Household insects
Ants, cockroaches, pantry pests, wasps, flies and the dreaded bed bug -- all these and more can plague your household. Find out how to identify, prevent and control the ones that can do harm, and how to tolerate the ones that do good.
Ants, bugs and cockroaches
Insects that eat wood, live in walls and crawl spaces and generally infest places where people live. Some are just nuisances, others can cause real damage.
Household ants — Ants are some of the most common pests in and around homes in the north central states.
Carpenter ants are usually seen in homes in the spring. If you see carpenter ants indoors during winter that means there is a nest inside your home.
Termites are pretty rare in Minnesota. Here's how to tell the difference between a carpenter ant and a termite.
Cockroaches can be major pests in restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, offices and buildings with food-handling areas.
Flying insects
Flies, moths, wasps and hornets are just some of the insects that can be found flying inside and close to the home. Not including insects that do not have obvious wings or only have them when mating, such as carpenter ants.
Fungus gnat is a common indoor fly that is found in buildings with houseplants.
Nuisance insects
Some insects enter homes in the fall to stay over the winter. Others infest packaged foods or hide out in closets eating our sweaters. They may seem intolerable, and some can damage food and materials, but they are generally just nuisances.
Here are some strategies to keep them from getting in your home and how to deal with them if they do get in.
Boxelder bugs are a nuisance because they enter homes and other buildings, often in large numbers.
Sowbugs, millipedes and centipedes are not actually insects, but are arthropods related to insects. They are NOT harmful to people, food, clothes, furniture, or other items within homes.
Springtails are one of the most common insects in the environment, but do NOT damage food products, clothes, furniture or any property.
Masked hunters do NOT attack people and are more of a nuisance when found in homes.
Multicolored Asian lady beetles can be a nuisance when they occur in large numbers.
Pantry pests infest stored foods and cupboards.
Larder beetles can infest dry pet food and make it inedible.
Carpenter ants damage wood by digging and creating smooth tunnels for their nest.