The 10 Most Hated Insects in the United States

Insects are among the least popular species in the United States. Not only can they be a nuisance, they can also threaten our health and well-being. But which insects are disliked the most? Pest Strategies conducted a survey to find out. Below are the 10 most hated insects in the country, along with solutions for each to ensure your customers never have to encounter them.

10. Fleas

These common household pests tend to impact our furry friends the most, so it makes sense that they kick off this list. The Precor^® product family from Zoëcon offers a variety of aerosols and liquid-based solutions that ensure fleas stay away for good. And for more information on how to best protect customers from ticks, check out our State of the Flea article.

9. Scorpions

Scorpions are primarily a threat in the Southwest, but they’re still widely disliked and feared. Zoëcon has adulticides and botanicals that can prevent these scary insects from ever making an appearance. Essentria^® Mosquito & Tick Concentrate is formulated with naturally derived plant-based active ingredients that effectively combat scorpions. Zenprox^® EC is also formulated to fight scorpions.

8. Ants

What ants lack in size they make up for in numbers. And 2.8% of respondents agreed ants were the insect they hated the most. Whether you’re fighting common ants, or dangerous fire ants, Antack^® from Zoëcon can stop any potential ant infestation in its tracks. And if fire ants are a concern, baits like Extinguish^® Plus and Probait^® deliver effective control against fire ant infestations.

7. Centipedes

These lanky critters were voted the least favorite insect by 4.4% of the survey respondents. Zoëcon has a range of premise and contact products to combat centipedes, including Zenprox^® EC, Essentria^® All Purpose, Lambda 9.7 CS, and more.

6. Wasps

It’s no surprise to see these flying, stinging insects on this list, as nearly 5% of respondents voted wasps as their least favorite insect. Whether you need an adulticide, a botanical or a combination product, Zoëcon has a solution to stop wasps for any application. Essentria^® Wasp & Hornet Spray and Zenprox^® Wasp-X^®2 are both highly effective options for fighting wasps.

5. Ticks

Why did ticks make 6.1% of respondents tick? Mainly because they can spread Lyme disease. Zoëcon offers a variety of highly effective solutions for both residential and commercial tick control. Lambda 9.7 CS and Essentria^® All Purpose are great options against ticks. And for more information on how to best protect customers from ticks, check out our State of the Tick article.

4. Mosquitoes

It’s no surprise that mosquitoes were voted the most hated insect by 12.2% of participants. They were also voted the least popular insect in four states. Mosquitoes can cause numerous problems, from spoiling a backyard barbecue to spreading dangerous diseases like West Nile virus. Zoëcon has a proven combination of products that can help you achieve long-lasting mosquito control, including Essentria^® IC-Pro, Zenprox^® EC, Lambda 9.76 and Altosid^® Liquid Larvicide Mosquito Growth Regulator.

3. Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are certainly among the creepiest and hardest to identify insect species. And that’s why bed bugs received 12.2% of the votes as the most hated insect out there. It was also voted the least popular insect in nine states. The Zenprox^® and Gentrol^® product lines are both highly effective solutions for bed bugs.

2. Spiders

Perhaps no insect strikes more fear into people than a spider, which is why 13.3% of respondents said spiders were their most hated insect. Zoëcon offers highly effective products formulated to help ensure spiders never spin their webs in your customers’ residences and businesses.

1. Cockroaches

The resounding winner, or perhaps loser in this case, were cockroaches, which received 27.3% of the votes. Cockroaches were also the most hated insect in 29 states. Help your customers control cockroaches by choosing Gentrol^® Complete EC3 from Zoëcon, which was designed to defend against kitchen insects. This product delivers knockdown and lasting control that can prevent future infestations. And for more information on how to best protect customers from cockroaches check out our State of the Cockroach article.

Zoëcon can help you protect your customers from these 10 unpopular insects. Visit the Zoëcon solution finder to find the right insect control product for your unique needs.