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In Quebec, it is quite common to find all sorts of insects in your home. Some of them are harmless while others can reproduce very quickly and make you and your family sick.

It is necessary to identify the insect in question in order to know what measures to take. This is not an easy task because of the many types of insects that can find their way into your home. Our exterminators have decided to help you by offering a guide on how to identify house bugs.

How to identify household insects

There are many different types of insects that can invade your home and some can be difficult to identify. One of the first signs that these pests are in the home is damage to your items or furniture.

Insects and pests are attracted to many things from your home, such as food, moisture, heat, darkness and water. If you think there might be bugs in your home, check damp, cluttered or dark areas for signs of infestation. It is important to identify the different species of insects so that you can get rid of bugs quickly. Here are some of the major orders of insects and their characteristics.

Most common insect orders in Quebec

To help you in your home insect identification, we discuss the most common insect orders that are found in Quebec.

1. Coleoptera

Famille des coléoptères

Beetles are a group of insects with many different species, estimated to be over 300,000, which are called Coleoptera. They are recognizable by their hard shell and pair of wings.

Beetles are also characterized by the presence of mandibles that allow them to crush their food. This allows them to have a very varied diet. Weevils, ladybugs and beetles are all part of the order of Coleoptera.

2. Hemiptera

L’ordre des hémiptères

The order Hemiptera is a group of insects that includes bed bugs. All members of this order have long antennae and biting mouthparts with two pairs of wings.

Hemiptera are referred to as biting-sucking insects. This is because their morphology allows them to draw sap and blood (animal or human). These insects are likely to be carriers of many diseases because of their intrusive feeding habits.

3. Hymenoptera

L’ordre des hyménoptères

Hymenoptera is a diverse order of insects that can be identified by their unpleasant sting. There are over 130,000 species in this group, including ants, bees and wasps, to name a few.

The order of Hymenoptera is characterized by their two pairs of membranous wings and chewing mouthpieces. Carpenter ants are the most common species in Quebec homes. An amazing feature: the mother can decide the sex of her child.

4. Dictyoptera

L’ordre des dictyoptères

The order of dictyoptera is what is called a super order. This includes three different orders of insects: blattoptera, mantoptera and isoptera.

Almost all the insects in your home belonging to this order are harmless. Examples include cockroaches. These insects affect hygiene and quality of life because they reproduce in large numbers very quickly.

5. Siphonaptera

L’ordre des siphonaptères

The order to which fleas belong is called siphonaptera. Insects in this order have mouthparts that are made for biting and sucking. Fleas are small and difficult to see without help, which can cause a lot of trouble.

Siphonaptera are insects that live on the blood of their carriers. In addition, because they move from person to person or animal to animal, they can carry various diseases and cause many types of illnesses.

Most common household insects in Quebec

With the main orders of insects, there are common bugs that can be found in Quebec homes. These are the most common types of household bugs we find:

Bed bugs

Bed bugs are tiny insects that live by biting people and drinking their blood. They are usually reddish-brown in color and between 4 and 7 mm in size. These pests come out at night to bite people while they sleep. They do not transmit disease, but can cause significant sleep and anxiety problems, as well as physical problems with their bites.

Bed bugs have become more common in Quebec in recent years. They can live in many places such as beds, furniture, clothes, cracks in the walls and more. It is difficult to get rid of them and you will need a bed bug exterminator to help you kill them all.

Earwigs

Earwigs are insects covered with a reddish-brown carapace, measuring between 1 cm to 2 inches long. They have brown legs and eyelash-sized wings, so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Earwigs are recognizable by their elongated shape and their forceps-like claw. This is used as a defensive weapon in case of an attack from a predator. While not dangerous for humans, this insect remains a pest for the inhabitants of Quebec. If you need earwig extermination, contact professionals as soon as possible.

Fruit flies

Drosophila, more commonly known as fruit flies, is a species of fly that measures 2 to 3 mm long. They have a brownish color and reproduce very quickly. These insects are often found near ripe fruits and vegetables that are in the open, such as on counters or around containers.

To get rid of fruit flies, you can create a trap by pouring 2-3 cm of balsamic or cider vinegar into a glass. Add a few drops of dish soap to dilute it. Use a piece of plastic wrap to create a lid and place a rubber band or string around it. Poke pen-sized holes in the top and then place the container in the area where you see the most fruit flies. The flies will enter into the trap because they are attracted to the smell of the vinegar and will drown in the dish soap.

Ants

In Quebec, there are several species of ants that can enter your home: the common ant, the pharaoh ant and the carpenter ant. An ant exterminator can be extremely helpful when dealing with an infestation.

The common ant, also known as the sand ant, can ruin the flowers and vegetables in your garden. It is important to prevent them from multiplying. They like to live under flowerpots and rocks outdoors, but they also enter people’s homes in search of food. A community of common ants can have up to tens of thousands of worker ants.

Pharaoh ants are very small, with a size of about 2 mm. They can be yellow or light brown in color. You can tell them apart from other ants by the two segments between their thorax (chest) and abdomen. They are also difficult to get rid since they break off to form new colonies when you try to kill them.

Carpenter ants are one of the largest types of ants. They are usually black and can be 6 to 13 mm long. Carpenter ants make their anthills by chewing wood, but not ingesting it. If you see wood chips in one area and hear scratching noises in your walls, you may have a large number of carpenter ants living there causing damage to your home.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are insects that enter your home at night to find shelter and food. If these insects are present in large numbers in your home, it can be dangerous for your health and cause problems such as allergies, skin rashes and infections. In Quebec, two types of cockroaches are the most common: the German cockroach and the American cockroach.

The German cockroach is the most common species in homes. It measures between 10 mm and 16 mm long and has a bronze or dark brown color. They are a nocturnal species, so if you encounter them during the day, it means you have a heavy infestation. These insects are attracted to all types of food and garbage, so make sure you have impeccable hygiene in your home and don’t leave your trash lying around outside.

The American cockroach is the largest type of cockroach. It is reddish-brown or orange in color and is about 38 to 40 mm long. This species of cockroach is very active in warm environments (over 22 degrees Celsius) and can also carry many bacteria and diseases.

It is difficult to get rid of cockroaches, so don’t take chances and call our cockroach exterminators to quickly remove them from your home.

Do you have an insect problem at home? Call Elite Pest Control

There are many kinds of insects that live in Quebec homes. Now that you can identify them, it is important to take the necessary measures when you are dealing with pests.

If you want to get rid of them, it is best to contact a professional exterminator. Our certified exterminators can help you identify the insects and suggest the best way to eliminate them. At Elite Pest Control, our exterminators in Montreal intervene as quickly as possible to make your home and your life insect-free.

Pascal Rock
Pascal Rock  
Director, Elite Pest Control
Founder and mainstay of Elite Pest Control, Pascal Rock has embodied expertise and dedication for over a decade. His training, acquired with expert mentors in extermination and pest decontamination, has shaped an outstanding professional. Under his leadership, a team of six seasoned technicians deploys the very best pest control strategies. Together, they ensure the peace of mind and safety of residents and professionals from Montreal to Quebec City, by offering fast, effective interventions, available at all times.