A number of insects in Georgia make their way indoors and become a nuisance. The state is host to a wide variety of insects, and while any one of them may occasionally find its way through an open door or window, a few invite themselves in and make your home their own.
Your kitchen might be invaded by fruit flies flitting around the fruit bowl or basket, or over or in the garbage can. The female lays up to 500 eggs on the surface of a fermenting fruit or other objects with a slimy film, such as your drain, damp mop or too ripe fruits or vegetables. Those 500 offspring go from egg stage to maturity in as little as a week. Control and prevent fruit fly infestations by eliminating breeding grounds and fitting doors and windows with good quality screening.
Argentine ants may also target your home's kitchen. They are harmless, but occupy colonies with large numbers of individuals, and they form trails to food sources like sugary soda or juice spills.
Asian ladybugs were imported to control aphid populations on pecan trees in Georgia. Cheaper and healthier than pesticides, the ladybugs do a good job for the trees, but cause homeowner headaches when looking for warm places to overwinter. They often find their way indoors and cluster on ceilings and walls. While control with pesticides is possible, it is also possible, and preferred, to vacuum them up and deposit them safely away from the house so they can continue with their important job the following year. If you do not have a handheld vacuum, secure the toe of a pair of nylon stockings over your vacuum's hose and suck them into the stocking. Empty the stocking outdoors when finished.
Known for residing in old books and clothing and the iridescent trail of dust they often leave behind, silverfish are another common household nuisance in Georgia. Firebrats are similar, but are brown instead of silver, and prefer warmer temperatures than the silverfish. These insects only cause significant damage in very large numbers. They are typically controlled by storing their preferred foodstuffs, like books and clothing, in sealed containers off the floor and away from walls. Lowering humidity also helps control them. Pesticides can be used if the problem gets out of hand.
Often associated with filth and squalor, bed bugs are becoming a big problem in the cleanest of homes. They can hitchhike in on clothing, luggage or used furniture. They are capable of carrying human-borne pathogens, though there is no proof that they are able to transmit those pathogens. Due to the possibility of infections and the reactions many have to their bites, bed bugs must go. Small numbers can be located in mattresses and in cracks of bedroom furniture, floors and walls and vacuumed up. Dispose of the vacuum bag outside the house. Large infestations usually require professional pest control, and sometimes even the removal of the infected furniture for either treatment or destruction.