Common Household Bugs in Australia and How They Get In

You may have noticed that during autumn, swarms of insects gather in the well-lit spots around your house. As it gets chillier outside, the insects will seek a warmer place to continue their lives. But it doesn’t stop with a couple of bugs. Many insect species have a way to signal their mates to gather around, whether it’s for a feast or just a nice warm spot. So if a few bugs (and some rodents) find their way in your house and find it cozy enough, expect there to be more soon! Find out which common household bugs might become your roommates at some point, and what you can do to prevent them from infesting your home.

What brings pests inside?

It’s the same thing that keeps you inside during the winter – warmth and shelter.

Insects also love homes with vinyl cladding because it gives them a perfect spot to hide underneath. It’s warm and shields them from the elements. Any point of ingress big enough for them to slide through is enough. You can also potentially find them bunched around poorly insulated windows. Most often, the insects overwinter in your home’s walls, and you can spot them on sunny days where they crawl out of hiding to catch some rays.

Common household insects

Stinkbugs

Stinkbugs overwinter in a dormant state in which they do not feed or move much about. They pose no threat to your property but can be a nuisance nonetheless because they aggregate in large numbers. If there are warmer days in winter, this can trick the stink bugs into thinking spring has come and pulled them out of their lethargy to look for food. Most likely, that’s when you’ll see them.

They are attracted to places where they can slip in and remain undisturbed. Such hiding spots are under your house’s vinyl cladding, attics, basements, under floorboards, and loose window mouldings.

Sadly, preventing stinkbugs from entering your home is hard because they will try and use every crack as an entrance. Try sealing any gaps you can find. It’s a good idea to put bug screens on your vents because they are an open invitation. Mind that stinkbugs will go for the sunniest spots.

Spiders

Typical house spiders go without saying, but other spiders, typically outdoors species, may also invade your home searching for shelter in the winter. Some of these include dangerous species such as the Huntsman, funnel-web spider, and the redback. The rainy season pushes them toward our homes, where it’s both dry and warm.

Spiders prefer ceilings and quiet spots around light fittings where they can get both food (in the form of other insects attracted to light sources) and warmth. The Huntsman is probably the bravest of the three, and if you are unlucky, you can potentially find one on your towel after a shower. Funnel-webs and redbacks could hide in pipes and, worst-case scenario, inside your shoes. You will come across them unexpectedly in all cases, so the best course of action is to cover your bases and be on the lookout.

Maybe there is nothing you can do about spiders entering your ceiling, but you can impede their invasion in your home considerably. Always keep the screens on windows and doors closed and make sure there are no gaps through which a spider can crawl. This is typically enough to keep them out of your home. An extra step would be to thin the vegetation around your house, especially if it doesn’t serve a purpose.

Earwigs

Earwigs, despite looking creepy, are perfectly harmless to humans. However, your garden and houseplants are in danger as their diet is entirely plant-based. When temperatures start going down, they will seek out dark and damp spaces in your home and will most likely bring friends.

You can find them hiding inside in places like the bathroom, basement, under the rug, inside cushions, in the laundry room, and inside plant pots.

The most surefire way to prevent them from setting shop in your home is to get rid of their favourite places. Yes, we know you can’t just throw your bathroom away. Instead, make sure your home is as light and airy as possible, and minimise the dark, damp places they love.

Clothes Moths

Unlike other moths, these prefer dark, secluded places like your wardrobe. They do this regardless of season, but there is a spike when the cold fronts force them to look for suitable places to overwinter. Naturally, this draws them to your home. They are especially attracted to stained fabric because of the moisture content. The feeding larvae are what cause the damage to your clothing items as they can spend months just eating away at them.

Thankfully the prevention is easy. All you need to do is dry clean clothes made from natural fibres and store them in ziplock bags so moths can’t get to the fabric. There are also several non-harmful repellents that you can put in your wardrobe.

Silverfish

Silverfish are probably the first to rush toward your home in late summer/early autumn. You are probably noticing a tendency by now. Silverfish also loves damp, dark places protected from the elements they can slither into. If they have clothing and paper to munch on, they are set for the winter.

Silverfish are nocturnal, and as such, it’s difficult to spot an infestation until it’s too late. They can lay as much as 20 eggs at a time and mature rather quickly. When their population gets high, you will start noticing damage on wallpapers, clothing and even linens.

The best way to stop a silverfish infestation is to prevent it altogether, as pest control can be difficult with them. To do this, you must keep your home as dry as possible. Fans and dehumidifiers work well. Another thing you can do is keep windows open, but this can bring other problems as it also allows access to other pests. Once you deal with humidity, you should also seal any cracks in the foundation and caulk the floorboards.

Slaters

These critters are crustaceans. Yep. Closer to shrimp than to cockroaches. Like their sea cousins, they feed on decaying organic matter. They are a nuisance to crops, so they may not threaten an urban household unless you grow foodstuffs in your garden.

Their behaviour habitat-wise is very similar to that of silverfish—dark, damp places. However, in winter, they will look for shelter where they will hibernate until spring. This could become troublesome if they also decide to use your home as breeding grounds. So, to keep them out, we suggest taking the same preventive measures as you would do with silverfish. Keep your home as dry as possible, and if needed, use fans and dehumidifiers. Consider cracking a window but beware of other pests entering your property. Finally, seal any cracks in the foundation and caulk the floorboards.

How to deal with an insect pest infestation

Squishing them won’t do the trick and might be quite worse. Like the marmorated stink bug, many of these bugs emit a very foul defensive smell when in danger or injured. Other insects will stain your furnishings or walls. The best course of action is to gather them with your vacuum cleaner and dispose of the bags afterwards. Or take the most straightforward route – hire a professional pest exterminator!

Do you want to learn how to deal with other pests? Write us a comment down below!