Vinegar flies-sometimes mistakenly called fruit flies-are usually found around overripened fruit and vegetables. Adults are 3⁄4 inch long and brownish on top. This insect becomes a nuisance when it enters homes in search of overwintering sites in the fall. These harmless insects are broadly oval, yellow to red, and may have black spots.īooklice resemble lice in size and shape but only feed on fungi, molds, or materials that support mold growth, as well as the starchy paste of wallpaper and books. Lady beetles can be found in homes, seeking warmth during the months from September to April. Adults are about 3⁄4 to 1 inch long, slender, and reddish orange to dark brown or black in color. Paper wasps can be found nesting around homes or other structures. The larvae (maggots) feed on decaying matter and are about 1⁄2 inch long. House flies can transmit diseases to humans and can be identified by four dark stripes on their thorax. Females must have a blood meal before laying eggs, which brings them into households and yards. Mosquitoes are small flies that breed in standing water. Fleas are usually found on cats and dogs, but some types will attack other animals and humans.Ĭommonly found: inside and outside of homes Ticks are very small, from 1⁄50 to 1⁄8 inch long, and can be found in long grasses and shrubs.Ĭommonly found: pets, carpeting, animal bedding, lawnsįleas are small insects less than 1⁄4 inch long and are dark brown (photo lightened to show detail). Ticks feed on the blood of vertebrate animals and can transmit diseases, such as Lyme disease.

Sharing hairbrushes, combs, hats, clothes, toilet seats, and bedding can spread these blood-sucking insects. Head and body lice are very small, measuring 1⁄16 to 1⁄12 inch. Human Louse (adult, nymph, and egg attached to hair shaft) They are oval, chestnut-brown insects that are flattened from top to bottom, measuring less than 1⁄4 inch long. The larvae eat almost any animal product, including leather, wool, silk, feathers, and hair.īed bugs can be found hiding in cracks and crevices in walls and floors, as well as in furniture and beds in bedrooms. The black carpet beetle is 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch long and can be found in lint around baseboards and other areas. They are about 1 1⁄4 inches long, dark brown, and found with decaying organic matter indoors and out. Oriental cockroaches prefer dark, damp areas, such as beneath sinks and washing machines and in basements. It can rapidly spread throughout an entire building.Ĭommonly found: kitchen, basement, and other areas This pest can be found in warmer areas of homes and apartments and is about 1⁄2 inch in length and light brown. Usually found in kitchen and bathrooms, it is 1⁄2 to 5⁄8 inch long and tan to light brown. The German cockroach is the most common cockroach species in houses, apartments, and hotels. German Cockroach (adults nymphs, and egg capsules)

It is commonly found in basements, packing houses, and grocery stores and feeds on a variety of materials. This reddish-brown cockroach is approximately 1 1⁄2 inches in length. The beetle is dark brown and approximately 1⁄2 inch in length.Īmerican Cockroach (adults, nymphs, and egg capsule)Ĭommonly found: pantry, kitchen, bathroom This household pest lays its eggs in and feeds on dry pet food, corn meal, animal products, and dead insects. Indian Meal Moth (adult)Ī common flour, pasta, and cereal pest, this small insect will likely go unnoticed until it becomes abundant. The phone number may be found in the Blue Pages of the phone book. Good places to obtain this information are the Penn State Extension website, Penn State Department of Entomology website or your local Penn State Extension office. Once the pests have been identified, other sources of information can be used to determine the species' potential as a pest and how to prevent or control them. The pictures and descriptions in this publication should help the homeowner or apartment dweller identify common insects found in the home. Improper identification can lead to unsuitable solutions to pest problems. Proper pest identification is the first step in making an integrated pest management (IPM) decision. If you've asked questions like these, then you need this fact sheet. 'What is that crawling across the kitchen floor? Why are there holes in my new cashmere sweater? Why is the oatmeal full of webs?'

Tiny black bugs in house near window