Types of Household Bugs in New York [2021 Update]

Bed bugs are a common household pest in New York - Garrie Pest Control

Nobody wants bugs in their homes. Bugs can contaminate food, bite people and pets, and generally creep you out, too. So what can you do about the many varieties of bugs that are native to the state of New York, particularly in the Hudson Valley area. The good news is most pests will stay outdoors. Occasionally, though, they can make their way indoors. To avoid the frustration and surprise of finding pests in your home, it’s important to know how to protect your home from the most common ones! The pest experts at Garrie Pest Control are here to share everything you need to know about the four most common pests in the great state of New York.

Pests in New York

1. Cockroaches

Infamously gross and hardy, cockroaches are tough to kill. You could squish every roach that you see, but what can you do about the elusive nests of cockroaches that may be living in your cabinets, walls, or attic?

The key to cockroach control is preventing cockroach invasions in the first place. Seal up cracks in doors, windows, and walls, keep your home clean, and try to avoid eating outside of the kitchen or dining room. Also, make sure you keep your food tightly sealed away in airtight containers. If cockroaches access your food supply, they can spread incredibly dangerous diseases.

2. Bed Bugs

Some of the most difficult bugs to kill, bed bugs spread like a disease, latching onto a single person and spreading across entire homes, neighborhoods, and even cities. Bed bugs hide in mattresses, closets, baseboards, and other areas where they can form tiny but highly populated nests. They’re infamous for biting humans at night, feeding on their blood.

Bed bugs are difficult to kill, often requiring the use of heat treatments that essentially cook them to death, including their eggs. You must kill bed bug eggs if you hope to eliminate the infestation. This is why most other methods that target adult bed bugs just don’t work. It’s best to enlist the help of a bed bug control expert.

3. Termites

These dangerous pests are infamous for being costly. The very word “termite” should send a shudder down every homeowner’s spine. They eat dead plant matter, which often consists of building materials in homes, like wooden frames, cabinets, flooring, and furniture. New York homes commonly deal with termites, making it important to put prevention in place all year long.

If you notice deep grooves or holes in wood, your home may have termites. Always contact a termite control professional as soon as possible to begin termite intervention. As some of the most costly and destructive bugs on earth, professional termite prevention should be at the top of your priority list as a homeowner!

4. Pantry Pests

Like roaches, pantry beetles are hungry for just about anything you’ll take home to them. Sadly, their home may happen to be your kitchen pantry, hence the name of this common New York beetle. Pantry beetles are incredibly destructive to human food sources, and can often infect flour mills and grocery stores. This sadly means that you may take a pantry beetle infestation home with you.

Try to keep all food stored in airtight containers, especially sugary and flour-based foods that pantry beetles love. If you notice these food-eating pests in your home, it’s smart to get advice from your local pantry pest control experts.

Pest Prevention for New Yorkers

At Garrie Pest Control, we know that no homeowner wants to have pests in their home. We are proud to work with homeowners in the Hudson Valley and Peekskill NY area to customize pest control plans that keep homes pest-free year-round. To learn more, contact us today to get started!

Are Cockroaches Only Active At Night?

Cockroaches at night in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

As frightening as it sounds, cockroaches are indeed active overnight while you are asleep. As mostly nocturnal creatures, roaches prefer to stay out of the light of day as much as they can. Seeing roaches during the day can signal you have a serious infestation on your hands. Instead, these pests will hide and even sleep during the daytime hours, typically in the darkest and dampest areas of your home or business.

If you suspect you have roaches running rampant in your Peekskill NY apartment overnight, read on to learn everything you need to know about the behavior of roaches with the experts at Garrie Pest Control!

Cockroach Sleep Schedule

Similar to other animals and insects, roaches possess a unique circadian rhythm that includes a resting period. In one particular study, it was proven that roaches have three states of activity: a period of locomotion, a period of limb or antennae movement but no locomotion, and a period of immobility. Under normal light conditions (light during the day and dark overnight), cockroaches were only active at night, typically during the period right before midnight. There was little activity during the early morning hours, and roaches were found to rest during the daylight.

What Do Roaches Do During the Day?

Seeing a cockroach or two in the light of day inside your home or business is never a good sign. It could mean one of three things:

  1. You already have a serious cockroach infestation on your hands.
  2. Cockroaches have been forced out of their typical hiding places due to a lack of resources.
  3. Artificial light can sometimes disorient roaches, encouraging them to come out in the daytime.

Where Do Roaches Hide?

Due to the fact that they dislike daylight, cockroaches typically hide in the darkest areas inside or your property. The main cockroach environments in a building include bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces. However, in a big infestation, many other areas can become a roach’s new home: under the appliances in your kitchen, underneath sinks, inside light switches, or amongst boxes in your attic or garage. If you stumble upon them during the day by moving an object, they will likely run for cover.

Cockroaches in Peekskill NY Homes

If you begin to notice the signs of cockroaches in your home—or worse, you’ve seen them in the flesh during the day—it’s time to call the cockroach control team here at Garrie Pest Control. Our experts will thoroughly investigate to find where roaches are hiding. From there, we will implement a cockroach control plan suited to the unique needs of your home. Contact us today to get started!