Pest Library
A guide to common household pests in NYC and the Tri-State Area.
Identification + Education
Use this guide to identify pests you’ve encountered in your home, whether or not they’re dangerous, what attracts them, where they hide, and how to get rid of them. If you don’t see your mystery pest here, send a photo or video to MMPC’s Free Pest ID Center and our entomology experts will help identify it for you.
Common Household Pests:
Ants, Cockroaches, Flies, and Rodents
Ants
Small crawling insects with 3 body segments, 6 legs, bent antennae, and a narrow waist
Cockroaches
Long, oval-shaped insects with thread-like antennae, 6 legs, and 2 pairs of wings
Flies
Small, oval-shaped, flying insects with large compound eyes, 6 legs, and 1 pair of wings
Rodents
Gray or brown fur, protruding incisors (front teeth), and a long scaly tail
Biting Pests:
Bed Bugs, Biting Midges, Fleas, Mosquitoes, and Ticks
Bed Bugs
Flat, oval-shaped insects that are reddish-brown with a large abdomen, short antennae, and 6 legs
Biting Midges
Tiny, oval-shaped flying insects with short antennae, 6 legs, and 1 pair of grayish-colored wings
Fleas
Wingless insects with a reddish-brown or black, laterally flattened body with 6 legs (hind legs are especially long)
Mosquitoes
Slender flying insects with needle-like mouthparts, thin or feathered antennae, 6 legs, and 1 pair of wings
Ticks
Flat, oval-shaped arachnids with a large abdomen, a shield-like plate on its back called the “scutum,” and 8 legs (each with 7 segments)
Stinging Pests:
Bees and Wasps
Bees
Fuzzy, yellow-and-black flying insects with thin antennae, 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, and a stinger
Wasps
Yellow-and-black flying insects with thin antennae, 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, and a stinger
Fabric Pests:
Carpet Beetles and Clothes Moths
Carpet Beetles
Oval-shaped beetles with clubbed antennae and 6 legs
Carpet Beetle Larvae
Soft-bodied larvae with an elongated body covered in hairs and bristles with alternating light and dark stripes
Clothes Moths
Flying insects with a furry head, long and thin antennae, 6 legs, and 2 pairs of fringed wings
Pantry Pests:
Beetles, Booklice, Fruit Flies, and Pantry Moths
Beetles
Insects with a protective exoskeleton, hardened forewings (elytra), and 6 legs
Booklice
Pale, wingless insects with an elongated body, thread-like antennae, and 6 legs
Fruit Flies
Tan or brownish-yellow flying insects with red compound eyes, barely visible antennae, 6 legs, and 1 pair of transparent wings
Pantry Moths
Flying insects with long, thin antennae and 2 pairs of bicolored wings (upper 1/3 gray, lower 2/3 bronze)
Wood Destroying Pests:
Carpenter Ants, Carpenter Bees, and Termites
Carpenter Ants
Small crawling insects with 3 body segments, bent antennae, 6 legs, large mandibles, and a narrow waist
Carpenter Bees
Fuzzy, oval-shaped flying insects with thin antennae, 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, and a stinger
Powderpost Beetles
Reddish-brown, cylindrical-shaped beetles with short antennae, 6 legs, and 2 pairs of wings
Termites
Narrow, soft-bodied insects with a broad waist, straight antennae, and 6 legs
Houseplant Pests:
Aphids, Fungus Gnats, and Vine Weevils
Aphids
Tiny, pear-shaped insects with long antennae, 6 legs, and 2 small tubes sticking out from the rear
Fungus Gnats
Small flies resembling tiny mosquitoes with a slender abdomen, thread-like antennae, 6 legs, and 1 pair of wings
Vine Weevils
Stout, oval-shaped beetles with a pronounced snout-like structure (“rostrum”), elbowed antennae, and 6 legs
Occasional Invaders:
Myriapods, Crickets, Silverfish, Spiders, Spotted Lanternflies, and Other Bugs
Centipedes and Millipedes
Many-legged arthropods with elongated bodies
Crickets
Long, oval-shaped insects with thread-like antennae, 6 legs (the hind pair is extra long), and 2 pairs of wings (except for spider crickets)
Silverfish
Silvery, carrot-shaped insects with long antennae, 6 short legs, and bristle-like appendages on the rear
Spiders
Arachnids with 2 body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen) and 8 long legs
Spotted Lanternflies
Black, red, and brownish-gray flying insects with bulb-like orange antennae, 6 legs, and 2 pairs of large, butterfly-like wings
Other Critters
- Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles
- Soldier Beetles
- Boxelder Bugs
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
- Western Conifer Seed Bugs
- Pill Bugs / Roly-Polies
- Sow Bugs