This document provides information on various household pests that are associated with human dwellings and their management. It discusses insects like mosquitoes, flies, bed bugs, fleas, cockroaches, lice, silverfish and their role in transmitting diseases. It also covers social insects like termites and ants that damage household materials. For each insect, details are given on identification, disease transmission, and control methods like use of insecticides, repellents and biological control agents. The document thus serves as a useful reference for understanding common household pests and their management.

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Welcome

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Household pests in association with human beings
and their management
VINOD KUMAR. PATIL

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Contents
 INTRODUCTION
 INSECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HUMAN BEINGS.
 MOSQUITOS
 FLIES
 BED BUGS
 FLEAS
 COCKROACHES
 LICE
 SILVERFISH
 SOCIAL INSECTS ASSOCIATED WITH HOUSEHOLD MATERIAL.
 TERMITES
 ANTS
 MANAGEMENT
 CONCLUSION

4. Insect pests associated with human 4
COMMON NAME ORDER / SPECIES ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
Cockroaches
American cockroach
German cockroach
Oriental cockroach
Blattodea
Periplaneta americana
Blattella germanica
Blatta orientalis
Allergies, transmission of Salmonella,
Hepatitis
Sucking lice
Body louse
Head louse
Crab louse
Anoplura
Pediculus humanus humanus.
Pediculus humanus capitis
Pthirus pubis
Trench fever
Relapsing fever, Epidemic fever
Allergic reactions.
Bugs
Bed bugs
Kissing bugs
Cone nosed bugs
Hemiptera
Cimex lectularis
Reduvius personatus
Triatoma spp.
Bites, allergic reactions,
Chagas disease, Trypanosoma transmission.

5. Flies
House fly
Stable fly
Diptera
Muscidae
Musca domestica
Stomoxys calcitrans
Dysentery, Cholera, Salmonella, Allergic reactions
Anthrax.
Mosquitoes
Culicidae
Culex spp
Aedes spp
Anopheles spp
Japanese encephalitis, Elephantiasis.
Yellow fever, Dengue, Chikungunya, & Zika
Malaria.
Fleas
Cat flea
Human flea
Oriental rat flea
Siphonaptera
Ctenocephalides felis
Pulex irritans
Xenopsylla spp.
Allergic reactions, Bubonic plague.
Ants
Ants
Hymenoptera
Monomorium spp
Tetramorium spp
Painful stings.
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 Mosquitoes are ubiquitous in distribution and are found in all regions of the world.
 Mosquitoes are vectors for many human diseases such as Malaria, Yellow fever,
Chikungunya, Dengue, Filariasis, and Zika.
 Man, animals attract the mosquitoes by breath, emanations, sweat, warmth and moisture.
 Heat and moisture induce mosquitoes to alight only when in immediate vicinity of the
host.
 CO2 attracting, stimulates activity in mosquitoes.
Mosquito’s

7. Anopheles Aedes Culex
Boat shaped eggs, laid on fresh
and clean water.
Oblong, Laid singly on dry
places.
Cigar shaped & laid in rafts on
stagnant and dirty water.
Larvae surface feeder Bottom feeder Bottom feeder
Pupal respiratory siphon is short
and flared.
Pupal respiratory siphon is
variable .
Pupal respiratory siphon is long
and slender.
Small spines on side of abdomen
of pupa.
No spines No spines
Abdominal tip of adult female
mosquito is blunt.
Abdominal tip is pointed. Abdominal tip is rounded.
At rest, body lies at an angle of
45 to the resting surface.
Body lies slightly oblique to the
resting surface.
Body lies about parallel with the
resting surface.
Proboscis is inserted straightly. Proboscis inserted much
obliquely.
Proboscis inserted little
obliquely.
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(D.B.Tembhare., 2012) Modern Entomology

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9. Anopheles
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Symptoms
three distinct stages of Malaria
1. Cold stage
2. Hot stage
3. Sweating stage (Tyagi., 2008)
 Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, P. faciprum
Aedes
 Fever, Severe headache, Joint pain, muscle pain, Nausea,
vomiting, Pain behind eyeballs,

10. Culex
Filariasis, Japanese encephalitis.
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Lymphedema

11. Table 1: Insecticides recommended for larvicidal operations
INSECTICIDES Trade name ® DOSAGE g(a.i)/ha
Temephos Abate ® 5% extruded pellets
S-methoprene Altosid ®, Aquaprene ® Pellets
Monomolecular films Agnique ® MMF,
Golden Bear Oil, i.e.,
Mosquito Larvicide
GB-1111®
Larvicide / Pupicide.
2ml/m2
Bacillus thuringiensis
israelensis serotype H-14
(BTI)
Aquabac ®, Teknar ®,
Vectobac ®, Bactimos ®
Flowables, Granulars, and
Pellets
Bacillus sphaericus (BSP) Vectolex ® WSP (7.5% BSP)
water-soluble
Spinosad Natular ® EC 2.5%, Granules.
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Management
(L. B. Brattsten,) State University of New Jersey.

