Bug or Pest | Habitat | Characteristics | Cause for Concern |
Black Widow Spider | Undisturbed, dark places near wood piles, boxes, clutter, attics, etc. | black, light brown, or dark brown; red hourglass shape on abdomen | Bite causes extreme pain and cramping; can cause death in infants or elderly |
Brown Recluse Spider | Areas of little human traffic such as garages, attics, or basements | This spider has six noticeable eyes and a violin-shaped mark on its underside | Bites can cause serious tissue damage or open ulcers under the skin |
Carpenter Ants | Satellite colonies usually turn up near a water source, indoors or outdoors; but the main colony can be hundreds of yards away, sometimes in a stump or wood pile. | These ants are black, red and black, or brown and black. | Until the main colony is eliminated, satellite colonies will continue to emerge. |
Carpenter Bee | They nest in logs, dead tree or limbs, wood decks, fences and window frames. | Color is mostly black or light brown with a few yellow hairs. | Painting can prevent them from nesting, but the best remedy is a residual pest control product applied by a professional. |
Carpet Beetle | Nest outdoors usually, but they can end up in your home underneath the carpet, in closets, or in your pet's bedding. | Tan overall, but covered with tiny scales and stiff hairs. | They love to eat natural fibers—carpet, wool, feathers, silk, etc. You can cover your belongings with plastic to keep them off, but it's best to call a professional exterminator. |
Cat Fleas | Usually transported in the hair of your cat or dog, and end up in your home or business. | Very tiny, reddish brown. | Fleas spread very quickly. One flea can lay 100 eggs in a very short time. Proper treatment can take weeks to kill all of the hatching fleas. |
Bed Bugs | Your bed! If you wake up with a red rash or red bumps on your body, you may be a victim of bed bugs. | Reddish brown, or brown. | Females lay over 100 eggs per day, soon infesting your entire house! |
Roaches | Roaches hide above cabinets, below sinks, under the fridge, and other places until dark, when they come out looking for food! | Dark or reddish brown, golden brown. | Roaches often live outdoors until it gets cold, then they come looking for warmer accommodations. Asthma in small children has been linked to the presence of roaches. |
Silverfish | Lay eggs in dark, unoccupied spaces. Larvae feed off of mold and other organic matter, so they can be found in areas with pipes. | Silver | For those of you with extensive libraries, beware! Silverfish love to eat book bindings, in addition to wallpaper, drapes and other fabric. |
Indian Meal Moth | Lock the pantry! These pests make their homes in nuts, spices, teas, dried animal food, beans, flour, and other dry matter, where their hatched eggs burrow silk tunnels throughout the material until they are ready to fly out and make a cocoon. | Outer wings are a bronze color. | Obviously it is best to make sure your food is tightly covered when it is stored. Moth infestations can require extensive clean up precautions. |
European Hornet | Hornets build paper nests anywhere they can, which can be the side of your home. | Golden brown with dark brown stripes. | As hornets are aggressive, it's best to leave it to the professionals to approach and exterminate them |