Are you noticing more bugs in your California home lately? You’re not alone since 14 million households reported seeing cockroaches or some other type of bug in their home in the last year.
Although you’re not alone, you probably wish you didn’t have bugs as company! So what can you do to make sure that you aren’t spotting bugs in your home every other day?
Keep reading to learn about the seven types of common California bugs that may be in your home and how to get rid of them.
1. Cockroaches
Although cockroaches are a pretty gross animal, there are some intriguing facts about them that you may want to know since they may be infesting your home!
The good thing is that cockroaches can’t bite. They do however have pointy spines and those can scratch you. If they scratch you, it can become infected since cockroaches are carriers of many types of diseases.
Cockroaches are known to play a role in intestinal diseases in humans such as dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid fever.
None of this sounds fun, right? So you probably want to know how to get rid of them! Here are a few things not to try:
- Do not try to drown them since they can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes
- Do not try to cut their heads off because they can survive for a week without a head
- Do not try to starve them because they can go a month without food
However, you should do the following:
- Use boric acid
- Try a mixture of baking soda and onions (beware if you have pets that they cannot get to the mixture)
- Add lemon scent to the water when you mop to deter roaches from entering your home
By using these mixtures and preventative tricks, you will not be seeing many cockroaches in your home!
2. California Bed Bugs
Los Angeles and San Francisco are in the top 30 cities to have the most amount of bed bug issues. Bed bug infestations across California are on the rise because of the increase in heat, human waste, and humidity in our cities.
Many bed bugs have become immune to pesticides that were once used to kill them back in the day. In fact, it’s best to kill bed bugs with heat.
3. Ants
There are plenty of species of ants around the world, but the most prevalent in California are carpenter ants, sugar ants, and fire ants.
Although most ants prefer to be outside, when weather shifts, they’ll gladly invade your home for warmth. Once they’re inside, they’ll find hard-to-reach places to create nests. If it takes you a while to notice them, their nest will continue to grow.
That’s the last thing you want. To prevent this, do the following:
- Mop your floors with parts of white vinegar to deter ants
- Since ants do not like the smell of pepper, sprinkle some behind your baseboards and counter appliances to keep them from nesting
- Mix tea tree oil and water to create a spray mixture to kill ants
Use these tricks to keep the ants in your home at bay, or simply to prevent ants from coming in in the first place!
4. California Potato Bugs
California Potato Bugs are attracted to moist places, so if water accumulates near or in your home, you are going to notice an uptick in the number of potato bugs around.
If you want to prevent these bugs from coming around, check out these tips:
- Get rid of planters since these bugs like to hide out in these
- Dry out extra moisture with dehumidifiers or by opening the windows on a nice day
- Look for and cover all cracks in your home where potato bugs may be entering
Once you follow these tips, you will notice fewer bugs infesting your home.
5. June Bugs in California
The good news about finding June Bugs near or in your home in California is that they are not dangerous to you or your pets! They do not carry diseases and do not bite.
If you’ve noticed brownish beetles in your yard, you are most likely seeing June Bugs.
However, they can damage your yard, trees, or any other nice plants that you have. They like to feed on the roots and lawn, and the larvae of the June Bugs are even worse because they live underground and feed on there. These bugs also create tunnels underground which will make your lawn feel “spongy” instead of compact.
If you notice dry and gray patches on your lawn, get rid of these areas! You will be attacking the bugs where they are because you are removing the places they are feeding on. Tilling soil in your garden will also help to get rid of the June Bugs because you can see them and kill them – and birds will do the same!
Get Rid of These California Bugs Fast
Having any type of bug in your house is not something anyone wants to deal with, but having these pests stay around for a long period of time is even worse.
By following these tips for how to get rid of California bugs from invading your home, as well as taking necessary precautions like adding screens to your doors and windows, replacing cracks in your home, and sealing your doors, you won’t have any bugs to worry about soon!
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