Your home is your castle, right? You pay the rent or the mortgage or the property taxes, you have the key to the front door, you choose which persons and pets gain admittance, and so you may be under the impression that the place is yours. And you probably don’t want to know how many hundreds or thousands of tiny creatures are pretty sure this territory is theirs, thank you very much. But since you’re ultimately responsible for the space, it’s good to know who you’re sharing it with.

Bugs You Can’t See

The super-stealthy squatters are the ones that do the most damage. Termites and carpenter ants dallas or may be gnawing away at your home’s infrastructure right this very moment. Meanwhile, bed bugs, lice, and fleas may be chomping on you and your pets while staying well hidden. If you see any signs of these hidden hordes, get them taken care of right away, because they’re not going away on their own.

Bugs You Wish You Didn’t See

The ants crawling all over your counters, the fruit flies sharing your lunch, the silverfish hanging out in your tub, the mites sifting through your flour—these petite pests don’t make their presence much of a secret. While they may have significant scare or “ew!” value (why hello there, Mr. Cockroach!), their damage is more localized. They’re not going to knock your house down, but they’ll certainly get on your nerves.

Backyard Bugs

Oh, you want to go enjoy your backyard? The bees, wasps, flies, and mosquitos who’ve set up residence there may have something to say about that. Whether they choose to bite you or just land on your plate of barbecue, they’re going to make it clear that you’re invading their territory.

Some of your buggy roommates will have to be evicted by a professional exterminator. Others, you may take more of a live-and-let-live approach to. You’re not getting rid of those dust mites very promptly, are you?