Pest Identification: General Household Pests
Stink Bugs
This insect earned its name from its tendency to release an odor when disturbed or when crushed. Most stink bugs are herbivorous and use their piercing and sucking mouthparts to feed on plant juices. A few common species of stink bugs are predatory and use their mouthparts to drain fluids from caterpillars and other pest insects. Most species of stink bugs are innocuous, only feeding on their host plants, and are seldom encountered by humans. Some predatory stink bugs are important, beneficial insects in crops and gardens. They prevent caterpillars and other insect pests from destroying plants, trees, crops and gardens. Scientists are interested in using them as natural control agents of crop pests. Adult stink bugs of various species are active from spring through late fall. Stink bugs are not known to bite humans but caution should be used when handling them to avoid a release of their odor.
Pillbugs
This pest is the only crustacean that has become completely adapted to spending its life on land. Pillbugs have oval bodies and seven pairs of legs. They are easily recognized by their back, which is made up of seven hard individual plates. Pillbugs are sometimes referred to as rollie-pollies. Pillbugs eat decaying vegetable material and are most active at night. They are known for their ability to roll into a ball. Pillbugs live in moist locations. They are found under damp objects or under vegetable debris. Pillbugs do not spread diseases or invade food products. However, the pillbug is often considered a pest when it gains entry into a home.
Earwigs
Earwigs got their name from the myth that they crawl into sleeping people's ears and tunnel into their brains. The long cerci, or clippers, on their backsides easily identify an earwig. Earwigs hide during the day and feeds on leaves, flowers, fruits, mold and insects at night. These insects live together outdoors in large numbers. They can be found under piles of lawn debris, mulch or in tree holes. They gain entry to a structure through exterior cracks. Contrary to folklore, earwigs do not crawl into ears and eat peoples' brains at night. They do not spread diseases, but their menacing appearance can be alarming to a homeowner.
Box Elder Bug
These insects feed on the softer plant tissues, including leaves, flowers, and new twigs. Unless the population is exceptionally large, the damage to plants is minimal. During years when their population soars, they can damage useful shade trees. In autumn, they can become household pests. The adult insects seek wintering hibernation locations and find their way into buildings through crevices. They remain inactive inside the walls (and behind siding) while the weather is cool. When the heating systems revive them, they begin to enter inhabited parts of the buildings. In the spring, the bugs leave their winter hibernation locations to lay eggs on maple or ash trees. In late spring, groups of 50-200+ bugs may gather on house siding or brick, usually in a sunny spot.
Crickets
The camelback cricket is a strange looking insect that has a cricket-like body but long, spider-like legs. They are usually found in basements or cellars as they like to live in dark, damp environments. They are almost completely harmless. The most damage that a camel cricket can do is to ruin clothing or textiles which they might nibble on. If you hear cricket sounds coming from below your house it is not coming from camel crickets because camel crickets do not chirp. The best way to get rid of camelback crickets is to eliminate the moisture where they are found. Fixing leaky pipes and making sure that you are getting proper drainage will go a long way in discouraging camel crickets from making your basement their home. You can ventilate crawlspaces to help prevent moisture buildup, as well.
Silverfish
Silverfish inhabit dark areas such as kitchen cupboards of houses. Also, they inhabit dry papery areas such as old books and newspaper stacks. The favorite food of silverfish is any matter that contains starch or polysaccharides, such as dextrin in adhesives. These include glue, book bindings, paper, photos, sugar, hair, and dandruff. Silverfish can also cause damage to books, tapestries, and textiles. Silverfish will commonly graze in and around showers, baths, and sinks on the cellulose present in many shampoos, shaving foams and so on. Apart from these cases, the damage caused by silverfish is negligible and they have no direct effect on human health beyond psychological distress to those who are frightened or disgusted by their appearance, or to those whose books have been destroyed by the creatures.