Household Insects
Many different species of insects invade our homes and apartments. Some, such as Asian lady beetles and other occasional invaders, are just nuisances, but they can be quite bothersome when they occur in high numbers. Pests such as cockroaches and houseflies simply want to live with us and feed on our leftovers, but we do not appreciate their company, and they can cause serious health problems. Others, like sawtoothed grain beetles and other stored product pests, eat our food before we can. Spiders build unsightly webs in our homes, and some, such as brown recluses and black widows, are venomous. Termites and other structural pests damage our homes; pests such as clothes moths and carpet beetles damage our clothes, and some insect pests, like fleas and bed bugs, eat us.
See publication 2443, Control Household Insect Pests, for information on the identification, management, and control of cockroaches, clothes moths, flour beetles, spiders, and many other household insects. This publication also contains information on non-insecticidal methods of managing household insects and information on how to buy and apply insecticides inside the home.
More Publications and Information
Protect Your House from Termites, Publication 2568
Control Fleas: on your Pet, in your House, and in Your Yard, Publication 2597
Control of Argentine Ants and Odorous House Ants in the Home, Publication 2407
Bed Bugs and What to Do About Them, Publication 2546
Bed Bug Q&A for Students, Publication 2649
Mosquitoes, West Nile, and Other Encephalitis Viruses, Publication 2530
Control Fire Ants in Your Yard, Publication 2429
Tawny Crazy Ant Control Recommendations (PDF)
Powderpost Beetles in Hardwood Floors
Bug-proof Your House for Winter, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 9, 2011
Control German Cockroaches, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 11, 2008
Large Roaches, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 8, 2007
Moths that Infest Stored Foods, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 14, 2005
Drugstore Beetles and Cigarette Beetles, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 10, 2005
Carpenter Bees, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 5, 2011
Clothes Moths and Carpet Beetles, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 2, 2010
Ants in the House, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 10, 2009
Formosan Termites, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 4, 2007
Termite Swarming Time, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 2, 2005
Ants, Wasps and Other Bugs in Electrical Equipment, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 2, 2012
Paper Wasps, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 7, 2012
Insect Identification Service, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 1, 2011
Contact
Dr. Blake Layton, Extension Entomology Specialist
Department of Entomology, Mississippi State University
Phone: 662-325-2085
Email: blayton@entomology.msstate.edu
For information on bed bugs, mosquitoes, ticks, and other medically important pests contact:
Dr. Jerome Goddard, Extension Entomology Specialist
Department of Entomology, Mississippi State University
Phone: 662-325-2085
Email: jgoddard@entomology.msstate.edu
Publications
News
Keep stored-food pests, such as moths, beetles and meal worms, out of products they infest by storing them in airtight glass or plastic containers.
We’ve experienced some spring-like weather, and that may have you thinking about refreshing some areas of your home. When you’re doing your spring cleaning, don’t overlook the kitchen pantry where stored-food pests can thrive.
