These 5 insects pose a threat to your home

They live among us and co-exist in our homes by design.

Bugs seek environments similar to ways humans choose dwellings.

According to a 2017 study of 50 urban homes in Raleigh, NC, bugs prefer affluent areas. As for surroundings, they look for ground-level, airy, carpeted homes.

“We’re learning more and more about these sometimes invisible relationships and how the homes we choose for ourselves also foster indoor ecosystems all their own,” said Dr. Misha Leong, lead researcher. The findings were revealed in a press release from the California Academy of Sciences.

Leong and team made surprising discoveries: different rooms presented different opportunities, insects colonized by surrounding and household pets and cleanliness did not have an impact on the presence or variety of bugs in the homes studied.

While a large number of known household insects do not pose health threats, here are five insects that pose a threat to your home, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension:

• Termites cause over $5 billion of damage to property in the U.S. each year, according to the National Pest Management Association, and damage by termites is typically not covered by homeowner’s insurance.
• Powderpost beetles attack hardwood only and can infest flooring, molding, cabinets, doors and other hardwood furniture.
• Carpenter ants pose a major structural danger and are fully capable of hollowing out solid pine or fir lumber to make nest galleries.
• Cockroaches in the home are both repugnant and unhealthy and can cause allergies and asthma. Their feces and shed skins are allergenic and can carry pathogens.
• Bed bugs reduce the attractiveness and livability of any home. While bed bugs are not known to carry disease, their presence is highly undesirable and causes soiling of bedding, home and furniture.

If you suspect your residence may be home to harmful insects, it’s best to contact a qualified exterminator,” says Dr. Margaret Fruhbauer, an internist with Advocate Medical Group, on staff at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill. “The Environmental Protection Agency website has excellent resources on the safety of pesticides.”