Ugh there’s a bug with long antennae in the house. What could it be, and it is a sign of infestation?
There are many possible bugs with antennae that may venture into your house. These include cockroaches, silverfish, stink bugs, crickets, and more.
Here are some facts about long antennae bugs:
- The insect has a long, thin body with a slender head covered in hair or spinesÂ
- They use antennae for smelling, tasting, hearing, and sensing vibrations in the air or ground
- Antennae bugs are mostly black and brown, but some species can also be green or red-orange in coloration
In this article, we’ll go over several of the most common critters you’ll come across, and give some tips to get rid of them.
Antenna Bugs 101
Antennae bugs are insects that have long antennae to sense the environment. Mostly, they have six legs that can be either short or long, depending on the bug species.Â
Many types of bugs can cause an infestation, including long antennae bugs. These bugs tend to live in groups, so if you see one bug, more are likely hiding nearby.
Antennae are found on most insects, but they vary in length and shape depending on what type of insect they belong to. These anatomical features can be as long as one-third of the insect’s body or as short as a few millimeters long.
Antennae also vary in shape, some straight and others curved or coiled like a spring or helix. The following article will discuss the long antennae bug infestation and its consequences.
Different Types of Antennae in Bugs
The antennae of insects can be further categorized into primary and secondary. The primary antennae are usually shorter than the secondary antennae and are used for sensing the environment, while the secondary ones are longer and used for communication.
Additionally, the number of segments on an insect’s antenna indicates its species. Different species have different lifestyles and habitats, which require different sensory abilities.
Some insect species have multiple types of antennae with differing functions. For example, some ants have short antennae for detecting chemicals in the air while others have long antennae for detecting electric fields from prey or enemies.
Generally, there are approximately 13 different Antenna types with different functions. Such as:
- Filiform
- Monofiliform
- Lamellate
- Setaceous
- Serrate
- Pectinate
- Clavate
- Plumose
- Geniculate
- Style
- Capitate
- Flabellate
- Clavate
Importance of Long Antennae Bugs
The bugs in your house might seem annoying, but they could also indicate bigger problems. They are usually pests that could potentially carry diseases and can cause allergies. Bugs also carry bacteria and other contaminants that can make you sick.Â
Bugs can carry diseases and cause allergies. They can also carry bacteria and other contaminants that can make you sick.
Long antennae bugs are an important part of the ecosystem as they are the main predators of aphids and other insects that can damage crops. The long antennae bugs also help pollinate plants and flowers as they feed on nectar.
They are very sensitive to weather, temperatures, and humidity changes. Also, they have very thin skin that can dry out quickly in dry weather conditions.
Types of Long Antennae Bugs
It is important to know the types of bugs and their specific habitats to identify them. Some of the bugs are harmless, while some of them are not. The long antennae bug is one type you may often find inside your home.
Earwigs, cockroaches, caddisflies, silverfish, musk beetles, spined oak borer, stilt bugs, and Chariesterus are some types of long antennae bugs that can enter your house. You can identify a few of the long antennae bugs with the help of the description below:
1. Cockroaches
Cockroaches are insects that include over 2,500 species and belong to the order Blattodea. They are typically considered pests, but some species have become useful in research. Cockroaches have been around for over 300 million years and are among the most successful species on earth.Â
They can survive in almost any environment (including high-radiation areas) and eat almost anything as they have a very diverse diet. The antennae of cockroaches are long and thin. They help the cockroach find food, avoid predators, and navigate their environment.
Amazingly, cockroaches don’t need their antenna to survive: they can survive without a head for hours or days, and can even breed with no head!
Amazingly, cockroaches don’t need their antenna to survive: they can survive without a head for hours or days, and can even breed with no head!
Moreover, cockroaches are often found near sources of food, where they eat and leave droppings. The most common species is the German cockroach, which has a reddish-brown color with two dark stripes on its thorax.
Cockroaches are usually found in warm climates and prefer to live in moist places such as near sewers, bathrooms, and kitchens.Â
Their diet includes dead animals, garbage, and other insects. Unfortunately, they also carry diseases that can affect humans when they come into contact with them or their droppings.
Cockroaches are usually nocturnal, coming out at night to look for food.Â
2. Silverfish
Silverfish are small, wingless arthropods with long antennae that typically live in dark and damp places such as under stones or logs, or even in your bedding. They are also known as fishmoths or fishflies. The scientific name for the silverfish is Lepisma saccharina.Â
The name comes from the fish-like appearance of shiny, silver-colored scales and movements. Silverfish are usually less than an inch long but can grow up to three inches long.
They have a segmented body with three pairs of legs and antennae.Â
Silverfish are usually grayish brown but can be green or pinkish when they feed on certain plants. The silverfish is a nocturnal insect that feeds on paper and other organic substances. They tend to hide in dark corners of the house where they can find food, like on bookshelves, closets, and behind furniture. They don’t like light and will scurry away when the lights turn on.
Silverfish are not harmful to humans, but they can cause damage to furniture and clothes when they feed on them.
3. Stilt Bugs
Stilt bugs are predaceous insects that live in lush vegetation and damage crops. These bugs have long, thin bodies with two pairs of long legs and antennae. The front pair has pointy tips, and the rear pair is used for jumping and clinging to plants.
