House Centipede
The House centipede is a common pest throughout the United States. Unlike most other centipedes, this species generally lives its entire life inside a building. The body is usually 1” to 1 1/2” long at the most, but it’s 15 pairs of delicate, long legs make it seem much larger. The body is grayish yellow with three dark stripes extending along the full length of the back. The legs are quite long in proportion to the body and have alternate light and dark bands running around them. In homes, they prefer to live in damp, undisturbed areas.
Millipede
Millipedes, commonly known as “thousand leggers” normally live outdoors in damp places, such as under decaying leaves and in mulch around outdoor plantings. They feed on damp and decaying vegetable matter, as well as on new roots and green leaves. They are elongated brownish to gray arthropods that are oval in cross-section and appear to have two pairs of legs attached to most body segments. Each apparent body segment consists of two segments that are fused together and appear as one. Millipedes that commonly invade homes are 1/2” to 1 1/2” long and tend to coil up when resting.
Lady Beetle
Lady beetles are predators as adults and larvae on several plant-feeding pests like aphids and many others that attack trees, shrubs, flowers or vegetables. Typically found outdoors, they tend to become an annoyance when populations build up during the summer and then enter homes during the fall to hibernate over winter. They tend to cluster together in crawlspaces, wall voids or attics over the winter.
Boxelder Bug
Boxelder bugs are bright red or black, with narrow reddish lines on the back. All active stages feed principally by sucking juices from the box Eder tree while also found on other plants, especially maples. While typically found outdoors, sometimes they can make their way indoors especially during the fall to overwinter in protected areas, such as wall voids, attics or ingested garages.
Silverfish
Silverfish bodies are flattened, long and slender, broad at the front and tapering gradually toward the rear. Typically adults body is about 1/2” long. The antennae are long and slender. Three long, slender appendages are found at the rear of the body. Silverfish are wingless and the young look like small adults. They tend to be most active at night and can run very swiftly. Their diet consists of a wide variety of foods including rolled oats, dried beef, flour, starch, paper, cotton, dead insects, glue and linens.
Pillbug
Pillbugs (Roby-poly) are crustaceans, so they are more closely related to shrimp and crayfish than to insects. Pillbugs feed on decaying vegetable and animal matter and are found under mulch, vegetable debris or other objects on damp ground.
Field Cricket
Field crickets are dark brown to gray or blackish. They frequently invade houses and other structures, and may feed on organic matter in soil or a wide variety of materials. Field crickets prefer to live outdoors, where they feed on soft plant parts, but they will move inside when grasses dry up or environmental conditions outdoors become unfavorable because of excess heat or rainfall. They are unlikely to survive indoors more than two weeks though.
Camel Cricket
Camel crickets are light to dark brown in color and have a humpback and long, threadlike antenna that are much longer than their body. They are nocturnal and will make their way indoors when it’s too dry and hot. Typically found outside, around buildings, under mulch, stones, timber and other cool, moist areas. Inside, they can be found in basements, storage areas, crawlspaces and garages.
Scorpions
Scorpions are widely distributed in the southern United States. Mature scorpions are slightly less than 1 1/2” long and yellowish brown with two broad dark bands extending the length of the dorsum. Most are active at night and during the day, they hide under bark, boards and especially rock. Inside, they are most often found in undisturbed areas, such as closets, seldom-used shoes or folded clothing. The sting is not considered medically important, but can be painful.
Springtails
Springtails are usually less than 1/12” long, the body may be white to gray or blackish. Most species have a forked appendage attached to the underside of the abdomen and can be moved away from the body suddenly, causing the insect to jump. Springtails can developer in large numbers in mulched areas and thatch of lawns surrounding homes. Inside, springtails are found in damp places like kitchens, bathrooms, drains, moist basements, damp walls and potted plant soil.
