Common House Bugs in Canada

Bugs have an uncanny knack for entering your home through the tiniest of cracks and holes. You can seal these cracks and holes all day long and bugs will still find a way to get in. There are several types of house bugs in Canada that can cause lots of problems.

Bed bugs are shaped like apple seeds with a flat bodies and wide heads. They are brown, very small and capable of hiding most anywhere. They can live a year or longer without food and mostly come out at night. They have been found under wallpaper, in electric outlets, and most commonly inside box springs and mattress pads. Many people mistakenly believe that bed bugs are a sign of uncleanliness, but they can be found in mansions as well as homeless shelters. Bed bugs feed by piercing the skin with an elongated beak. If you notice blood stains from crushed bugs on your bedding, or an increase of itchy red spots that last several days, your home could be infected.

Carpenter ants are often mistaken for termites because of their similarities. One way to distinguish the two is that carpenter ants will come out in the day time and are larger than termites. Carpenter ants damage the wood in your home by creating tunnels in the wood. Small piles of sawdust indicate your home is infested by carpenter ants.

Pill bugs are mistaken for insects, but are actually considered crustaceans similar to shrimp and crayfish and spend their entire lives on land. Pill bugs are usually between one quarter and one half inch long with black, oval bodies. They have the ability to roll into a ball when bothered. Pill bugs are common in homes with high levels of moisture that cause mildew and wood rot. Pill bugs are scavenger bugs and consume plant and animal debris, both alive and dead. According to Pest Control Canada, pill bugs migrate into homes by the thousands in the spring and summer months.