Identifying Household Pests 101
A guide to common pests found in NYC and the Tri-State Area and how to identify them.
If you find something in your home and can’t tell what it is, you can also send a picture to our Free Pest ID center and the pest experts at MMPC will help identify it for you.
For eco-friendly pest control services in New York City and the surrounding areas, contact us!
- Ants
- Cockroaches
- Flies
- Rodents
- Bed Bugs
- Biting Midges
- Fleas
- Mosquitoes
- Ticks
- Bees
- Wasps
- Carpet Beetles
- Carpet Beetle Larvae
- Clothes Moths
- Beetles
- Booklice
- Fruit Flies
- Pantry Moths
- Carpenter Ants
- Carpenter Bees
- Powderpost Beetles
- Termites
- Aphids
- Fungus Gnats
- Vine Weevils
- Centipedes and Millipedes
- Crickets
- Silverfish
- Spiders
- Spotted Lanternflies
- Other Critters
Common Household Pests:
Ants, Cockroaches, Flies, and Rodents
Ants
Slender, segmented body with a pinched waist, bent antennae, and 6 legs
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, short antennae, 6 legs, and 1 pair of wings
Rodents
Gray or brown fur, protruding incisors (front teeth), and a long scaly tail
Biting Insects
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
Long, 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 Insects
Bees and Wasps
Bees
Fuzzy, oval-shaped body with thin antennae, 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, and a stinger
Wasps
Smooth, segmented body with thin antennae, 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, and a stinger
Fabric Pests
Carpet Beetles and Clothes Moths
Carpet Beetles
Oval-shaped body with a hard shell, clubbed antennae, 6 legs, and 2 pairs of wings (the hardened forewings are called the “elytra”)
Carpet Beetle Larvae
Soft, cigar-shaped 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 slender wings fringed with short hairs
Pantry Pests
Beetles, Booklice, Fruit Flies, and Pantry Moths
Beetles
A hard, protective shell, antennae in various sizes, 6 legs, and 2 pairs of wings (in some species the hardened forewings, or “elytra,” are fused together)
Booklice
Pale, wingless insects with a wide head, a narrow thorax, a large abdomen, thin 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
Reddish-bronze and gray 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
Black, segmented body with a pinched waist, large mandibles, bent antennae, and 6 legs
Carpenter Bees
Fuzzy, oval-shaped body with thin antennae, 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, and a stinger
Powderpost Beetles
Reddish-brown, cylindrical-shaped beetles with a hard shell, 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
Resembles tiny mosquitoes with a slender abdomen, thread-like antennae, 6 long 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
Centipedes, Millipedes, 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
2 body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen) with 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