Household Nuisance Pests

- One person's nuisance is another's nightmare -

Nuisance ants Yellow to red or black in color, constricted at waist, 2-12mm (1/8-1/2") long. Some with wings (reproductives).

Boxelder bugs Medium size bugs around 13mm (1/2") long, dark grey with red markings on back.

Flies are an extremely diverse group of insects, from familiar house flies to mosquitoes and gnats. The article is help with basic fly identification.

Cockroaches Small - medium size, brown to black insects. Long antennae, only rarely fly. Often associated with unsanitary conditions.

Meal moths Small, light-colored moths sometimes with a dark band on the wings. Larvae (worms) infest foodstuff like cereals, course grains, dried fruit and dry pet food.

Harmonia axyridis (multicolor Asian lady beetle) This non-native lady beetle can sometimes be a nuisance pest when it invades homes in the fall.

Silverfish & Firebrats Small (1/2"), primative, wingless insects can damage books or other papery, starchy materials but for the most part they are only nuisance pests.

Mothballs Why this commonly used "insecticide" should not be used at all.

Uninvited Houseguests Hitchhikers on houseplants that are moved indoors from outdoors, usually in the fall.

Fruit flies Two entirely different flies use this common name. One is common around overripe vegetable matter the other is a tree fruit pest.

Electronic Pest Control These highly advertised devices just don't do what they claim.

Using insecticides indoors

Q: Can I safely use insecticides indoors? Yes and no. First, there is almost no reason to ever apply insecticides indoors. Most insecticides available to homeowners as aerosol sprays are messy and not very effective. Never apply insecticides in a kitchen. There are more effective ways to deal with "pantry pests".

One indoor application that is effective and reasonably safe is the insect growth regulator (IGR) sprays for fleas (see flea control). Baits for nuisance ants can be safely used as well. Insecticidal soap and pyrethrum sprays can be safely used for aphids, scales, mealybugs and spider mites on house plants.

Finally, new botanical (plant-based) insecticides can be safely used indoors especially those products that do not contain petroleum distillate and are labeled exempt from EPA registration.

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