Are Stinging Insects a Risk Indoors?
Some of the most common bugs that homeowners can expect to find indoors include ants, roaches, and spiders. Although unpleasant, most of these household insects won’t bite or attack, unless provoked.
Biting Insects versus Stinging Insects
But if you’ve experienced bites or stings in the comfort of your own home, there may be other culprits to blame. In most cases, indoor bug bites are the result of insects like bedbugs, mites, fleas, or lice. Biting insects will attack most often at night to leave red, itchy marks similar to a mosquito bite.
In more severe cases, an indoor spider like a brown recluse or hobo spider, most commonly found in the Northwest US, may bite and leave an open wound. While most household spiders are completely benign and can actually provide a benefit to kill indoor insects, a serious spider bite may demand medical attention; an Alabama pest control company should be contacted immediately to determine if a spider infestation is dangerous or harmless.
Although stinging insects are most often associated with the outdoors, especially in the South, these bugs can make their way indoors to attack. Yet the reality is that an insect will normally only sting in defense if it feels threatened or frightened. An insect like a honey bee may become trapped indoors and can easily sting, although an indoor infestation is unlikely.
On the other hand, fire ants may infest indoors and can cause a painful sting as a defense mechanism. In some cases, you may have an allergic reaction to their particular poison, making important to contact a doctor immediately.
How to Get Rid of Stinging Insects Indoors
If you’ve found stinging insects, like fire ants, indoors, it’s important to contact an exterminator immediately. They will be able to strategically place ant bait in areas that fire ants can carry back to their nest to completely destroy the main colony. An exterminator will also be able to safely use pesticide in a home with small children or pets.
For the best results, it helps to clean your house in its entirety before extermination. Since ants most often make their way indoors to look for food to bring back to their colony, it helps to clean up dishes in the sink, wipe down the countertop, and empty out the kitchen trashcan.
Although a fire ant infestation isn’t directly linked to a dirty house, it’s best to eliminate any possible triggers, like delicious morsels of food that could attract stinging insects to cause a nuisance.