The largest of the common species, growing to a length of 1 1/2″ or more. Reddish-brown with a yellow border on the back of the pronotum. The wings of the male extend beyond the tip of the abdomen, while the…

Winged reproductives produce the offspring in the colony and swarm at certain times of the year. Colonies can have both primary reproductives (one king and one queen), and hundreds of secondary reproductives to assist in egg laying and colony growth.…

Hibernating during the winter months, Big brown bats often roost in different locations in the summer months. Winter roosts tend to be natural subterranean locations such as caves and underground mines where temperatures remain stable.

An adult bed bug is about 1/5″ long and 1/8″ wide. Its reddish-brown body is greatly flattened and oval-shaped. A bed bug has piercing-sucking mouthparts which enable it to pierce the skin and suck blood from its host. Its Latin…

Box elder bugs are found mostly on boxelder, maple and ash trees, but sometimes other plants. They are black or dark brown in coloring with red on their wings and abdomen. They are about .5 inches long. They are mostly…

Adults are flat, about 1/8″ long and uniformly red-brown with tiny pits scattered over the back. Unlike the male, the female enlarges after feeding to about 1/2″ long and 1/4″ wide. The enlarged portion of the body becomes gray-blue to…

Bumblebees are large, fuzzy insects with short, stubby wings. They are larger than honeybees, but they don’t produce as much honey. However, they are very important pollinators. Without them, food wouldn’t grow. While other animals pollinate, bumblebees are particularly good…

These are among the largest of ants and are vicious biters. Workers vary greatly in size from 1/4″ to 3/8″ in length. Usually they are black, but may have some brown coloration. They’re long-legged and move swiftly. Found throughout the…

In the late-spring and early summer, homeowners often notice large, black bees hovering around the outside of their homes. These are probably carpenter bees searching for mates and favorable sites to construct their nests. Male carpenter bees are quite aggressive,…

Most common in northern states. This beetle infest carpets and feeds on the fabric. It also feeds on animal products that are left undisturbed such as wool, leather, furs, etc.These beetles are small and oval in shape. They’re grayish black…

Most common during the summer, especially when homes are reoccupied after vacation. Most common hosts are cats, dogs, man and a wide variety of animals. These fleas are extremely small and are wingless.

A flat, wormlike body. 1″ or more in length with one pair of long legs for almost each body segment. The house centipede is grayish-yellow with three dark stripes running the length of the body. It has 15 pairs of…

Chipmunks are small rodents. They are approximately 7-9.8 inches in length. They tend to look smaller than squirrels, having less mass, and a smaller tail. They are usually brownish-reddish in color and have stripes down their backs and face.

Tineola bisselliella, or clothes moths, can be identified by the reddish-gold hair on the top of their heads, and golden hairs fringed to their wings. Adult clothes moths are about a 1/2 inch in length. They are not attracted to…

Clover mites are small mites with long front legs that look like red specks that crawl on brick, decks, doors, windows, siding, furniture, etc. They are no bigger than the head of a pin. They leave a red stain when…

Size: 5/16” long color: non-metallic, light & dark grey abdomen In the late fall, cluster flies will fly to the sunny sides of homes and other structures in search of protected sites to over-winter. They will migrate inside through cracks…

Loud, chirping, and leaping insects that can keep you awake at night are called Crickets. They are about an inch long and usually black, but can be green, brown, or red. They have a similar appearance to grasshoppers. Their 2…

The deer tick is found in grassy areas, open fields, and especially the margin where fields meet wooded areas. The deer tick transmits a bacteria which causes Lyme disease, a serious human disease that exhibits symptoms common to many other…

Drain flies are a common, Major health hazard. These small insects closely resemble fruit flies and breed in the decaying organic matter typically found in “J” traps or floor and sink drains. Drain flies cannot be eliminated unless you remove…

Earwigs are most readily recognized by the forceps at the end of the abdomen. Species range from 1/2″ to 1″ in length, and from light reddish-brown to jet black in color. Some species are marked with stripe or band on…

They are about 5/8 to 3/4+ inch in length, the queens are generally a little larger. They are mostly black with a white pattern on most of the face, and a few white markings on their body. The inseminated queen…

Adults are about 1/8 inch in length and the color varies between tan, brownish, or brownish-black. The eyes are normally bright red. Fruit flies are drawn to fresh fruit and vegetables or where there is plenty of moisture and yeast.

