Pests can be a problem. General Exterminating’s pest identification pages can help you identify common household pests and the possible signs of an infestation. Our gallery and information was designed to help you better identify what might be annoying you!
Get up-to-date information on some of the most common household pests from ants to termites, click on each image to learn more about each species. If you have a specific pest-related question please feel free to use the Contact Form and ask us – you will even be able to attach a photo or two. You can also call us directly at 623-977-2100.
ANTS
Argentine Ants, Carpenter Ants, Longhorn Crazy Ants, Fire Ants, Forelius Ants, Leafcutter Ants, Odorous House Ants, Pavement Ants, Pharaoh Ants, Rover Ants
There Are More Than 700 Ant Species Found In The U.S., Although Only About 25 Species Commonly Infest Homes. Ants Are Social Insects That Typically Live In Underground Colonies, Made Up Of Workers And A Queen. Ants Will Eat Practically Any Kind Of Food, But Are Especially Attracted To Sweets. Ant Identification Is Relatively Simple Due To Their Three Distinct Body Regions: Head, Thorax And Abdomen, As Well As Antennae. Despite Similar Construction, Ants Vary In Overall Appearance. Small Or Large Ants And Brown Or Black Ants Are Common Nicknames For Different Species.
BED BUGS
Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, is the best known as it prefers to feed on human blood. The name bed bug derives from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius: warm houses and especially near or inside beds and bedding or other sleep areas. Bed bugs are mainly active at night, but are not exclusively nocturnal. They usually feed on their hosts without being noticed.
BEES
Africanized Honey Bee, Bumble Bee, Carpenter Bee, Honey Bee, Sweat Bee, Western Yellow Jacket, Paper Wasp, Tarantula Hawk
Bees are flying insects of which there are nearly 20,000 known species, are known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the European honey bee, for producing honey and beeswax. Some bees live socially in colonies, some live solitary. Bees range in size from tiny stingless bee species, less than 3/4″ long, to the largest species of leaf-cutter bee, whose females can attain a length of 1.5″.
A wasp is neither a bee nor an ant. The most commonly known wasps, such as yellow-jackets and hornets, are eusocial, living together in a nest. Wasps are a diverse group, estimated at over a hundred thousand described species around the world. Social wasps are considered pests when they become excessively common, or nest close to buildings. People are most often stung in late summer, when wasp colonies stop breeding new workers; if people then respond aggressively, the wasps sting. Wasp nests made in or near houses, such as in roof spaces, can present a danger as the wasps may sting if people come close to them.
BEETLES
Beetles front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases; there are about 400,000 species. They are found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions. Many feed on economically important plants including trees, cereals, tobacco, and dried fruits; they can cause extremely serious damage to agriculture. Beetles can also be beneficial to human economics by controlling the populations of pests. The larvae and adults of lady beetles feed on aphids, scale insects, whitefly and mealybugs.
BIRDS
Birds are known to spread more than 60 transmittable diseases, including Salmonella, histoplasmosis, meningitis and encephalitis. They also carry fleas, ticks, lice and mites. Corrosive bird droppings can erode building finishes, causing costly and ongoing maintenance and repairs; droppings can cause slippery walking and working conditions; congregating in large numbers, birds are noisy and can be offensive to customers and neighbors.
CENTIPEDES & MILLIPEDES
Centipedes can have up to 176 pair of legs; the legs on the first segment of their bodies are venomous fangs used to inject paralyzing venom into prey. They are carnivorous and hunt at night (spiders, worms, small vertebrates). Millipedes can have 500-750 legs; they are slow-moving and eat dead and decaying plant matter and are harmless to humans.
COCKROACH
The cockroaches are an ancient group, dating back at least some 320 million years ago. Roaches are brown to reddish-brown in color. They are common and hardy insects, and can tolerate a wide range of environments from Arctic cold to tropical heat. Their size ranges from a half an inch to almost two inches long. Cockroach bodies have a measure of shine to them, and their wings are folded tightly against their backs. They are popularly depicted as dirty pests, though the great majority of species are inoffensive and live in a wide range of habitats around the world.
