Do you hate bugs with a passion? If so, you might want to move to Connecticut. As a state in the Northeast, Connecticut doesn’t have as high a propensity towards pests as other areas. The climate here is often too cold for pests to tolerate year-round.
While Connecticut’s icy winters can be pretty good for keeping some pests away, the truth is that no state is pest-free. Not sure what to expect when you move here? Take a look at what we ranked as the most common bugs you may find in this New England state.
What are the most common insects found in Connecticut buildings?
Connecticut may not be entirely friendly to bugs, but things still happen. Like with other pests like rodents, you can always end up unlucky. These are the worst offenders found in homes here.
1. Bed Bugs
Without a doubt, the most common pests you will find in Connecticut are bed bugs. Bud bugs are smaller than a typical fingernail, round, and banded across their abdomen. These reddish-brown bugs drink human blood for food, which means that they are wherever people are.
Their name belies their most favorite place to live: the cracks and crevices of your bed, mattress, or couch. Their favorite thing to do is bite you while you sleep. Since they are expert hiders, they almost never get caught in the act.
If you find a one-bed bug, chances are that there are more. You will usually notice their trademark bites. If you have an infestation, call a professional pest control company as soon as possible.
Prevention is simple. Avoid areas with bed bugs, and check your luggage when you arrive home from a major trip. If you want to play it safe, contain everything you travel in plastic bags.
PRO TIP – Check the seams of any new mattress you sleep on before you take a nap. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
2. Cockroaches
To a point, a cockroach infestation is almost a bitter reality of life in an urban environment. Every major city has roaches—at least, in their sewers. Connecticut is no different. Roaches carry disease, infest food, and also cause brown stains where they go.
Connecticut’s most common breed of roach is the German cockroach. However, large flying American cockroaches and Oriental cockroaches can also be spotted in unlucky homes throughout the state.
Prevention is primarily focused on eliminating food sources. Keep food locked up, empty your garbage, and don’t leave pet food out for too long. If you have shared plumbing, cover drain holes at night and clean your plumbing regularly.
PRO TIP – Cockroaches hate smells that are particularly strong, like peppermint and lemon. Using these essential oils around your house can deter them, though they can pose a hazard to pets. Choose wisely!
3. Ants
Yes, ants are a huge problem in Connecticut. It’s not just one type of ant. It’s multiple types, and they can do damage to your home. Here’s what to know:
- Black ants. These ants can cause typical homeowner grief in kitchens. Prevention involves keeping food locked away and trash is taken out.
- Carpenter ants. These ants like to bore holes in wood, particularly moldy wood. Sealing and treating your home’s wood is vital to prevention. Keep your areas dry, too. Mold loves dampness!
- Odorous house ants. These stinky ants smell like rotten coconut when they are squished. You can keep your home clean of them by keeping your area free of fruit and sugar.
Keeping a clean home and treating wood structures is a must if you want to avoid ant damage. They can and will set up colonies in a residence if you let them!
4. Ticks
Did you know that one of the biggest states for Lyme Disease is Connecticut? It’s true. Ticks can come into your home by riding on the back of your pet or even by hitching a ride on you. Ticks love to bite people and pets alike. They just love sucking on blood.
Once they get a ride to your home, they will likely continue to try to feed and they may actually try to live in your home. The best way to prevent ticks in your house is to treat your garden and lawn for them—oh, and get tick prevention for your pets.
5. Fleas
Yes, fleas are a commonplace pest for homeowners. However, they do not typically attack houses at random. They tend to come into homes on the backs of household pets that took a stroll outside. If not them, then rodents that have also made your home theirs.
Fleas are famously bad for carrying disease and were a root cause of the Black Plague that wiped out a third of Europe several centuries ago. Needless to say, a flea infestation is not something to take lightly. It’s not just an itchy bite! It’s a legit danger.
Preventing fleas is a two-pronged approach. Flea collars or flea prevention medication is a must for any pet that goes outdoors. If you notice they have fleas, treat them and the area for fleas.
PRO TIP – If you have recurring flea infestations, treat your yard for fleas. Fleas love to hide in tall grass because it gives them a vantage point for jumping. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth around your lawn will kill off most pests, fleas included.
6. Carpet Beetles
Carpet beetles are exactly what they sound like. They are small brown fuzzy-looking beetles that tend to live in (and eat) carpets. Truthfully, they don’t always just stick to carpets. They can also eat oats, paper, or any other type of fiber they can get their mandibles on.
In most cases, these beetles can be found in carpeted areas (like living rooms) or in kitchen pantry areas. If you have a pest problem with these creepers, the best thing you can do is get professional help and do a ton of laundry.
Prevention is easy-peasy. Vacuum your carpets regularly, treat your carpeting with shampoo once in a while, and keep up with your laundry. Oh, and keep your food locked up in a pest-proof container. (Notice a pattern here? Food containment is vital.)
7. Bees
Bees? As pest? Yes, it’s more likely than you would think. While bees are vital for pollination, no one wants to deal with their stings. People who are allergic can die from a single sting. A big menace in Connecticut is the carpenter bee.
Each carpenter is solitary and builds its own nest, typically in wood crevices or siding. The older the wood, the more likely it is that carpenter bees will find it to be a good place to build a home.
The best way to avoid these from taking hold is to seal any cracks in your wood. Remove older wood as necessary.
8. Powder Post Beetles
Did you notice small-ish brown and red beetles crawling on the exterior of your home? This is not a good thing. Those are powder post beetles, a beetle that feeds on the wood pulp of old, dry, and rotting trees.
Or, well, they are trees when they are in their natural environment. In this case, it’s your home’s exterior, wood interior, or furniture. When they do, they deal serious damage to the wood you have. In fact, it can make furniture collapse!
Treat exposed wood with powdered borate (a pesticide) to get rid of them if you spot them. If you just want to prevent them, seal and treat your wooden furniture on a regular basis. They are brought into homes through tainted wood products.
9. Drain Flies
Drain flies are those small, fuzzy, and annoyingly slow-moving flies that tend to circle around drains. If you noticed them fluttering around your kitchen or bathroom, then you already know that they are a nuisance.
Drain flies may look gross, but they don’t carry dangerous bacteria. They also don’t bite. Removing them is simple: you just need to kill the flies in your drain, then remove any eggs they laid via an enzymatic cleaner.
Keeping your drains clean and removing hair from drains is all you have to do to prevent them. This makes them one of the easiest house pests to eradicate: no exterminator is necessary.
PRO TIP – If you keep cleaning your drains and still have flies, be careful. This can indicate a break in the plumbing under your house, leading drain flies to propagate in record numbers.
In conclusion…
If you want to move to a state with a reputation for being low on bugs, then Connecticut has the perfect ecosystem for you. This state is great for insect phones. But, you still have to keep prevention in mind.
Prevention is the key to avoiding most exterminator calls. Keeping a clean house, watching over your possessions, and taking action before things go wrong will prevent most pests from coming to your house.