10 Reasons Bugs Love Your Home

Despite having tiny wings and dozens of legs, insects aren’t entirely different from people. They require sleep, food, and shelter to survive—and like you, they may find your home to be a terrific spot to fulfill those needs. Here are 10 ways you’re unintentionally inviting bugs indoors, and how to banish the pesky pests for good.

By Michelle Ullman | Published Aug 28, 2017 06:35 PM

Potted Plants

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Insects in Potted Plants

When bringing potted plants inside for the winter, watch out for hitchhiking pests lurking in the leaves and soil. Don’t think that only insects that feed on foliage, such as spider mites and aphids, linger in greenery. Spiders, beetles, ants, centipedes, and pill bugs also frequently hide in or around outdoor containers. Check all plants thoroughly—paying special attention to the underside of leaves, the bottom of the pot, and the soil surface—before bringing them into your house.


Related: The Best Plants for Every Room of the House

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White Light

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White Light Attracts Insects

If you’re constantly visited by swarms of moths, crane flies, beetles, or other nighttime insects, the problem is likely white outdoor lighting. Insects that fly at night use the moon for navigation, and are often confused by intense, white artificial light. The solution is simple: switch your white outdoor bulbs to yellow ones instead. Insects do not see yellow the way we do, and they’ll will pass by your porch without trying to get inside your house.


Related: 8 Common Lighting Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes

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Brown Paper Bags

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Cockroaches and Brown Paper Bags

A pile of paper grocery bags stored underneath your kitchen sink, tucked next to the refrigerator, or piled up in the corner is like a beckoning call to cockroaches. These critters love to hide, eat, and lay eggs in the creases of paper bags, especially if the pile is thick. Oftentimes roaches enter the home because their eggs are already on the paper, but they may also stumble across the bags when searching for water. To prevent your paper bags from turning into a roach motel, always recycle, compost, or reuse them.


Related: 10 Brilliant Ways to Reuse Plastic Bags

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Leaks in Plumbing

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Bugs Like Dripping Water

Bugs get thirsty too, and they're unlikely to resist the temptation of dripping water. Cockroaches, centipedes, and silverfish especially crave a watery hideaway, and they will seek out any slow drip under your kitchen or bathroom sink, refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, or toilet. Always fix leaks right away, and check under your sinks monthly to catch plumbing failures before they become a pest problem.


Related: 12 Things Your Plumber Wishes You Knew

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Backyard Debris

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Bugs in the Backyard

Does your yard have overgrown shrubs, unmown grass, piles of fallen leaves, stacks of firewood, or forgotten kiddy pools or toys? Backyard debris is a favorite hiding place for spiders, beetles, fleas, earwigs, centipedes, and other creepy-crawlers. Once these pests have set up housekeeping in the backyard, they’re just a hop, skip, and a jump away from entering your home. Keep your outdoor area free of debris, and never leave pools of standing water in the yard.


Related: 12 Backyard Updates You Can Do in a Day

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Cracks Around Doors and Windows

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How Bugs Get In House

Spiders and insects can squeeze through astonishingly small openings, like rips in a window screen or gaps between a door and its frame. Check your home annually for cracks or gaps near windows, doors, pet doors, and chimneys. Secure any openings to prevent an unwanted infestation.


Related: 10 Bugs That Are Living in Your House—and How to Get Them Out!

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Overripe Fruit

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How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Have you ever spotted a solitary fruit fly early in the morning, and then come home later to find a cloud of them over the banana bowl? Fruit fly eggs can hatch in as little as 24 hours, so a small infestation will rapidly multiply. These tiny insects are powerfully attracted to decaying fruit, and they’re able to enter your home through any small opening, such as a window screen. Deter the pests by storing fruit in the fridge, eating it before it becomes overripe, and adding it to your compost pile if it’s past its prime.


Related: 12 Ways to Clean House with Citrus

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Grains in the Cupboard

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Bugs in the Cupboard

Pesky pantry moths and their maggot-like larvae love grains. They often catch a ride to your home via groceries, including flour, cereal, pasta, and pet kibble. Once inside, they quickly reproduce, and can chew their way into cardboard food boxes to feed on their contents. Prevent an infestation by storing grain products in airtight jars or bottles, keeping rice and other grains in the fridge or freezer, tossing expired grain products promptly, and keeping an eye out for small holes in cardboard food boxes.


Related: 11 Home Hacks You Can Do with a Bag of Groceries

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Organic Mulch or Compost

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Organic Mulch and Bugs

Your garden loves a healthy application of organic mulch or compost, but these materials attract a wide range of pests. Piling compost or mulch up against the foundation of your home is like setting out a welcome sign to spiders and insects, including termites. Once they’re in close enough proximity to sense water and other food sources inside your home, they are bound and determined to find their way in through an opening. Keep a clear zone of at least six inches between any organic mulch and the foundation of your home.


Related: 8 Ways to Combat Garden Pests

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Secondhand Furniture

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Insects in Secondhand Furniture

You probably thought that secondhand armchair was a steal—until you discovered that it brought bedbugs, spiders, or other unwanted creepy-crawlers into your home. Before buying used furniture at a garage sale or thrift store, inspect it carefully for any sign of insects, eggs, droppings, or other telltale pest markings. Don’t forget to look underneath the furniture and inside all drawers as well.


Related: 11 Things Never to Buy Secondhand

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