CRICKETS
Africanized Honey Bee, Bumble Bee, Carpenter Bee, Honey Bee, Sweat Bee, Western Yellow Jacket, Paper Wasp, Tarantula Hawk
Bees are flying insects of which there are nearly 20,000 known species, are known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the European honey bee, for producing honey and beeswax. Some bees live socially in colonies, some live solitary. Bees range in size from tiny stingless bee species, less than 3/4″ long, to the largest species of leaf-cutter bee, whose females can attain a length of 1.5″.
A wasp is neither a bee nor an ant. The most commonly known wasps, such as yellow-jackets and hornets, are eusocial, living together in a nest. Wasps are a diverse group, estimated at over a hundred thousand described species around the world. Social wasps are considered pests when they become excessively common, or nest close to buildings. People are most often stung in late summer, when wasp colonies stop breeding new workers; if people then respond aggressively, the wasps sting. Wasp nests made in or near houses, such as in roof spaces, can present a danger as the wasps may sting if people come close to them.
FLEA
Red & Confused Four Beetle, Saw-toothed Grain Beetle, Common Carpet Beetle, Larder Beetle, Powderpost Beetle, Lady Beetle
Beetles front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases; there are about 400,000 species. They are found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions. Many feed on economically important plants including trees, cereals, tobacco, and dried fruits; they can cause extremely serious damage to agriculture. Beetles can also be beneficial to human economics by controlling the populations of pests. The larvae and adults of lady beetles feed on aphids, scale insects, whitefly and mealybugs.
FLY
Pigeons, Doves, Black Birds, Crows
Birds are known to spread more than 60 transmittable diseases, including Salmonella, histoplasmosis, meningitis and encephalitis. They also carry fleas, ticks, lice and mites. Corrosive bird droppings can erode building finishes, causing costly and ongoing maintenance and repairs; droppings can cause slippery walking and working conditions; congregating in large numbers, birds are noisy and can be offensive to customers and neighbors.
MITES
Giant Desert Centipede
Centipedes can have up to 176 pair of legs; the legs on the first segment of their bodies are venomous fangs used to inject paralyzing venom into prey. They are carnivorous and hunt at night (spiders, worms, small vertebrates). Millipedes can have 500-750 legs; they are slow-moving and eat dead and decaying plant matter and are harmless to humans.
MOSQUITO
Mosquito: a small, midge-like fly; family: Culididae. The females of specific species of mosquitos are blood eating (ectoparasite, whose tube-like mouthparts pierce the hosts’ skin to consume blood). Many species of mosquitos are not blood suckers; those that are- only the females suck blood. The saliva of the mosquito often causes an irritating rash that can be a serious nuisance. Much more serious though, are the roles of many species of mosquitoes as vectors of diseases. In passing from host to host, some transmit extremely harmful infections such as malaria, yellow fever, Chikungunya, West Nile virus, dengue fever, filariasis, Zika virus and other arboviruses, rendering it the deadliest animal family in the world.
MOSQUITO LIFE CYCLE
Egg, Larva, Pupa and Adult.
Understanding Mosquito Habits and Life Cycle
- Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, and they can feed on multiple hosts, including but not limited to humans and pets.
- Females lay their eggs in water. The eggs hatch in 1 to 3 days, and the emerging larvae will go through 4 molts, which can last from 7 days to several weeks depending on environmental conditions.
- The pupal stage (or tumbler stage) can take between 2 days or up to a few weeks. During the 4th molt, the pupal skin splits and the adult emerges.
- While adult males primarily feed on plant nectar, females require a blood meal to produce eggs.
- Males live for 6 to 7 days, while females live 1 to 2 months during warm weather and as long as 6 months in cold weather.
COMMON BACKYARD MOSQUITOS
Unique Qualities:
(Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus)
- Only fly a few hundred meters from emergent sites
- Small container breeders
- Lay individual eggs usually near the waterline
- Eggs are laid in multiple sites (skip-oviposition)
- —100-200 eggs per batch
- — Five batches laid in a lifetime
- Eggs can last for years and remain viable
- Active daytime biters although they will also bite at dusk and dawn
Inspection
- Survey the property for the presence of adults and larval stages
- Inspect the entire yard for harborage (shady areas, heavy foliage) and breeding sites (standing or stagnant water), then remove all conducive conditions. See common breeding sites on page 3.
