Insects that are harmful for cats !!

[Alya bruno]

Hello good morning recently a strange insect started to appear in my house even though i clean well every day and idk if they might be harmful for my cat, i can’t use insecticide because i don’t want to harm my cat. Here is a picture of the insect anyone know what it could be and if it is harmful for cats + how to get rid of them?It has legs and antennae.

 

[silent meowlook]

Wow, I have no idea. There is a bug identification group on Facebook. Maybe join and ask there?
I have found diluted dawn dish soap to be effective for most insects and it is easy to remove.

 

[Margot Lane]

There’s an app called Picture Insect that is fun and easy to use. It tells you if the insect is poisonous or harmful to humans (or to your house). It also tells you if it’s endangered.

 

[Alya bruno]

Wow, I have no idea. There is a bug identification group on Facebook. Maybe join and ask there?
I have found diluted dawn dish soap to be effective for most insects and it is easy to remove.

Thanks for your response i will look for the group and i will try the soap also

 

[Alya bruno]

There’s an app called Picture Insect that is fun and easy to use. It tells you if the insect is poisonous or harmful to humans (or to your house). It also tells you if it’s endangered.

Thanks for your response i will search about the app

 

[Margot Lane]

…to me, tho the photos are blurry, it looks to be in the termite vein.

 

[Kris107]

Or try Google Lens.

 

[Caspers Human]

…to me, tho the photos are blurry, it looks to be in the termite vein.

I was going to say the same thing on both counts.

It looks like a termite but it's hard to tell from the picture.

If it IS a termite, it looks like one in the reproductive stage of its life cycle. If that's the case, you might have a problem that's more worrisome than whether it will hurt your cats.

Assuming it is a termite, they are mostly harmless to humans and small animals. They can bite or pinch but they are not poisonous or venomous. However, they can and WILL destroy the foundation of your house on short order. One termite doesn't necessarily constitute an emergency but it does mean that you should keep your eyes open for more of them.

A termite might have migrated in from some place else and might be looking for a home. If it finds one, it will start a colony and, by the end of the summer, you'll have a full-blown infestation! If it's just one and it doesn't find a home, you'll be okay. If it does, you'll need to contact an exterminator and have your house treated for termites.

I'm sorry to say that termites will require the use of insecticides by a licensed exterminator. It is absolutely NOT recommended to try "natural" remedies to get rid of termites. Some natural remedies might have some effect on termites but not usually enough to kill them off, effectively. What happens is that natural remedies can kill off SOME of the termites but the ones still inside the nest will breed and repopulate faster than natural remedies can kill them off. When you use natural remedies on termites, all you are really doing is delaying the inevitable.

I suggest trying one of those "insect identifiers" like Margot Lane suggests or, better, calling a professional to get their opinion.

 

[Alya bruno]

…to me, tho the photos are blurry, it looks to be in the termite vein.

I used the app you mentioned it says formosan subterranean termite, but also i asked a friend and they told me that it look like centipede but i don’t know yet

 

[Alya bruno]

Or try Google Lens.

Thanks for the response i will try this also

 

[Alya bruno]

I was going to say the same thing on both counts.

It looks like a termite but it's hard to tell from the picture.

If it IS a termite, it looks like one in the reproductive stage of its life cycle. If that's the case, you might have a problem that's more worrisome than whether it will hurt your cats.

Assuming it is a termite, they are mostly harmless to humans and small animals. They can bite or pinch but they are not poisonous or venomous. However, they can and WILL destroy the foundation of your house on short order. One termite doesn't necessarily constitute an emergency but it does mean that you should keep your eyes open for more of them.

A termite might have migrated in from some place else and might be looking for a home. If it finds one, it will start a colony and, by the end of the summer, you'll have a full-blown infestation! If it's just one and it doesn't find a home, you'll be okay. If it does, you'll need to contact an exterminator and have your house treated for termites.

I'm sorry to say that termites will require the use of insecticides by a licensed exterminator. It is absolutely NOT recommended to try "natural" remedies to get rid of termites. Some natural remedies might have some effect on termites but not usually enough to kill them off, effectively. What happens is that natural remedies can kill off SOME of the termites but the ones still inside the nest will breed and repopulate faster than natural remedies can kill them off. When you use natural remedies on termites, all you are really doing is delaying the inevitable.

