Friend or Foe? Which Bugs Get to Stay and Which Need to Go Away


When you are concerned about having insects in your home, you need to determine what types are dangerous for you or your home, and what types are beneficial. Some varieties of insects are needed near your property, but other types are the ones that you want to get rid of right away. Determine if an insect is a friend or a foe before trying to eliminate the bugs.

Termites

You won’t want to have termites on your property because these insects tunnel through cellulose to create nesting locations. The series of tunnels will destroy your home by making it unstable, requiring extensive and expensive repairs. It is essential to have barrier systems on your property to keep termites away from the foundation or other materials.

Ladybugs

Having ladybugs on your property is often a good thing because these insects consume the termites that infest cellulose materials or the aphids that will consume your garden’s vegetable plants. Ladybugs have different types of colorations, including bright red, yellow, orange or brown bodies with or without black dots.

Cockroaches

Cockroach infestations are the primary reason why homeowners call exterminators for pest control. These are filthy insects that transmit pathogens to humans and family pets. A female cockroach will breed rapidly, leading to hundreds of invasive insects in only a few weeks.

Praying Mantises

Praying mantises are larger insects that have a unique appearance, and if you see one of these bugs, then you should leave it alone. This type of insect isn’t dangerous because it will eat the mosquitoes, ants and aphids on your property. Some gardeners buy praying mantises to have the insects on a property to consume the unfriendly insects.

Wasps

If you notice several wasps lurking around your home, then you will want to get rid of the insects by setting traps. Wasps often enter the small holes that are on a building’s roof or its siding to create large nests. You can make a trap for wasps by filling a soft drink bottle with water and a small amount of sugar. The wasps enter the hole at the top of the bottle but are unable to fly out of the top of the bottle. However, if you want to protect the bumblebees on your property, then avoid using this method because these insects pollinate plants.

How to Cope with Insects

There are ways to attract beneficial insects to your property, but you will also want to avoid attracting some types of bugs such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and wasps.

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