- Develop a control strategy based on inspection findings
Control Strategies
- Exclusion
- Source reduction
- Larviciding/IGRs
- Adulticiding
MOTH
Red & Confused Four Beetle, Saw-toothed Grain Beetle, Common Carpet Beetle, Larder Beetle, Powderpost Beetle, Lady Beetle
Beetles front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases; there are about 400,000 species. They are found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions. Many feed on economically important plants including trees, cereals, tobacco, and dried fruits; they can cause extremely serious damage to agriculture. Beetles can also be beneficial to human economics by controlling the populations of pests. The larvae and adults of lady beetles feed on aphids, scale insects, whitefly and mealybugs.
NORWAY RAT
The Norway rat is an opportunistic omnivore, feeding on people’s foods and wastes or utilizing the natural foods that are available.
Some mature adults in established colonies may exhibit neophobic behavior and avoid traps, new bait containers and quite possibly new food sources that suddenly appear.
ROOF RAT
The Roof rat is smaller and sleeker than the Norway rat.
The Roof Rat inhabits the dense bushes, trees and other vegetation as well as elevated areas above our normal visual expectations.
Roof Rats do not interbreed with Norway Rats.
HOUSE RAT
These cute little critters are something that you may find in the schoolroom, your child’s bedroom or, below the cupboard floor. They are probably not quite as cute when they do not reside in your home as your pet!
They live in confined spaces and prefer the dark shadowy areas. These creatures have been responsible for or implicated in the spread of 50 or more diseases.
PACK RAT
Each species of pack rat is generally restricted to a given type of habitat within its range. Pack rats live anywhere from low, hot, dry deserts to cold, rocky slopes above timberline. Pack rats build complex houses or dens made of twigs, cactus joints, and other materials. These contain several nest chambers, food caches, and debris piles. Dens are often built in small caves or rocky crevices, but when close by human habitations, woodrats will opportunistically move into the attics and walls of houses.
KANGAROO RAT
Kangaroo rats are primarily seed eaters. They will, however, sometimes eat vegetation at some times of the year and some insects, too. They have been seen storing the seeds of mesquite, creosote, bush, purslane, ocotillo and grama grass in their cheek pouches.
POCKET GOPHER
The pocket gopher is a rodent that is well adapted for its life underground. It has very small eyes and ears and large claws on its powerful front legs and is tan to grey-brown in color. The most common problem associated with gophers is the numerous mounds they deposit. They feed on roots or tubers of garden, ornamental or crop plants.
GROUND SQUIRREL
Ground squirrels are omnivorous, and will not only eat a diet rich in fungi, nuts, fruits, and seeds, but also occasionally insects, eggs, and other small animals. They are known to eat rats and mice several times their size.
SCORPION
House Mouse (Mus Domesticus):
These cute little critters are something that you may find in the schoolroom, your child’s bedroom or, below the cupboard floor. They are probably not quite as cute when they do not reside in your home as your pet!
They live in confined spaces and prefer the dark shadowy areas. These creatures have been responsible for or implicated in the spread of 50 or more diseases.
SILVER FISH
A pack rat or packrat, also called a woodrat. Pack rats have a rat-like appearance with long tails, large ears and large black eyes.
Each species of pack rat is generally restricted to a given type of habitat within its range. Pack rats live anywhere from low, hot, dry deserts to cold, rocky slopes above timberline. Pack rats build complex houses or dens made of twigs, cactus joints, and other materials. These contain several nest chambers, food caches, and debris piles. Dens are often built in small caves or rocky crevices, but when close by human habitations, woodrats will opportunistically move into the attics and walls of houses.
SPIDERS
Kangaroo rats, small rodents of genus Dipodomys, are native to western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo.
Kangaroo rats are primarily seed eaters. They will, however, sometimes eat vegetation at some times of the year and some insects, too. They have been seen storing the seeds of mesquite, creosote, bush, purslane, ocotillo and grama grass in their cheek pouches.
SNAIL
The pocket gopher is a rodent that is well adapted for its life underground. It has very small eyes and ears and large claws on its powerful front legs and is tan to grey-brown in color. The most common problem associated with gophers is the numerous mounds they deposit. They feed on roots or tubers of garden, ornamental or crop plants.
TERMITE
The ground squirrel is especially renowned for its tendency to rise up on its hind legs. It does this whenever it senses nearby danger, or when it must see over tall grasses.
Ground squirrels are omnivorous, and will not only eat a diet rich in fungi, nuts, fruits, and seeds, but also occasionally insects, eggs, and other small animals. They are known to eat rats and mice several times their size.