Common Household Pests in Illinois

Finding pests in your home can be scary, especially if you don’t know what they are. You can trust Pointe Pest Control to give you all the information you need to know about household pests in Illinois. If you want help eliminating them, we also offer fast and effective pest control services.

Common household pests in Illinois include:

• Ants
• Cockroaches
• Spiders
• Stinging insects
• Bed bugs

Illinois Ants

Most people think of ants as nuisance pests. While they’re certainly annoying, ants can also be dangerous. Like termites, carpenter ants are considered wood-destroying insects. They tunnel through wooden supports of your home, chewing the wood to create nests. Other species of ants can carry bacteria like streptococcus and salmonella. If you have an ant infestation, it’s important to take it seriously.

Common types of ants that you’ll see include:

• Carpenter ants
• Odorous house ants
• Pavement ants
• Pharaoh ants

Where To Expect Ants in Your Home

A single colony can have millions of ants inside it, so the ones you see are only a fraction of the total infestation. You’re most likely to see ants in the kitchen because they’re attracted to the food you eat, especially sugary snacks. If you bring food into your living room or bedroom and leave behind crumbs, ants will also spread to those areas.

Illinois Cockroaches

Cockroaches are one of the most dreaded pests because of how resilient they are. These pests can survive underwater, without food, and even without their heads. Just because you spot a cockroach in your home doesn’t mean your space is dirty; these pests will live anywhere that food and water is readily available.

There are four types of cockroaches commonly found in Illinois:

• American cockroaches
• Brown-banded cockroaches
• German cockroaches
• Black cockroaches

How to Prevent a Cockroach Infestation

The best way to prevent a cockroach infestation is to cut off their access to food, water, and shelter. This takes a little bit of time, but can work wonders if you’re concerned about cockroaches slipping inside your home. Here’s what to do:

• Seal cracks and crevices with caulk.
• Replace old, worn weatherstripping on doors and windows.
• Vacuum and mop your floors regularly.
• Clean up spills, dirty dishes, and crumbs as soon as possible.
• Store food in airtight plastic containers.
• Fix dripping faucets and leaky pipes.

Illinois Spiders

There are dozens of spiders in Illinois, but luckily the larger species (like orb weavers) tend to stay outside. If you do find spiders in your garage or in the corners of your home, it can be a sign of a larger problem, like a fly infestation.

The spiders you’re most likely to see inside include:

• Cellar spiders
• Yellow sac spiders
• Brown recluses
• Black widows

Which Illinois Spiders Cause Concern?

Yellow sac spiders, brown recluses, and black widows are all dangerous to humans because they have venom. If you get a spider bite, it can become red, irritated, painful, itchy, and swollen. In some cases, they can also cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting. While black widows and brown recluses have a bad reputation, it’s very unlikely that their bites will kill you, especially if you seek medical attention for severe reactions. Make sure to clean the wounds as soon as possible and seek medical attention, and there should be no big concern.

Illinois Stinging Insects

Wasps and hornets can easily ruin backyard barbecues and parties. These pests are attracted to strong-smelling items like floral perfumes, fruit juices, and even hamburgers. While it might be a natural instinct to swat them away, this can make the insects defensive and cause them to start stinging. The best things to do are to walk calmly away from wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, or simply wait for them to leave.

Stinging insects in Illinois include:

• Bald-faced hornets
• German yellow jackets
• Paper wasps
• Cicada killer wasps
• Mud daubers

How to Prevent a Stinging Insect Infestation

Stinging insect control is tailored to your home’s unique needs, but there are a few things you can do to prevent an infestation, such as:

• Keeping garbage cans tightly closed and away from your home.
• Sealing cracks and crevices in your foundation, siding, and roof.
• Removing empty nests to prevent future infestations from moving in.
• Repairing torn screens, holes in soffits, and broken deck boards.
• Putting away leftovers and pet food as soon as possible.

Illinois Bed Bugs

Bed bug populations fell in the 1940s and 1950s, but they’re on the rise again. This is partially because it’s easier than ever for people to travel and accidentally bring home bed bugs from hotels, airplanes, buses, and trains. Today’s bed bugs have also become resistant to some pesticides, making it difficult to treat bed bug infestations.

How to Treat for Bed Bugs

You can remove bed bugs from clothes or bedding by washing them in hot water and drying them on the hottest setting. If your home is infested, heat treatments, liquid treatments, and dust treatments can eliminate bed bugs. By far, the best way to stop an infestation is with professional bed bug control.

Household Pests Invading Your Home? Look to Pointe Pest Control

Eliminating pests on your own is difficult and time-consuming. The best way to protect your home is with Pointe Pest Control. We create a custom treatment plan based on the severity of the infestation, your home’s layout, and your family’s needs. When you trust our experts, you’ll get guaranteed pest control for an affordable price!