12.  Application on of Malaria larvicidal oil, (petroleum crude oil) on water
surface which creates thin film on it .
 Spray of pyrethrum 0.2% oil over water bodies.
 Diflubenzuron 25% WP at 50 to 100g a.i./ha effective against all
mosquito.
 A water dispersible formulation of Bacillus thurengiensis var.
israelensis serotype H14 strain 164 @ 0.5g/sq. m of water surface
is effective against early instar mosquito larva .
 Biological control agents such as larvivorous fishes.
 Fundulus spp.
 Gambusia affinis.
 Aplochelus panchax.
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Gambusia affinis

13. Products registered for Mosquito control
 Mosquito coil : (d-allethrin 0.2% coil)
 Agarbatti: Pyrethrum 0.3%
 Vaporizer mat : d-allethrin 4%
 Liquid vaporizer : d-allethrin 3.6%
 Membrane vaporizer : Transfluthrin 20%
 Repellents (Skin application ) : deet 15% lotion.
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14. Cockroach
 The cockroach is also one of the oldest insects in the world.
 Currently, there are 4,600 species described and over 460 genera worldwide. about
ten of which live close to humans.
 They are most active at night and stay in the dark whenever possible.
 When they are seen in the open or in the light, it usually means that a large
infestation is present.
 Rapid breeding cycle: Roaches can rapidly expand their numbers in a few weeks or
months.
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16.  Store food in sealed container.
 Keep the things clean and dry.
 Use cockroach baits and gel.
 Sodium fluoride is highly effective against the Roaches, its use should be confined to floors
and basements .
 Boric acid (Borax) or Diatomaceous earth dust can be puffed into wall voids for long term
control.
 Etofenprox (1mg per sq.cm spray application is highly effective against German Cockroach.
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Management

17.  The most promising parasitoids are the cockroach wasp (Aprostocetus hagenowii)
against Periplaneta spp.
 Ensign Wasp (Evania appandigaster) parasitic wasp on eggs of Cockroach.
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Indoxacarb, 0.6%
COCKROACH GEL
Evania appandigaster

18. BED BUGS
 Body dorsoventrally flattened.
 Sting glands are located dorsally on first three abdominal segments.
 Haemocoelic or Traumatic insemination.
 Simple metamorphosis.
 Two species of Bedbugs are considered as human pests:
a) Temperate Bedbug/American/European- Cimex lectularis.
b) Tropical bedbug/Asian/African- Cimex hemipterans.
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Eggs
Nymph
Adult female
Adult male
Bedbugs at corner shot
crevices

21. Management
 Spraying of cracks in the bed, bed room furniture, floors and walls with the pure
kerosene.
 Use of insecticides such as 0.5 % Diazinon, 0.5 %, DDVP or 1% Propoxur (Baygon) .
 Fumigation with hydrocyanic acid has been the most effective method of
elimination of bed bugs.
 Recently Ethylene oxide-carbon dioxide has been used successfully for this purpose
but it is more expensive. (Neely and Walden.)
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22. Lice
 Small, wingless parasites of mammals.
 Head narrow and eyes reduced.
 Antennae short.
 Blood sucking ectoparasites.
 Each leg ends in a strong claw.
 Eggs are usually stuck on to the host's hair Blood-sucking lice on humans comprises three types, namely
 Pubic or crab louse (Pthirus pubis),
 Body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus),
 Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis)
Vectors of rickettsia, epidemic typhus, and relapsing fever are “louse borne diseases”
(Weyer et al.,1960)
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Crab lice Body lice Head lice

