ID Your Pest

Paper Wasp

Description

• Appearance: Slender body with long legs, reddish-brown color with yellow markings.
• Nest: Open comb structure, often found hanging from eaves, branches, or outdoor structures.
• Behavior: Aggressive when disturbed, capable of multiple stings.

Yellow Jacket

Description

• Appearance: Stocky body with bright yellow and black stripes.
• Nest: Often found underground or in wall cavities, enclosed paper nests.
• Behavior: Highly aggressive, especially near the nest.

Bald-Faced Hornet

Description

• Appearance: Black body with white facial markings.
• Nest: Large, football-shaped paper nests, typically found in trees or bushes.
• Behavior: Extremely aggressive and protective of their nest.

Honey Bee

Description

• Appearance: Fuzzy, golden-brown body with black stripes.
• Nest: Typically found in hollow trees or wall cavities; swarms form when they’re searching for a new home.
• Behavior: Generally non-aggressive unless provoked.

Mud Dauber Wasp

Description

• Appearance: Long, slender body, usually black or metallic blue.
• Nest: Mud tubes found on walls, ceilings, or under eaves.
• Behavior: Solitary and non-aggressive.

Bedbug

Description

• Appearance: Small, flat, reddish-brown insects.
• Habitat: Typically found in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and furniture.
• Behavior: Nocturnal, feeding on human blood during the night.

German Cockroach

Description

• Appearance: Light brown with two dark stripes on their back, small size.
• Habitat: Found in kitchens and bathrooms, particularly in cracks, crevices, and behind appliances.
• Behavior: Rapid breeders, can spread quickly.

Oriental Cockroach

Description

• Appearance: Shiny black or dark brown, larger and slower-moving than German cockroaches.
• Habitat: Prefers damp areas like basements, drains, and crawl spaces.
• Behavior: Attracted to moisture, less likely to be found in living spaces.

Black Widow

Description

• Appearance: Shiny black body with a distinctive red hourglass marking on the abdomen.
• Habitat: Found in dark, undisturbed areas like garages, basements, and sheds.
• Behavior: Venomous, bites can be dangerous but are generally non-aggressive unless disturbed.

Rat

Description

• Appearance: Large rodents with a long tail, usually brown or black.
• Habitat: Found in basements, attics, walls, and around food sources.
• Behavior: Nocturnal, can cause significant damage and carry diseases.

Mouse

Description

• Appearance: Small rodents with a pointed nose and large ears, typically gray or brown.
• Habitat: Commonly found in kitchens, pantries, and walls.
• Behavior: Nocturnal, can contaminate food and spread disease.

Boxelder Beetle

Description

• Appearance: Black with red or orange markings, elongated body.
• Habitat: Found on boxelder trees, often invading homes in large numbers during fall.
• Behavior: Generally harmless but can be a nuisance when they invade homes.

Carpenter Ants/Velvety Tree Ants

Description

• Appearance: Carpenter ants are large, usually black, or red and black, while velvety tree ants have a velvety texture with black and reddish-brown coloring.
• Habitat: Carpenter ants prefer moist, decaying wood, often nesting in trees, logs, or wooden structures in homes. Velvety tree ants are typically found in trees but may enter homes searching for food.
• Behavior: Carpenter ants hollow out wood to create nests, which can weaken structures over time. Velvety tree ants are aggressive and emit a strong odor when disturbed.