10 Common House Bugs In Colorado You Need To Watch Out For

The state of Colorado is a great place to live. It’s actually been voted as one of the states with the highest quality of living. While it has great laws, wonderful schools, and fun places to visit, the truth is that it’s not perfect. House bugs are an issue. 

Whether you are out by the sticks or in the heart of Denver, insects can still turn into major pests. Let’s talk about how you can prevent an invasion from a bunch of annoying pests, shall we?

What are the most common bugs found in Colorado homes?

The best way to prevent an infestation is to know what kind of insects you could run into. We’re going to give you a run-through of the most common ones found in Colorado. 

1. Spiders

House spiders, jumping spiders, and venomous spiders like black widows are common throughout the state of Colorado. To a point, it’s just a fact of life. Most people will see spiders in their homes from time to time. 

Most spiders in Colorado are non-venomous, but you might see black widow spiders, white widows, and brown recluse spiders from time to time. The best thing you can do is keep your home free of other insects since spiders tend to prey on insects.

If that doesn’t work, getting plants or fragrances spiders hate can work.

2. Bed Bugs

Ah, the bane of renters and homeowners everywhere! Bed bugs are tiny little reddish-brown flea-like creatures that have flat, round bodies and tend to hide in (you guessed it!) beds. Their entire life’s goal is to suck on human blood—nothing else. 

The insidious thing about bed bugs isn’t just their ability to leave bites. They also can destroy property by leaving gross skid mark-like stains all over beds, mattresses, couches, and fabrics. Since they are great at hiding and multiplying, they are also extremely hard to get rid of.

Bed bugs get in by hitching a ride in your luggage or clothing. Avoiding bed bug-infested homes can help, and so can checking your bags after a stay in a hotel. 

PRO TIP – Get a professional exterminator for these bugs. Otherwise, the problem will continue to grow. 

3. Wasps

While both wasps and hornets can occasionally make a home inside your house, the truth is that wasps tend to be the more common pests of the two. Wasps are not honeybees. They don’t make honey, they just attack anything on sight because they can. 

Wasps are painful pests that do not come with the perks that bees do. They have large, papery nests that can easily damage your home’s structure. Worse? They love to nest inside houses if given the opportunity. 

Sealing your home’s cracks and crevices is an easy way to prevent a wasp infestation in your place. If you notice a wasp’s nest, call a professional pest control company to remove the nest and check for remnants of it in your home. 

4. Mosquitos

Mosquitos are one of the most common pests you will find in Colorado and the Midwest. If you’ve ever been bitten by one, you also know that they can be a handful. They do not really nest in human homes, but they can end up inside in large numbers. 

A mosquito infestation is never a good thing. They can cause diseases like malaria and West Nile. If you get a fever after a bite, you may want to check it out with the local doctor’s office. 

Citronella candles, heartworm prevention medication for pets, and just having plants that mosquitos dislike can help you avoid getting bites. 

5. Termites

Termite infestations aren’t just bad for your home’s structure. They are also a growing problem throughout the suburbs of Colorado. These creatures eat wood and have no problem tunneling through your home’s foundation walls, doors, or decks.

Your home can end up with termites regardless of the age of the house. However, some homes are more at-risk than others. Wooden houses tend to bear the brunt of termite dining. Having regular sealing sessions on wood and storing firewood away from the house is a must. 

It’s important to note that termites love moist and moldy wood. It’s what they tend to eat the most. If you find yourself amidst recurring infestations, getting a closer look at your irrigation system can help uncover the problem. Too much moisture will attract termites!

PRO TIP – Carpenter ants are also common in Colorado and act quite similarly. If you notice holes in your wood followed up with sand piles, you have ants. Either way, you need an exterminator and a repairman.

6. Cockroaches

Cockroaches are going to end up being a pest no matter where you go. These bugs can range from a centimeter to three centimeters long. (So…that’s like, a fingernail to half a finger’s length.) We all know what roaches look like, right? 

In Colorado, the most common types of cockroaches are Oriental cockroaches and German cockroaches. If you see a roach, you have an infestation already underway. You need professional pest control because a typical roach spray is not enough.

Cockroaches aren’t always preventable, but you can reduce your chances of getting them. The biggest point is to make sure that you don’t leave food lying around in the open. Packing up your garbage and throwing it out daily can help. 

If you live in an apartment building, you may want to seal cracks in your walls. They can migrate from apartment to apartment if given the chance. 

7. Japanese Beetles And Elm Beetles

Beetles are a major part of any forest area’s biosystem, and that means Colorado can be a great place for them to live. Japanese beetles and elm beetles are both very common in Colorado. 

Most of the time, these beetles will stay in the garden, but they occasionally will wander into your home during colder temperatures. They are totally harmless to people, but will happily eat any plant matter you have in your home.

The best way to prevent them is to seal up crevices in your home, install door sweeps, and avoid having plants on your windowsills. It attracts them to your place. More often than not, you might find them in your sheds or in your greenhouses.

8. Fleas

Fleas are rare, but they can still infest your home. These often are found in rats and mice. When fleas find a new host (like Fido), they will jump on. From there, they will start to make a living on your carpets or on your pets.

These insects can be carriers of diseases, including the black plague. Keeping mice at bay and having flea prevention for your pets will keep them at bay.

9. Centipedes

Centipedes and millipedes both call Colorado their home. To a point, that’s actually a good thing. These insects may look spooky, but they kill other major pests like no one else can. They are, in their own way, good pest management. 

These creepy crawlies can bite people, though it’s rare. They generally want nothing to do with people and will avoid you. With that said, they generally will only go to homes where they can have a lot of prey to dine on.

Like other insects on this list, centipedes love moist areas like garages, bathrooms, and kitchens. Drying out your area is a quick and easy way to make them skedaddle. 

10. Carpet Beetles

Did you notice small beetles that have started to bite you when you step on a carpet? Did you wake up to find holes in your clothing and fabrics? If so, you might have carpet beetles, yet another common Colorado house pest. 

Carpet beetles are nasty little creatures that will eat any type of fiber—including wool, cotton, and stuff you might find in your pantry. Getting rid of them is annoying and will require pesticides, but it’s not something painfully bad like bed bugs. 

If your home is made with wall-to-wall carpeting, then you are going to have a tough time keeping them at bay. Professional pest control services are definitely helpful there, and it’s something you may want to consider. 

Prevention is simple. Keep food locked up in pest-proof containers, vacuum your carpets regularly, and clean textiles with soap and water. Above all, try to avoid going to places where carpet beetles live. 

In conclusion…

If you want to move to Colorado, you need to be aware of your surroundings. Like with all other states, there are some creatures that will be more common than others. Knowing how to prevent an infestation will be vital to keeping your sanity. 

The good news is that most of the common pests are fairly standard in Colorado. Every state has bed bugs, spiders, centipedes, fleas, and roaches. As long as you know how to prevent those, you should be totally fine later on.

Sharing is caring!