Flies, ants, and mosquitoes caused the most widespread problems among US households according to a recent study by Organic Lesson. The three insects were identified as the top-searched pests across forty-one states, and they also accounted for 34% of total DIY pest control searches in the US.
The study analyzed Google's search interest data of 30 common household pests and rodents including flies, ants, bed bugs, mosquitoes, fleas, mice, and cockroaches. The study specifically focused on pest control searches with a DIY intent, such as “bed bug remedies,” “mosquito traps,” and “how to get rid of fruit flies.”
For more details on the methodology and to read the full study, visit: The Most Troublesome Household Pests in Each State (2018)
The Top Searched Pest in Each State (2018)
Alabama: Fleas
Alaska: Mosquitoes
Arizona: Mosquitoes
Arkansas: Ants
California: Flies
Colorado: Flies
Connecticut: Flies
Delaware: Flies
Florida: Mosquitoes
Georgia: Fleas
Hawaii: Mosquitoes
Idaho: Ants
Illinois: Ants
Indiana: Ants
Iowa: Ants
Kansas: Ants
Kentucky: Ants
Louisiana: Mosquitoes
Maine: Mice
Maryland: Ants
Massachusetts: Flies
Michigan: Flies
Minnesota: Flies
Mississippi: Fleas
Missouri: Ants
Montana: Mosquitoes
Nebraska: Flies
Nevada: Ants
New Hampshire: Mice
New Jersey: Ants
New Mexico: Ants
New York: Flies
North Carolina: Ants
North Dakota: Flies
Ohio: Ants
Oklahoma: Flies
Oregon: Ants
Pennsylvania: Flies
Rhode Island: Mice
South Carolina: Fleas
South Dakota: Flies
Tennessee: Ants
Texas: Mosquitoes
Utah: Flies
Vermont: Mice
Virginia: Flies
Washington: Flies
West Virginia: Fleas
Wisconsin: Mosquitoes
Wyoming: Flies
Other Insights from this study include:
- Bed bugs didn’t come out as the top-searched pest in any of the state-specific ranking lists but they did account for the third highest percentage of do-it-yourself pest control searches in the United States. Flies accounted for 14% of DIY pest control searches in the US, followed by ants (11%), bed bugs (9%), and mosquitoes (9%).
- The states in the northeastern region, such as Maine and New England, experienced more disturbances from rodents like mice, squirrels, and rats. 2018 was a record year for many of these states with local officials and pest control companies recording an unusually-high number of cases due to the warmer-than-average weather.
- Fleas were more of an issue for homeowners that resided in the southeastern states including Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama. 27% of flea treatment searches in those states were related to eliminating fleas on dogs and cats.
OrganicLesson.com is a home & gardening website dedicated to helping visitors live a greener, more natural, and more sustainable lifestyle.
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