Their color varies from light brown to tan, except for 2 dark streaks on the shield-like segment behind the head. They prefer infesting the kitchen and bathroom, but will live anywhere that is heated, has food, water and harborage. They…

Greenhead Horse Fly: The Notorious Beach Day Destroyer If you have ever spent a summer day on the beaches of Northeast Massachusetts or Southern New Hampshire, chances are you have had an unfortunate encounter with the Greenhead Horse Fly, also…

A honey bee (or honeybee) is any member of the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of colonial nests from wax. The best known honey bee is the Western honey bee which…

The house fly is the most common of all flies fluttering in homes, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects; it is often considered a pest that can carry serious diseases. Its eggs are laid in almost any…

The outer two thirds of the forewings are bronze or copper in color while the upper third are yellowish-gray, with a dark band at the interface between the two. The wingspan is 16-20 mm.Up to 300 eggs are laid directly…

The lady bug, or asian lady beetle, is a small beetle usually red, yellow or orange in color with black dots on their wing covers. They have short legs and antennae. Lady bugs tend to feed on plant-eating insects, making…

Belonging to the rodent family, these little pests are some of the most harmful. They are small rodents typically grey or brown in color. They have long tails and large ears, and they are usually no more than a few…

Millipedes are closely related to centipedes and sowbugs. They are dark brown and have many legs. They have a cylindrical body and can be 1 to 1.5 inches long. They can also curl into a spiral coil shape. They are…

Mosquitoes are types of flies with a tube-like mouth. Most are about 1/8 to 3/4 inches in size. They feed on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Only females are able to suck blood. The saliva of a…

Their body is brown to black, and are approximately 1/16 – 1/8 inch in length. Their antennae have 12 segments and are without a club. They received their name because when crushed they give off a pungent odor. Read about…

Opossums look like giant rats, with pointed snouts and skinny, hairless tails. Adult opossums average just 10-14 lbs and do not have a very long lifespan. Rarely do they live more than two years. Opossums are nocturnal and omnivores, so…

The Oriental cockroach or waterbug (Blatta orientalis) is a large species of cockroach, measuring about 1 inch in length at maturity. It is dark brown to black in color and has a glossy body.

Adults are about 5/8-3/4 inch long. They are usually brownish with yellow markings, and some have been known to have reddish markings. Paper wasps will hang their comb nests from branches, twigs and shrubs. Most often, if these nests are…

The workers are about 1/16 – 1/8 inch in length and the queen is about 3/8 inch. Their body ranges from light brown to black and their legs and antennae are paler. Their bodies are covered with stiff hairs.Indoors, the…

These ants vary in color from yellowish to reddish, with the abdomen normally darker to black. Pharaoh ants are found throughout the United States. There colonies can become very large, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They prefer to nest…

Feral pigeons are responsible for untold millions of dollars of damage each year. The uric acid in their feces is highly corrosive. Also, debris from roosting flocks can build up, backing up gutters and drains thus causing damage to roofs…

Second only to termites in destroying wood, Powder Post Beetles leave small, round holes in wooden articles along with a residue of fine, powder-like dust.These beetles range from 1/12″ to 1/3″ in length and from reddish-brown to black in color.…

Easily recognizable by their well-know ringed tail and masked face, raccoons are common throughout North America. However, they are very common in urban areas and less common in most rural areas. They are primarily nocturnal, so most of their mischief…

The Norway, or brown, rat lives both as a commensal in close association with man and in the feral state. As a commensal this rat lives principally in basements, on the ground floor, or in burrows under sidewalks or outbuildings.…

Skunks are furry little animals that you can smell from a distance away once they have sprayed. Skunk spray is very difficult to remove and can linger for a very long time, especially if a home gets sprayed. Skunks spray…

Oval bodies, convex above and flat or hollow underneath. Never over 3/4″ long. Both have seven pairs of legs. The sowbug has two tail-like appendages that prevent it from rolling up in a ball. The pillbug, however, lacks these appendages…

Eight legs with no wings or antennae. Their bodies have only two sections-a fused head and thorax, and an abdomen. All spiders have a pair of jaw-like structures with a hollow, claw-like fang at the end. Depending on the species…

The common squirrels of this area are the gray squirrel (shown here), the red squirrel, the fox squirrel and the flying squirrel. Squirrels are rodents and are usually about 7-9.8 inches in length. Squirrels are identified by their bushy tail…

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a common pest that can cause significant damage to fruit and vegetable crops. These shield-shaped insects are about half an inch in size and are named for the unpleasant odor they emit when…

Winged forms are only 1/2″ long. Workers and soldiers are about 1/4″ long. The soldier has an elongated, quadrangular, light yellow head with straight mandibles, curved at the tip. The thorax of the worker is the narrower than the head…

Straight, beaded antennae, broad waistline, two pairs of wings – equal in size. A “swarm” is a dispersal flight of winged termites to start new colonies. Termites have straight antennae, a thick waist and both pairs of wings same size.…

Many people confuse the Western Conifer Seed Bug for stink bugs, asking: “What are these skinny stink bugs?” Several key features set these two pests apart: Unique Body Structure: The Western Conifer Seed Bug boasts a longer body compared to…

Hornets and wasp look similar because hornets are a type of wasp. Yellow jackets, sometimes known as hornets, are short wasps that are black and yellow or white. All yellow jackets build paper nests that are completely surrounded by a…