There are plenty of different kinds of bugs you can find throughout your home, many of which will probably leave you feeling a little uneasy. You know what I’m talking about; those small little black bugs that appear out of nowhere when you least expect it.
They look gross. Sometimes they smell awful, and you can never really be sure what they’re up too, whether they are contaminating your food or getting in places they shouldn’t.
Long story short, you’re going to want to get rid of these small black bugs with hard shells any way you can, which is what we’re going to be focusing on today.
Some approaches are better than others, but it will mostly depend on your personal circumstances, i.e. you’re not going to want to use pesticides when you have children and pets around, although there are pet-friendly options for insects like ants.
Throughout this guide, I’m going to be talking about the methods needed for eradicating black bugs with hard shells that’ll help you keep your home clean and free from unwanted pests.
Contents
What is Included in the ‘Bugs with Hard Shells’ Category?
There are lots of species of little black bugs that could fall into this category. You may be dealing with one of them, or all of them. Either way, you just want them gone.
Some examples include:
- Cockroaches
- Grain bugs
- Pillbugs
- Centipedes
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Carpet beetles
Let’s get into the methods for getting rid of them, irrespective of what species you’re dealing with.
Clear out Your Food Sources
Like most animals, hard-shelled bugs are on a mission for one thing and one thing alone — food. You’ll find these bugs entering your home and sticking around when there’s food readily available, so make sure you’re removing the opportunity for them to tuck in.
This means deep-cleaning your pantry and food cupboards, buying plastic containers to store open packages to prevent bugs from getting in, and make sure you clean your house regularly.
Even if you’re dropping lots of crumbs or food on the floor, this can be enough to attract bugs, so keep an eye on your pets and kids!
Clean Up Standing Water
Standing water, or puddles of water that has sat around for some time and become stagnant, is a great way to attract bugs, so it’s only natural that cleaning it up will get rid of them. Flies, gnats, and fleas love standing water, so mop them up for an immediate cleansing effect.
Apply Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is a lovely, organic, and natural way to get rid of bugs in your home, especially when you’re dealing with little critters like ants and spiders.
This kind of oil is so strong, it either kills the bugs if they’re small, or they smell it and don’t want to hang around. On a human level, it smells nice, so it can be an excellent way of bringing a new fragrance into your home.
All you need to do is get yourself some peppermint oil (I recommend this one), get a bowl and fill it with around eight ounces of water and add eight drops of oil. (Yes, that’s one drop per ounce of water).
Tip into a spray bottle once mixed and spray onto any area where there are bugs you want to get rid of.
Apply Neem Oil
Hand in hand with the suggestion above, neem oil is another fantastic natural way to get rid of all kinds of pests and insects; around 200 different species in total. Neem oil is a great choice is you have kids or pets running around due to its non-toxic properties, and it doesn’t harm friendly insects you want to keep around, like butterflies.
I personally use this Harris Neem Oil, which I’ve found to be pretty effective specifically for pest control.
Use a Bug Spray
If you’re happy to use a chemical approach in your home, it can be very useful to do so, and you’ll be glad to know there are lots of choices out there. Plenty of household brands will offer their own pest control sprays in some form, so it’s all about picking which one works for you.
Ortho Home Defense Max is a great option to go for that I personally use and recommend. It’s designed to be used inside the home, and comes in various useful forms and sizes. If you’re looking for a way to get the job done, this is it!
Use a Pest Control Service
The final approach you may want to think about using is investing in a professional pest control service. Of course, this can be expensive, but if you’re struggling to clear up an infestation, or it’s simply too big to deal with, this may be your only hope.
What services you can use will depend on what’s available in your area. Some pest control services use chemicals, and some will use non-toxic options. Again, it depends on what you personally want.
The best thing to do is shop around online to see what services are in your area, seeing what they offer and then finding the best price for you. This way, you won’t be left out of pocket, and you’ll have a bug-free home in no time!
Prevent Bugs from Coming Back (or Appearing in the First Place!)
No matter what approach you take or what method works for you, the most important thing to remember is that you’ll want to stop the bugs from returning altogether or turning up in the first place. There’s no point treating and eradicating them, only for them to come back within a month.
Seriously; it could even take them less time than that!
Like most living creatures, bugs are attracted to warm living conditions, places where there are sources of food, and places they are safe. Typically, this means dirty places, so you’ll want to keep your home clean and tidy by cleaning and sanitizing regularly.
You’ll want to specifically keep your pantry and larder clean and tidy, wrapping up any open food packages you have to prevent the bugs from getting in. If you have kids or pets, you’ll need to be extra careful in making sure you’re tidying up after them, and they’re not leaving food about for the bugs to munch on.
Finally, the best thing you can do is keeping an eye up for bugs through inspections. If you’ve had bugs before, keep an eye open for them coming back in those same areas. When you have a few bugs, these can quickly turn into a lot of bugs, so being able to clean them out when there’s only a few is always going to be the best option.
I have small pets, so I have been using alcohol wipes to grab and crush them. They pop but don’t smell.
I have killed 9 of these bugs so far. They’re slow crawlers. 1/2″ long by 1/4+” wide. Black hard upper, white belly, 6 short legs. 8 in bedroom on white walls, floor or ceiling. My little dog tries to pick them up, but just ends up batting them around. Only 1 in kitchen. I can’t find a picture that looks like them. I found one that was an oval cream color with white spots.
I found a few, in My Home I put them in a jar and gave them to my exterminator. He said they were cotton bugs , at one time this used to be a cotton field.
I live in an apartment on the top floor (19) and I don’t know where these little buggers came from but now in different areas in my apartment on my hard floor, I see their little babies (little worm-like creatures) wiggling across my floor usually underneath various objects in my home. They love getting into my daughter’s clothing she leaves on her floor (teenagers😩). I need them gone! The adults have wings and don’t move very fast.
Peppermint oil is toxic to dogs. Should probably try the neem oil if you have pets.
I have put Garlic cloves on shelves in cupboards it seems to kill them but they seem to reappear shortly after I put a gin and tonic in a glass in the cupboard so they wouldn’t get into it surprise surprise next day found 3 floating where do they come from only in the kitchen don’t see them flying they are just there.
Thank you so much, can’t wait to try peppermint oil‼️
Thanks for the tips! Though, Is there a more specific name for these bugs besides “little black bugs”? These little annoying critters just hang around my plants and the kitchen that are so annoying and smell when killed.
I have been seeing some black bugs on my kitchen countertops and they appear when I turn on the light. They are very fast runners and I’ve been able to kill some of the smaller ones but the bigger ones are hardest to get. I’ve only seen 2 of the bigger ones and I don’t know what they are or how to kill them..
Thanks for all the recommendations. I have sprayed bug spray but it may stain my walls plus they are so fast I need to follow their path and they can jump or fly a little distance. I think I will follow up with the peppermint oil. I like that one. Plus the bugs keep coming back the next morning. Maybe the oil will spread throughout the house with the fans one.
Thanks again.
FB in AZ
Thank You Very helpful.