Pests are no fun – especially when you’re the one that’s going to have to deal with it. Raccoons, rats, and mice are all common pests and can be found inside your home, but they aren’t the only ones.
Aside from rodents, a wide range of black bugs can also be found inside your house.
Bed bugs, carpet beetles, ants, and spiders are just a few of the many black bugs that can make their way inside your home.
10 Common Black Bugs Found in Homes
Bugs are unwanted and unwelcome in most homes – simply because they cause destruction and disarray.
Despite their small size, these little pests can cause quite a headache and make the house feel unclean and unsafe.
If one way or another, you’ve seen an influx of bugs around your house, here are some of the most common black bugs that are found in homes, giving you an idea of what you’re dealing with:
Ants
The most common in our list are black ants. You’ll see them often marching around your kitchen or bathroom in search of food.
They’re notorious for their ability to quickly locate food, they scavenge homes in search of crumbs or any other scraps they can find.
They can infiltrate food supplies, making them annoying and difficult to get rid of.
In fact, did you know that ants can lift up to twenty times their body weight?
They are small but strong and can enter homes through the smallest of gaps or cracks, often seeming to appear out of nowhere with an army ready to help them conquer any kitchen cupboard.
Although most black ants don’t bite, their large numbers can be quite a nuisance and should be dealt with as soon as possible.
The good thing is, there are plenty of DIY remedies you can use to get rid of them. Baking soda, vinegar, and diatomaceous earth are just a few of the many solutions you can use to get rid of any ant infestation.
Carpet Beetles
Carpet beetles are another common black bug found in homes and they feed on fabrics made from natural fibers, such as wool, felt, fur, or leather.
These little pests can cause big destruction, using their voracious appetites to munch on carpets, furniture, and clothing.
Found throughout North America, carpet beetles often make their way into homes that provide a warm climate and plenty of food.
Their shape resembling a mini-golf ball and color ranging from dark chestnut to mahogany or totally black, these little critters may look harmless. But, they can cause serious damage, particularly to clothing and furniture if not dealt with quickly.
Fortunately, controlling carpet beetles can be done easily. To prevent them from making a permanent residence in your home, make it a habit to regularly vacuum and dust your furniture and carpets.
Additionally, using a dehumidifier makes your home less hospitable for these little black bugs.
Carpet beetles thrive and prefer environments that are damp and humid, so reducing the humidity can help keep them away.
Bed Bugs
Who would want to deal with bed bugs? Nobody does! Bed bugs are little tiny pests that have been bothering households and commercial spaces for centuries now.
They have traveled far and wide, and are now everywhere, and may have stepped foot inside your home.
Although physically they are reddish brown in color, they often appear as tiny black bugs from afar. They feed on both animal and human blood, often biting them in their sleep.
They tend to seek refuge in mattresses, carpets, curtains, or other fabrics found around the house.
They usually come out at night looking for food, which is why they’re normally hard to locate during the day. As nocturnal pests, they’re legitimately good at hiding during the day, making it difficult to see them or even spot their droppings.
Did you know that aside from hotels, one can also pick up bed bugs from schools, hospitals, daycare centers, offices, and public transportation too?
Unfortunately, unlike ants and carpet beetles, bed bugs are a bit difficult to eradicate. This is mainly because they’re harder to spot. Homeowners don’t even know they have an infestation, not until they’ve multiplied in great numbers.
The good news is, there are professional pest control services that can help you.
A larger infestation may require their help, unlike ant and carpet beetles which you could probably get away with some DIY pest control methods.
Reproducer Termites
Termites are uninvited guests that like nothing more than to munch away at the wood framing of your house.
They’re dark brown or black in color, making them hard to differentiate from other bugs you may find in your home.
Although the common worker termites we may all know of are usually white to yellowish in color, there are reproducer termites that resemble a large ant in appearance.
They’re dark brown or black, and measure about an inch long.
These reproducer termites are capable of producing huge numbers of new workers, queens, and males to infest your home.
