It is no fun when an ugly bug gets into your Nashville home, but it is even worse when you don't know what the bug is. That's why we're going to take a few minutes today to talk about some of the ugly bugs you might find in your home if you live here in Nashville.
First Things First
You may not know this, but not all of the critters you find in your home are insects. An insect has six legs. Some of the pests that find their way into our Nashville homes have a lot more than six legs. That's why we're using the term bugs. "Bugs" can refer to insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates.
Ugly Insects
We have a few ugly insects in Nashville that might make you wonder what they are. The most common are silverfish, firebrats, springtails, and earwigs.
Silverfish and firebrats are similar. They have a teardrop shape, two long antennae, and three long appendages that stick off the end of the abdomen. When these insects get into your home, you don't need to be concerned about them biting you, but they can damage your stuff.
Springtails are similar to fleas. If you find springtails in your home, these tiny insects will be gathered together. While one springtail (which is only about 1/16 of an inch long) isn't scary, hundreds of them can be, especially when you find these dark insects springing around on the carpet inside your home. We're happy to say that you don't need to be scared of these flea-like insects. They don't bite or spread diseases.
Earwigs are probably one of the ugliest types of insects that get into Nashville homes. An earwig can be as much as an inch long and, if you have 1-inch earwigs crawling around in your home, it can be more than a little bit unnerving. An earwig has scary, black pincers on the end of its abdomen. Fortunately, those pincers aren't strong enough to break your skin. Earwigs are harmless.
Ugly Bugs
If you grew up in Nashville, you'll probably know the next three pests we're going to mention. These three are very common home-intruders.
Centipedes are tan-colored bugs with 15 pairs of legs. They cling to walls and hide in gaps and crevices in spaces that are humid. You're most likely to find them in your bathroom. When you do, it can be startling, even if you know that centipedes rarely bite people and that they don't cause sickness.
Millipedes are tiny, dark-colored bugs with lots of little legs. They can come into your home by the hundreds. When they do, these ugly bugs can make a mess. They don't live long inside. But they can live long enough to make you wonder if they're going to cause you harm. You can rest easy. Millipedes don't bite people. They can, however, produce an excretion that can irritate your skin. You should wear gloves when cleaning up these insects, and after cleaning them up, refrain from rubbing your eyes.
Wolf Spiders are so common that we would probably have a hard time finding anyone who doesn't know what a wolf spider looks like. These are the hairy spiders that get into Nashville homes. But you may not know that wolf spiders are mostly docile toward humans--even screaming humans who almost stepped on them while getting out of the shower.
How To Keep Ugly Bugs Out
If you'd prefer to not have ugly bugs crawling around inside your Nashville home, we can help you. With Perimeter Plus from All-American Pest Control, your perimeter will have the protection it needs to repel and eliminate ugly pests before they get inside. Reach out to us today to get started.