Pest Identification Guide
- See images of common pests at Pest Web
- Spotlight on Pests from National Pest Management Association: Provides detailed information about a range of household pests
| Pest | Where They Are Found |
How to Prevent/Get Rid of Them |
| Termites | Wood in direct contact with the soil; stored newspapers and cardboard boxes; wood (e.g., tree stumps and construction debris buried in backfill); fence posts; wall voids; porches. |
Break wood-to-soil contact; remove scrap wood and paper debris; improve drainage away from structure; inspect vapor barriers; improve ventilation in crawl spaces. |
| Ants | Water damaged wood; fence posts; decking; firewood; door and window voids; attics; utility piping; dead parts of trees and stumps; tree branches contacting roof; kitchen cabinets; wall voids; gaps under doors and around utility piping; house plants; cracks in pavement; under landscape timbers, rocks and mulch. |
Eliminate conditions that favor moisture accumulation; move and aerate firewood; remove dead trees, stumps and overhanging branches contacting house as well as rotten railroad ties in landscape; remove food sources; seal all cracks and crevices; locate and eliminate nests; correct drainage in house plants; seal cracks in pavement and concrete slabs. |
| Cockroaches | Kitchens; grocery bags; un-refrigerated vegetables; toasters, radios and TVs; bathrooms; electrical and plumbing conduits; floor drains. |
Clean up spilled foods and water; eliminate harborage and pathway areas by sealing or screening; repair water leaks; increase ventilation; inspect incoming foods and packaging. |
| Mice & Rats |
Under sinks; kitchen cabinets; stored food; storage areas; wall voids; inside appliances; closets; firewood; attics; garages; and basements. |
Install physical barriers; eliminate food and water; remove nesting sites; inspect incoming boxes. |
| Domestic House Spiders |
Holes or cracks in a structure; basements; crawl spaces; attics; garages; basements; and outdoors in vegetation. |
Remove or limit heavy, ground-covering vegetation; seal cracks and holes in building exteriors; install tight-fitting screens on all attic and foundation vents; seal holes around pipes indoors to prevent spiders from entering the home along plumbing lines in basements or crawl spaces. |
| Scorpions | Under or inside something like a baseboard, a shoe, or a rug. Sometimes fall into a sink or bathtub during night hunting. Can crawl up masonry, rough wood or plaster, such as in wall voids, and may hide under or near air conditioning ducts in attics. |
Seal entrance points to house; place physical barriers (like double-stick tape) across or below all cracks or openings. |
| Flying Insects |
Garbage; faulty plumbing; eaves; attics; light fixtures; wall voids; puddles of water and other moist areas. |
Install or repair screens; change lighting; improve drainage; remove garbage daily; keep trashcans clean and tightly covered; repair cracks around siding, windows and doors. |
| Pantry/Fabric Pests |
Flour; potpourri; spices; cereals; rice; beans; dry pet food; stored clothing; woolen rugs. |
Inspect foods and packaging prior to storage; store foods in glass/plastic containers; clean up spilled foods; rotate dry goods; store only clean cloths. |
How to Tell the Difference Between a Termite and an Ant
Termite:
Both wings are the same size and have many veins.
Straight beaded antennae.
Broad waist.
Ant:
Two pairs of wings.
Hind wings smaller than the front wings and have few veins.
Antennae elbowed.
Narrow (pinched) waist.
Dangerous Spiders
Spiders are predators that feed on living prey including other pests and animals. All spiders are poisonous; however, some are more dangerous than others. The black widow and brown recluse spiders are very dangerous and have been known to cause occasional fatalities in humans.
Black Widow Spiders:
Body may be up to 3/4-inch in length with the abdomen reaching 3/8-inch in diameter.
Typically glossy black but may also be dark brown to light brown.
Characteristic red markings on the underside of the abdomen often connect to form an hourglass shape.
Can be found almost anywhere, indoors or out; prefer to build nests close to the ground in a protected site such as among items piled together, beneath boards, in firewood, and between boxes.
Bites most frequently occur when people are picking up an item under which the spider is hiding or putting on a shoe the spider has crawled into.
Bite results in severe pain that may take several days to subside and be very dangerous to small children and elderly persons.
Brown Recluse Spiders:
About 5/8-inch in length and a leg span of about 1 1/2 inches in diameter with six eyes arranged in three pairs at the front of the head area and a fiddle-shaped marking on the back.
Usually light brown but may be darker in some specimens.
Often called the “violin” spider or “fiddle back” spider because of the distinctive fiddle-shaped marking on its back.
Prefer to build their webs in corners, commonly found in garages, crawl spaces, and basements.
Does not seek to bite people, bites are usually accidental because a spider crawls into a shoe, clothing, or bed.
Bite produces open, ulcerating sores that often become infected, causing significant tissue damage.
Source: National Pest Management Association
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