15 Things You Need To Know About Mice And Other Pests Gallery

There are lots of ways germs can spread through your home. But pests might be one of the grossest. Common household pests, such as mice, cockroaches, ants, and other creepy crawlies often go unnoticed — until, of course, it's too late. Once an infestation worsens, it can get much harder to treat.

Your best line of defense against these critters is keeping a clean house. Make sure you pest-proof your kitchen (this simple guide may help) and thoroughly clean the dirtiest areas of your home. If you hate using harsh chemicals and spending loads on cleaning supplies, remember that cleaning doesn't have to be complicated. You can use these all-natural cleaning tips to keep your home free of germs for a fraction of the price.

But you can only do so much to prevent pests from worming their way inside your home. If some manage to infiltrate, it's not the end of the world. Becoming knowledgeable about pests and their habits can make dealing with an infestation easier — here are 15 things you need to know to keep your home pest-free.

This is why it's so important to catch that first bite. Bedbugs need to bite a person in order to grow out of their nymph stage and become adults. Once they're adults, they are visible to the naked eye. But as young bedbugs, they're so small it's unlikely you'll see them. Adult bedbugs reproduce quickly, so if you can catch an infestation while the majority of the bugs are still young, you'll be much better off.

When it comes to food, cockroaches will eat anything and everything. But if need be, a roach can live without any food for nearly a month — starving them won't work. Cockroaches can regulate their metabolism; without a source of food, they can dip their metabolism to such a slow rate that they survive for almost a month without eating.

While it might seem like good news to find a bug that's already dead, it's as much of a warning sign as anything. Even though that particular bug is dead, it probably had friends — and those friends are very much alive. If you find a dead bug like a cockroach or other invasive pest, it's time to call pest control.

They may be cute, but these rodents are destructive little creatures. They chew on wires, make new holes in your walls, and can even start a fire. How? If they chew through a wire that sparks a flame, you could have a serious fire starting from inside your walls.

Killing ants that are roaming around your home won't solve your pest problem. To kill an ant colony, you have to kill the queen. By spraying the messengers, all you're doing is warning the ants where not to hide — and making the root problem harder to solve.

When pests crawl over disease-ridden surfaces, they pick up bacteria, viruses, and other things that could make you sick. Their little legs are also crawling all over your kitchen, putting you at risk of contamination from wherever else they've been.

If you see a roach in your sink, don't bother trying to drown it. Cockroaches can survive underwater for an impressive amount of time — 40 minutes, to be exact. So unless you're holding it under for nearly an hour, trying to drown the bug is pointless.