23. Lice as vectors of disease
Lice Disease Distribution
Body lice
(Pediculus humanus humanus)
Louse borne typhus
(Rickettsia prowazeki)
Louse borne relapsing fever
(Borrelia recurrentis)
Epidemics in mountain areas in
east and central Africa
World wide
Head lice
(Pediculus humanus capitis)
Its not a disease vector but may
produce a allergies. Which
results in ‘lousiness’
World wide
Crab lice
(Pthirus pubis)
Not a disease vectors World wide
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 The hairs must be combed.
 Manual removal of lice eggs and nits.
 Head lice are transmitted mainly through head-to-head contact.
 Treat with anti lice commercial available as a Kenz shampoo.
Management

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 Order: Hemiptera
 Family: Reduvidae
 Chagas disease causal organism Trypanosoma cruzi, which cause human Trypanosomiasis.
 Triatoma infestans, Rhodnius prolixus , T. sordida which spread Chagas diseases in Central and
South America.
 In other hand Reduvidae family (Platimeris leavicollis) predacious on rhinoceros beetle.
Management
 Chemical control of the vectors appears to be the best way to reduce the incidence of the disease.
 Spraying dwellings areas with insecticide formulations.
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Triatoma bugs

26. SILVERFISH
 They are primarily wingless insects.
 Ctenolepsima sp. Is a house hold pest mainly found in home and library.
 It feeds and destroys the papers, book bindings, and starched clothing's.
MANAGEMENT
 AN excellent bait can be made of following ingredients in the proportion indicated.
 Oat meals - ½ cup
 White arsenic - ¼ tea spoon
 Granulated sugar - ½ tea spoon
 Salt - ¼ tea spoon
 Water to make a moist
(Neely and Walden.)
 Keep the naphthalene balls in corners.
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 There are some 2500 species and sub species of fleas belonging
to 239 genera, but only relatively few important pests of humans.
 The most important fleas are Xenopsylla species such as, X.
cheopis, which is a vector of plague (Yersinia pestis) and flea
borne endemic typhus (Rickettsia typhi).
 House Rat (Rattus rattus)
Fleas

28. Important Rodent species in India
Rodent spp Common name Habitat Distribution
Rattus rattus House rat Rural and urban residential places All over India
Bandicoot bengalensis Indian mole rat Warehouses and godowons and
crop fields
NE India, south India
Bihar, MH
Tatera indica Indian gerbil Crop fields and grass fields WB, MH & Bihar
Mus booduga Field mouse Crop fields Central & southern India
Hystrix indica Indian crested porcupine Orchards and tuberous crops All over India
Bandicoot indica Large bandicoot rat Rural environment Southern India
Mus musculus House mouse Warehouse and godowons All over India
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29. Management of Rats
 Commonly used rodenticides.
 Aluminum phosphide - a fumigant used to kill Rats and Mice.
 Bromodiolone and Warfarin - These are anticoagulants which are act as a stomach poison.
 Zinc phosphide - Inorganic compound, highly toxic. Commonly used in baits.
Baiting technique:
 2% bait is used to kill the rats.
 2gm of zinc phosphide with 98gm of bait.
 Wheat flour or grain flour is used for the preparing baits.
 Mustard oil used as attractant.
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Management
 Wash your bed sheets, curtains, all of your pet's bedding, toys, pillows and
blankets.
 Derris and Pyrethrum powder may rubbed into the animals.
 A Derris-kerosene household spray proves highly effective against the fleas.
 Insecticidal powders containing 2-5% malathion , 1% permethrin can be applied
to the coat of an animal.
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31. 31 The most important from the medical aspect are the common
housefly and the stable fly.
 House flies can transmit viruses of polio, infectious hepatitis, Q fever
(Rickettsia) and numerous bacterial diseases, such as Dysentery,
Cholera, Typhoid's and Paratyphoid's (Salmonella).
Management
 Quick and proper disposal of manure.
 Accumulated farms manure should be kept covered with soil.
 Lime, Cuso4, Formaldehyde or Borax could be liberally sprinkled
on breeding grounds.
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Flies

32. 32Sand flies gives a moth like appearance.
 Sand flies (Phlebotominae) are blood suckers and their larvae inhabit places
where there is high organic matter such as in animal burrows, termite hills and
tree holes.
 Sand fly of genus Phlebotomus argentipes are the only known vectors of
kala-azar in India.
Management
Repellents such as DEET or Picaridin are proven to work, but may not be
suitable for some people, e.g. people with sensitive skin and pregnant women.
A particular extract of Lemon Eucalyptus oil effective repellents against
sand flies .
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Sand Flies
http://www.phsource.us

