Household and structural arthropod pests

The household and structural arthropod pests include several insect species and two mite species. Among insects, cockroaches, ants, silverfishes, booklice, carpet beetles, clothes moths and psocids are the common household pests and termites are major structural pests in the residences and surrounding areas. Other household pests include cigarette beetle, drug store beetle, tobacco moth, ham beetle, cheese beetles, and cheese and ham mites. However, these pests rarely occur and are of minor economic importance. As a result, research on control of these pests by plant-derived products had not been undertaken, and not included in this book. Social and household insect pests inhabit dwellings particularly in urban areas (Robinson, 2005; Masciocchi et al., 2017). Currently, these insects are controlled mostly by sprays, poison baits and aerosols containing abamectin, bifenthrin, fipronil, indoxacarb, imidacloprid, chlorpyriphos, propoxur or chlorfenapyr. Other formulations found in the market include gel, powder, dust, paste and pellets. Structural pests are controlled with oil paints or coating of pesticides at very low concentration.