Pest Guide - Marlboro Pest Control | 61 Boston Post Road East, Marlborough MA
Pest Gallery
The pests described in this guide are common pests found in eastern Massachusetts.
Our pest gallery is an overview of groups of insects that are described in more detail on individual pages. Our section on wood-destroying insects describes insects that can harm wooden structures. Our section on swarms describes pests that can suddenly appear in large numbers (swarms). The section on wildlife describes the common meaning of this word in as it relates to pest control.
| Pest Group | Picture | Description |
| Ants |  | Insect. Has wings when swarming. From 1/8 to 1 inch long. Important types are carpenter ants (damage wood) and pavement ants. Other common ants are Pharaoh ants, odorous house ants, field ants, and cornfield ants. |
| Bats |  | Mammal. Has wings and often nests in attics in our area. In our area, the common types inside are the little brown bat and the big brown bat. Bats droppings can attract other pests, and bats can have bat bugs, which, like bedbugs, will bite people if no bats are available. Need professional treatment. |
| Bees |  | Insects. Adults fly. Important types are carpenter bees (damage wood), bumble bees, and honey bees (need professional treatment if nest is inside a structure). Most species are yellow and black and fuzzy (wasps are not fuzzy). |
| Bed Bug |  | Adult bed bugs are about 3/16-inch long and reddish-brown, with oval, flattened bodies. They are sometimes mistaken for ticks or cockroaches. The immatures (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are smaller and lighter in color. Bed bugs do not fly, but can move rapidly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces. Female bed bugs lay their eggs in secluded areas, depositing 1, 2 or more eggs per day and hundreds during a lifetime. The eggs are tiny, whitish, and hard to see on most surfaces without magnification (individual eggs are about the size of a dust speck). When first laid, the eggs are sticky, causing them to adhere to surfaces. Newly hatched nymphs are straw-colored and no bigger than a pinhead. As they grow, they molt (shed their skin) five times before reaching maturity. A blood meal is needed between each successive molt. Under favorable conditions (70-80°F), the bugs can complete development in as little as a month, producing three or more generations per year. Cooler temperatures or limited access to blood extends the development time. Bed bugs are resilient. Nymphs can survive months without feeding and the adults for more than a year. Infestations therefore are unlikely to diminish by leaving premises unoccupied. Although C. lectularius prefers feeding on humans, it will also bite other warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, birds and rodents. |
| Beetles, Bugs |  | Insects. Adults have wings but some seldom fly. Powder post beetles and old house borers can be damaging to wood. Includes carpet beetles (very small), grain beetles, and various accidental visitors to human structures such as lady bugs, crickets, and boxelder bugs. Bedbugs and bat bugs are on the rise in our area. They feed on human blood and their bite can cause very annoying itching. Bedbugs need professional treatment. |
| Ticks |  | Deer ticks have a two-year life cycle. That is, it takes two years for one egg-adult-egg generation to evolve. Therefore, deer ticks can be found all year long, including wintertime. |
| Flies, Gnats |  | Insects. Have wings and fly. House flies are usually not a big problem, but other types can suddenly occur in great numbers inside (e.g., cluster flies, drain flies, blow flies, flesh flies). Gnats (pronounced "nats") are very small and some can bite. Others are merely annoying. Small phorid flies are often found where sanitation conditions are not ideal. Fungus gnats can infest house plants. |
| Mites |  | Arachnids. Mites are tiny arachnids (related to spiders) and have 8 pairs of legs. Common pest mites are spider mites, clover mites, and fowl mites. |
| Moths |  | Insects. Adult moths have wings and fly. Most damage is done by larvae (wormlike immature moths). Common types: Indian Meal Moth larvae eat and spoil a variety of grains and other foods. Clothes Moth larvae eat some materials, especially if already damaged. |
| Roaches |  | Insect. Adults have wings but seldom fly in the northeast. Important types are the German cockroach (small - to about 1 inch), and the American cockroach (large - to about 2 inches). American cockroaches are called "palmetto bugs" in the south. |
| Rodents |  | Mammals. Common rodent pests are mice, rats, and squirrels. These cause property and food damage, and can make life quite unpleasant with noise and odor. Rodents can bite if cornered. |
| Spiders |  | Arachnids. Spiders cannot fly. All spiders eat insects and are pests in structures when their webs become annoying or they are surprised and bite in self defense. Good housekeeping and screens can eliminate their prey and thus reduce their numbers. |
| Termites |  | Insects. Have wings when swarming. Wings discarded after swarming. Eat wood but nest underground and often outside in the northeast. Can cause serious damage to wooden structures. The only significant species in our area is the eastern subterranean termite. Termites need professional treatment. |
| Wasps, Hornets, Yellow Jackets |  | Insects. Most have a distinct thin "wasp waist". Unlike bees, wasps are predators and do valuable work by killing many pest insects. However, some are also are attracted to human food and both them and their nests can be very annoying. Common wasps are paper wasps (also called umbrella wasps), mud dauber wasps, bald-faced hornets, and yellow jackets. |
| Miscellaneous small pests |  | Earwigs are harmless insects that can be annoying indoor pests in our area. Sowbugs and pillbugs are other small pests that annoy, but do not bite or do other damage. These can usually be eliminated by screens and other mechanical barriers. Silverfish are silvery, soft-bodied insects that can damage paper and books. They cannot fly. Centipedes and millipedes are crawling creatures with many legs (myriapods). Centipedes are larger and faster than millipedes. Millipedes often look like little worms that often curl up. Daddy long legs are harmless, but scary-looking relatives of spiders. |
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Monthly Pest Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ant identification Most ants are small and nest underground, only rarely becoming anything more than a nuisance. Carpenter ants (see photo top), on the other hand, are large ants that nest above ground in cavities such as tree stumps and sometimes in the walls, subfloors or roofs of our houses where they can cause extensive and expensive damage.
Carpenter ants are generally larger than 3/8" and all black or red and black. Winged ants may be present in late spring but like other ants, most of the year carpenter ants are wingless