I suggest trying one of those "insect identifiers" like Margot Lane suggests or, better, calling a professional to get their opinion.

Thank you for the response, i noticed more in the bathroom and i used insecticide only there since i don’t let my cat go inside after few mins i saw many many of them dead in the floor i was suspecting that they came from the cracks in the wall and my mom called someone to cover the cracks but i don’t know if that’s will help

 

[Alya bruno]

I tried to take better picture but it still not that good I flushed it with water so idk here is another pic

 

[Caspers Human]

No, it's definitely not a centipede.

Termites are insects. Insects have two main characteristics:
1) They have segmented bodies. Head. Thorax. Abdomen.
2) They have six legs in three pairs and their legs have segments.

Centipedes have a head and one, long section of body with many legs, all along the length.

Even from a blurry picture, it's easy to tell that your bug has a segmented body and six legs... Insect, not centipede.

If you've had somebody else, who you know, say that it's a termite, I vote with them... Termite.

 

[Margot Lane]

Termite. And, agree w/ Casper’s Human: get a termite expert in. I’ve had good luck with Borite, I believe it was called. This disrupts the natural cycle of the termite and they didn’t come back. Also get rid of any damp loose wood under your house.

 

[Caspers Human]

... i noticed more in the bathroom...
... i saw many many of them dead in the floor...
...my mom called someone to cover the cracks but i don’t know if that’s will help

If you saw "many" termites inside your house, you've got a problem that's going to need an exterminator!

NO! Do NOT, just cover the cracks!

Termites eat wood. They grow in colonies like ants and there can be thousands or even MILLIONS of them!
They live underground and inside the walls, floors and foundations of your house.

If you don't get rid of them, NOW, they will eat your house until it crumbles and starts to fall down!

Call an exterminator!

If you're worried about your cats, tell the exterminator. They will tell you what will or won't hurt your cats. Exterminators have to get a license just for this reason. If worse comes to worse, they will tell you to temporarily move your cats out of the house until the insecticide is gone.

The thing about termites is that, if you see one, there might be a hundred more, hiding inside your walls, eating your house away!

Termites will, quite literally, eat you out of house and home!

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Is this your house or do you rent?

 

[Alya bruno]

No, it's definitely not a centipede.

Termites are insects. Insects have two main characteristics:
1) They have segmented bodies. Head. Thorax. Abdomen.
2) They have six legs in three pairs and their legs have segments.

Centipedes have a head and one, long section of body with many legs, all along the length.

Even from a blurry picture, it's easy to tell that your bug has a segmented body and six legs... Insect, not centipede.

If you've had somebody else, who you know, say that it's a termite, I vote with them... Termite.

I believe that it could be termite too

 

[Alya bruno]

Termite. And, agree w/ Casper’s Human: get a termite expert in. I’ve had good luck with Borite, I believe it was called. This disrupts the natural cycle of the termite and they didn’t come back. Also get rid of any damp loose wood under your house.

I will try to find an expert cuz i never heard of this

 

[Alya bruno]

If you saw "many" termites inside your house, you've got a problem that's going to need an exterminator!

NO! Do NOT, just cover the cracks!

Termites eat wood. They grow in colonies like ants and there can be thousands or even MILLIONS of them!
They live underground and inside the walls, floors and foundations of your house.

If you don't get rid of them, NOW, they will eat your house until it crumbles and starts to fall down!

Call an exterminator!

If you're worried about your cats, tell the exterminator. They will tell you what will or won't hurt your cats. Exterminators have to get a license just for this reason. If worse comes to worse, they will tell you to temporarily move your cats out of the house until the insecticide is gone.

The thing about termites is that, if you see one, there might be a hundred more, hiding inside your walls, eating your house away!

Termites will, quite literally, eat you out of house and home!

There are many many of them i will try to find exterminator cuz i have never heard about this and i don’t know if they exist in my country

 

[Alya bruno]

Hi. Is this your house or do you rent?

It is my house for more than 20 years we have never seen these insects it’s the first time