline solution will work wonders if routinely sprayed onto your hair and scalp. Another magic-worker is apple cider vinegar. You can dilute it with water if it irritates your scalp, but if you can handle it without—that works, too. Just spray it on, leave it dry in your hair and shampoo it out. Easy peasy!
5. Ants
Even though ants are probably one of the cleanest infestations you could have in your house, let’s face it—they suck! Like spiders, there are many different species of ants, but they all generally look the same: three body segments, two antennas, and six legs. They find their way into your house through even the tiniest of cracks in search of food and water, and once they do they show no mercy! You’ll want to rip your hair out walking into your kitchen to find hundreds of ants marching to and from your cupboards, and they somehow manage to find their way into boxes and bags of food that haven’t even been opened yet! Don’t be ashamed if you cry a little as you unwillingly dump the contents of your pantry into the trash. No wonder they rank this high in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house, right?
You’ll want to make these little critters pay! That’s right, you’re gonna get ‘em! But it is likely that you will disastrously find that your ant problem is bigger than you. You may find satisfaction in taking out each and every ant you see, but as soon as they’re gone, more will follow. You’re definitely going to need an exterminator for this one, but there are steps you could take to aid in trying to control them inside. Ant traps should help slightly until an exterminator can properly treat your house (which takes time and multiple treatments), but you should follow their trail and look for where they are entering your home. If you can seal it up—great!—either way, you can dilute some rubbing alcohol into water and rub it onto their trail; thus, erasing it. Mind you, they’re still going to get in, just from a different route, so don’t hold too much of a grudge and try to handle the situation on your own. Let the exterminator handle this one!
4. Cockroaches
A cockroach ranks 4th in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house. It is undeniably one of the last bugs you ever want to find in your house; because where there’s one cockroach you can bet your bottom dollar there are more lurking nearby. See one of these bad boys crawling around during the day? You better pack your bags! If you see a cockroach in your house during the day you can almost be certain you have a huge problem on your hands, because it was more than likely forced out of hiding due to overcrowding. Cockroaches are extremely good hiders on top of being nocturnal, so if they’re venturing out during the day then chances are you have a serious infestation.
Their dead carcasses and droppings will emit a foul odor that can be harmful and cause severe symptoms when inhaled, and aside from just being disgusting, they can carry deadly diseases. You probably won’t even want to screw around with these guys. Call an exterminator at the very first sighting! Although, the cleaner you keep your house, the less likely you are ever to have to make that call. And now, let’s see the top three most annoying bugs found in your house.
3. Fleas
Although very small at only about 2.5 mm long, these tiny pests that rank third in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house can quickly develop into a huge problem. These shiny little reddish-brown parasites can very easily be brought in from the outside either by you or even your pet! Even without pets, other pests such as mice or rats can bring fleas into your house. Without a host they will be jumping around your home trying to find one to feed off of, however, even with a host their eggs tend to be laid in your carpet, bedding or other upholstery; they hatch within a matter of days and then find their way to a host. Since they are feeding off of you and your pets you are now susceptible to the various diseases they can transmit.
If you’re going to try to tackle this problem on your own, be prepared! Fleas definitely are one of the most annoying bugs found in your house because can be extremely difficult to control and rid your house of. If you have a pet, treat it with a flea bath and regular treatments. Regardless, you are going to have your hands full washing all your fabrics and vacuuming every inch of your house. Be sure to empty your vacuum canister outside, though, as the fleas may not die when they’re vacuumed. A safe and effective product to use would be Diatomaceous Earth. Sprinkle it on your carpet, and it does the rest for you, but still keep after the constant cleaning and your flea problem will eventually dissipate.
2. Termites
Commonly referred to as the “silent destroyer” termites rank second in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house. They could be flourishing in your house right now and it’s possible that you wouldn’t even know it! No matter the species of termite, they all feed on cellulose-based plant matter and what a coincidence! Regardless of what your house is made of these types of materials can be found in them. Very similar in appearance to an ant with pinchers, termites are between a quarter to half-an-inch in length. If you find one that seems a lot larger, congratulations! —you’ve found yourself a king or queen termite.
Since it can be hard to spot a termite infestation, it would be smart for you to keep in mind that no house is safe from termites and take some precautions throughout the year to slim your chances of acquiring them. Termites prefer areas with high moisture, so naturally ridding your house of wet leaves and other organic material on or around it will help make your house less of a target. Inside the home, be sure to repair leaks in faucets and piping and try to keep your vents clear and open to prevent moisture from building up in them. Aside from these precautions, even if you’re not sure of an infestation, contacting a professional to inspect your house wouldn’t be a bad idea. After all, this is your home we are talking about, and in a situation where little pests could literally be eating the house around you, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry! And now, let’s see the number one in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house.
1. Bedbugs
Everyone’s heard the saying “sleep tight—don’t let the bedbugs bite”. Probably because not only are these the most annoying bugs found in your house, but they are more common than you think. Here is another case where even the cleanest of houses could be affected, since they can be picked up pretty much anywhere. Similar to the size and even take on the shape of an apple seed, it is a general misconception that bed bugs are these little microscopic creatures that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Although this may be somewhat true for the babies (or nymphs) as they are much smaller and harder to see, bedbugs are definitely large enough to be seen on top of being a dark brown color.
You may have a little trouble identifying this specific pest problem because they tend to hide during the day and then come out to feed on your blood at night. The welts they leave behind look a lot like flea or mosquito bites, however, there is one good way to distinguish their bite from other pests. When a bedbug comes out to eat, it will most likely leave behind three separate bite marks (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). These marks will typically be in a small cluster either in a straight line or even a zig-zag pattern on the flesh. Check your sheets if you feel like your bites could be from bedbugs. Often you can find tiny little spots of blood and waste they leave behind. Like head lice, bedbugs are not known to carry diseases, but the bites can lead to some serious infections. No wonder it’s the number one in our list of most annoying bugs found in your house, right?
Although it won’t be cheap, calling a professional in the event of an infestation is probably your best bet. You’d be surprised at all the different places besides your bed that these little bugs will try to hide, and even missing one bedbug will eventually prove ineffective. However, an exterminator will often treat your home with extreme heat that will essentially fry the bugs. If you have a steam cleaner, you could save money by going around your entire house blasting everything and anything with steam, but you won’t want to leave even a square inch left untreated.