Stilt bugs feed on nectar from flowers or sap from plants. They are usually found on or near flowers during the daytime hours.
Some people believe that they have a protective function, noticing when a predator is approaching and then warning other stilt bugs by shaking their bodies around. Others think they use these long legs to help them reach food more easily or escape predators.
Stilt bugs are often mistaken for spiders because they have eight long legs and can be seen hanging from a branch. The most common stilt bug is the ichneumon wasp.
These wasps lay their eggs inside other insect larvae, and then the larvae will produce a stilt bug as food for the larva to eat once it hatches out of its cocoon. This stilt bug is not harmful to humans, but some other stilt bugs have venomous stingers.Â
Stilt bugs are often seen as a nuisance because they will crawl into houses, especially during the summer.
Some people may try to seal off any openings around their house to avoid this, but it is a constant challenge to keep small bugs out of the house and keep all openings sealed.
4. Earwigs
Earwigs are insects that are not very popular in the world. They get their name from a pair of pincers on the end of their abdomen that looks like forceps. Earwigs are also known as pincher bugs or earwig bugs.
They typically inhabit places with moist soil, rotting plants, and compost piles. Besides, they feed on other insects, plant material, and fungi. They are often confused with beetles but belong to an order called Dermaptera, while beetles belong to Coleoptera.
Earwigs are not harmful to humans but can be a nuisance and cause discomfort and skin irritation. They don’t bite or sting, but they can cause damage to crops, clothes, books, hair, food, and furniture.
The female earwig has an unusual way of laying eggs by piercing its host with its ovipositor and depositing its eggs into the wound it made.Â
Earwigs are typically brown or black and have elongated bodies. Moreover, earwigs have six legs and two antennae. The size of the earwig can range from 2 millimeters to 10 millimeters.
Earwigs can infest your house if they get inside. They are also nocturnal bugs that are most active at night.
5. Spined Oak Borer
The spined oak borer is a type of insect that can infest homes. It is a kind of bug that lays eggs on oak trees, and the larvae hatch from these eggs and burrow into the tree’s bark, where they feed on sapwood. The spined oak borer bug is found in homes if brought inside by accident.
They are attracted to light and will fly towards it, which could lead them to enter your home through an open window or door.
If you find bugs flying around your house during the daytime, this could indicate that you have an infestation of spined oak borers.
6. Caddisflies
Caddisflies are an order of insects, Trichoptera. They are found in various habitats but are most abundant in streams and rivers. Surprisingly, their larvae construct cases out of small pieces of plants and animals, fragments of leaves or other plant material, sand grains, or small pebbles.
Caddisflies also vary in coloration from light brown to dark brown or black. The larvae craft these cases around themselves and use them to protect themselves from predators while they grow into adults.
Caddisflies don’t have an exoskeleton, so it is easy to differentiate them from other insects that have a hard outer shell.
They are most likely to enter your home when they find a body of water near it. Further, they will fly over to a body of water and lay their eggs on it. The eggs will hatch into larvae and grow until they become adults.
Long Antennae Bug Infestation
The long antennae bug infestation can be harmful and destructive to the home. The common signs of infestation with these bugs include finding them on the walls, ceilings, windowsills, or other surfaces inside your home.
Moreover, you might find shedding skin like black specks and sometimes tiny white eggs on the floor and furniture.Â
You may end up with an infestation of long-antennae bugs in your house for many reasons. The most common reason is that these bugs are often attracted to light, so they usually enter your house through windows.
Unfortunately, they also like to hide in dark places, such as behind furniture or inside cabinets. The bugs will get into the walls and floors, damaging the insulation.
They can destroy everything inside your house, including furniture, clothes, and food.Â
How to Prevent Long Antennae Bug Infestation
If you notice any of these signs, then it is important to take action immediately before your infestation gets unmanageable. With luck, you may be able to treat the bugs with a commercial treatment from your local big box store, but you’ll need to know what you’re dealing with first.
If that doesn’t work, you may need to bring in the pros.
You may need to have a treatment done by pest control professionals if the infestation is worsening and spreading to other areas around your home.
You should seal any cracks or holes in the house’s exterior and ensure no extra lights are on at night.Â
Ensure your house is clean from all possible food sources for these bugs. It includes removing any plants or flowers from your yard or garden. You should also remove any items not being used at the moment that may have been left out in the open for too long – such as old newspapers or magazines.
The best way to prevent antennae bugs from infesting your home is by using bug-repellent lights that emit light at certain frequencies. These lights deter antennae bugs from coming near them by disrupting their internal navigation system.
Also, always avoid leaving out food sources like rotting fruits and vegetables or piles of composted material. Window screens are a simple and inexpensive way to keep insects out of your home. You can install screens on windows so that no bugs can get inside while keeping your house ventilated.
Conclusion
Identifying long-antennaed bugs in the house is important because some species may quickly infest your space. You want to manage them before they become too much of a problem!
A home is a complex environment, with many light and dark areas, easy sources of food and shelter, and relatively even temperature and humidity. This makes homes extremely attractive to most all bugs. Keep a good eye out for troublesome insect invaders, and take action before things get out of hand!