33. Black flies.
 Simulium spp
 Filarial worm Onchocera volvulus
 Onchocerciasis/ River blindness
Management
 Black flies are small enough to pass through window
Screen
 Repellents containing "DEET" formulations are effective
for prevention of black fly bites.
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TERMITES
 Termites are regarded as social insects.
 Specialization in wood-feeding is considered as the
primary cause for the evolution of sociality in termites
 All termites are Eusocial
 Reproductive castes and overlapping generations are
universal for termite colonies.
(Higashi et al., 2000)

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 Termites are chief decomposers of dead plant materials, and they contribute
significantly to the nutrient turnover of soil
( Holt et al., 2000)
 3,000 termite species in the world
 183 species (6.1%) -pests
 83 species (2.8%) -damage wooden structures or furniture's.
(Edwards et al., 1986)

36. 36 Termites that form large colonies with an extensive underground gallery in soil.
 38 are serious pests
 Coptotermes - largest number of species (18 )
 C. formosanus and C. gestroi are most economically important termite pests because of their
widespread distribution
 C. formosanus- subtropical and temperate regions
 C. gestroi- tropics
 Termites that usually form small colonies in a piece of wood.
 The majority of Drywood termite pests belong to the genus Cryptotermes followed by Incisitermes spp.

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 The most widely distributed and the most economically important species is Cryptotermes brevis.
 Small colonies of drywood termites are confined in a piece of wood and can be easily
transported.

38. Table:2 Termite species recognized in Indian sub continents.
Family species distribution
Rhinotermitedae Coptotemis ceylonics
Coptotermis exiguous
Coptotermis formosans
Coptotermis truncates
Indian sub continents
Indian ocean
Termitidae Odontotermis obesus
Odontotermis ceylonicus
Odontotermis feae
Odontotermis redemanni
Indian sub continents
Mastotermitidae Heterotermis philipiences
Heterotermis gertrudae
Heterotermis indicola
Heterotermis ceylonics
Indian ocean
Indian sub continents
Kalotermitidae Cryptotermes bengalensis
Cryptotermes cynocephalus
Cryptotermes dudleyi
Indian sub continents
 Kalotermitidae are dry wood termites and remaining are subterranean termites.
(Edwards and Mills)
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 Application of liquid insecticides in sub slab soil
 According to survey of the termite control industry in the United States In 2002
 77% of termite control firms used liquid termiticides
 38% used termite bait products.
 2009- more than 80% of the market share
 Pyrethroids (Permethrin, Cypermethrin, and Bifenthrin) repel termites from treated
barriers,
(Su et al., 1990)

40. 40Whole-structure treatments
 Fumigation with Sulfuryl fluoride and Methyl bromide.
 Heating all wood in the structure to a minimum of 50°c and holding this
temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Localized or Spot Treatments
 Localized treatments can be used when a limited area of relatively small
buildings.
 Cold treatment with liquid nitrogen for 5 minutes at -5°F
 Microwave devices are also available for drywood termite control.
 High voltage electricity, is another non-chemical option for controlling
Drywood termites.

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ANT’S
 14,122 species are described out of which 40 to 50 are urban pests.
 The small red Pharaohs ant (Monomorium pharaonic. L) and the larger black
pavement ant (Tetramorium caespitum. L) nests in and under houses.
(Neely and Walden.)
 The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile and the Pharaoh ant, Monomorium
pharaonis are found in urban centers worldwide.
 Monomorium pharaonic has been implicated as a mechanical vector of
pathogenic bacteria.
(Ebeling., 1978)
Monomorium spp
Tetramorium spp

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 Seventy-five percent of ants collected from hospitals carried airborne fungi, Candida yeast and
85% were contaminated by the fungus Aspergillus. (Santos et al., 2011)
MANAGEMENT
 Poison baits are very effective control measures because workers carry the poisoned food to the
nests and feed it to the entire colony.
 Commercially prepared Thallium sulfate baits has been found effective in controlling ants.
 Pyrithrum power is also effective against ants.
 Bait formulations with soybean oil and Indoxacarb controlled M. pharaonic for 3 weeks
(Furman et al., 2006)

43. CONCLUSION
 Household pest management is most important because of most of the
pests causes fatal diseases to human beings and act as a vectors for
disease transmission.
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45. Thank you
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