Although the reproducer termites are not the ones to blame for eating the wood structures in your home, these little pests are responsible for the reproduction of the common worker termites, which are the ones actually doing the damage.
Controlling termites can be done in a couple of ways. One is to locate the source of the infestation, like any rotting timber or old piles of wood around your property, and remove them.
An alternative way would be to use chemical treatments such as baiting systems, sprays, or foam treatments. The kind of treatment mainly depends on the severity of the infestation.
It’s important to note that termites can be difficult to completely get rid of, so it would be best to seek help from pest control professionals if you suspect an issue.
It’s important to do this as soon as possible as these pests typically cause severe and costly damage to your home.
Fleas
To all fur-loving pet owners, fleas might already be a familiar pest. These tiny black bugs are wingless and laterally flattened, making them ideal for jumping into your pet’s fur.
Fleas are usually found on cats, dogs, rabbits, and other animals who may roam around lobbies or yards at home.
They tend to attach themselves to their fur while they’re outdoors, and when they’re brought back in, the fleas will eventually find their way into your carpets, furniture, and sometimes even your bed.
Flea collars and sprays are the go-to treatments for fleas. For serious infestations, you may want to consider professional help from pest control experts.
Ticks
Technically speaking, ticks are not black in color. However, they do tend to get darker in color after they’ve had their blood meal.
Just like fleas, ticks are parasites that attach themselves to pets and humans to feed on their blood.
Ticks can be found in every season, but they’re most active during spring and summer. This season is when they’re most active because the weather’s warm and there are more pets out in the open.
Ticks can be quite dangerous as they’re known to carry several illnesses, including Lyme disease. While their main diet is blood, once they’ve had their fill, they’ll drop off and lay eggs elsewhere.
Tick control can be done with the help of tick preventatives designed for cats and dogs. These products come in various forms such as collars, topical solutions, or pills.
Most flea treatments also target ticks making it easier to control both of these pests at once.
Gnats
Gnats are tiny flying bugs or insects that can be commonly found near windows or in kitchens. Although they don’t normally bite, they do tend to annoy people with their presence.
These black pests usually live for up to two weeks and lay about 200 eggs over that period of time. They’re attracted to light, so this is why you may find them near windows or lamps.
Getting rid of gnats can be done with the use of chemical insecticides, traps, or natural home remedies such as vinegar and dish soap solutions.
You should also try to keep your house clean and void of food particles as this will help reduce the chances of gnats invading your home.
Common Fruit Fly
These tiny black bugs are usually seen hovering around fruit bowls, trash cans, and kitchen sinks.
They feed on liquefied food or decaying organic matter, so it’s important to keep those areas clean to get rid of them.
Fruit flies can reproduce very quickly with a single female laying up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. This means that if you see them in your home, they may have already laid eggs and multiplied.
Getting rid of fruit flies requires diligent cleaning as well as the use of traps or sprays.
Most of the time, deep and thorough cleaning will be enough to get rid of these pests, but if the infestation has gotten more serious, you may use a general insecticide and/or pesticide.
Pill Bugs
What may look like tiny black beetles may actually be pill bugs or woodlice.
These dark-colored pests have an oval shape and they’re typically found in damp places such as basements, bathrooms, cellars, or near water sources.
Pill bugs can do a lot of damage to plants due to their appetite for decaying vegetation. They also feed on fungi, and if left unchecked, their population can quickly increase.
Aphids
While it’s more common to see aphids outdoors and within plants, they can still find their way into your home. They’re small insects that typically appear yellow, but they may also be black in color.
Aphids tend to feed on flowers and plants, so if you have any indoor plants or a garden nearby, this could attract them.
Natural predators such as ladybugs are great for reducing their population, but if that’s not enough you may need to use chemical insecticides for extra control.
Final Thoughts
Having black bugs in your house can be quite annoying. Knowing what type of bugs they are can help you figure out the best way to get rid of them.
Ticks have different pest control solutions compared to fruit flies, and aphids need a different approach than pill bugs.
All of these common black pests can be controlled with the right knowledge and tools, but if all else fails, don’t hesitate to call professional pest control services.
