Common Virginia Pests Library
ANTS
Odorous House Ant – This ant gets its name from the rotten-like scent it produces when crushed. They prefer to eat sweets, including melons. These ants are generally found in exposed soil and wall cracks.
Pavement Ant – These ants get their name from making their nests in or under cracks in the pavement. Pavement Ants will eat almost anything, including other insects.
STINGING/BITING
Brown Dog Tick – This tick mainly feeds on dogs. They usually are found behind the ears of a dog on between a dog’s toes. The adult is reddish brown in color and about 1/8-inch long.
Fleas – These are parasites that feed on the blood of cats, dogs, and humans. Fleas can transfer various diseases to animals and humans. They are dark reddish brown and sizes vary from 1/12 to 1/6-inch long.
COCKROACHES
Oriental Cockroach – These cockroaches are dark brown and almost black in color. They are about 1 inch in size. Oriental Cockroaches normally dwell in sewers and enter properties through drains. Cockroaches carry bacteria, parasitic worms, and human pathogens.
American Cockroach – The average size of the American Cockroach is 2 inches. Their color is yellowish brown with a yellow pattern behind the head. Cockroaches carry bacteria, parasitic worms, and human pathogens.
Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach – Sizes can reach up to 1 inch. They can be found under shingles or inside garages. Pennsylvania Wood Cockroaches are usually attracted by firewood. They are dark brown in color with a tint of yellow on the wings.
German Cockroach – German Cockroaches favor warm and humid areas and are usually found indoors near plumbing fixtures. This species has the highest reproductive potential. The adult can reach up to 1/2 inch long.
RODENTS
Mouse – Mice breed rapidly and throughout the year. Mouse urine is known to cause allergies in children. Mice can carry fleas, tick, lice, and mites into properties.
Rat – Known to carry and spread over 40 diseases with some deadly, this rodent is a worldwide scourge. Rat infestations area risk to your homes health and can cause expensive repairs to your home.
SPIDERS
Brown Recluse Spider – Their colors are light to dark brown with a dark brown violin marking on its back. Brown Recluse Spiders are usually found outdoors living in wood piles. They can also be found in dark, storage areas. Their bites are painful and can cause an ulcerating sore.
Black Widow Spider – They are black with a red hourglass on the back. Black Widow Spiders spin their webs at ground level and are usually found in enclosed areas such as boxes or wood debris. The Black Widow’s venom is a neurotoxin and causes extreme pain specially to children and the elderly.
Wolf Spider – Commonly found indoors during winter. Wolf Spiders do not spin webs, they roam around looking for their prey. They are very shy and run away when disturbed. Their bites are not poisonous to humans but may cause allergic reactions.
Garden Spider – these brightly colored, intimidating looking, but harmless spiders are found mainly in the Fall around homes building webs before cold weather sets in.
OTHER BUGS
Termite – They feed on products that contain cellulose. Termites are very destructive and can collapse an entire building if not treated.
Cricket – Crickets can be found in warm areas of the house. They are known for their constant chirping. Their colors vary from black to brown. They feed on almost any kind of organic matter, but prefer plants/leaves.
Boxelder – These are usually found outdoors in large numbers on the sides of trees and buildings. The typical boxelder color is dark brown-black with reddish orange markings. They are usually not destructive but can be a nuisance.
Earwig – They received their name from a myth that they crawl into a sleeping persons ear and borough into their brain. Earwigs are dark brown and have scissor-like tails.
Centipede – Centipedes have poison jaws that can inflame and irritate a human skin once bitten. They are usually found under stones, logs, or in damp places. They feed on insects during the night.
Beetle – There are many beetle varieties. Some can be destructive to wood in homes, such as the Powderpost beetle, and some can be destructive to plants. Beetles are usually known to fly.
Silverfish – Their bodies are covered with silvery-brown scales. They can get to 3/4 inch long. Silverfish feed on carbohydrates and protein food such as flour, meat and paper. They can go for long periods, over 1 year, without food.
Grain Beetle – They are usually found in packages for cereal, chocolate, macaroni, or generally in the food pantry area or food processing area. Grain beetles can contaminate food and infest it.
Millipede – Millipedes are normally found outdoors, but can be found indoors when they seek hibernation areas. Millipedes are not poisonous, but do excrete a foul smelling fluid. The area should be washed thoroughly when it comes in contact with that fluid. They are usually found in greenhouses feeding on organic matter.
WOOD DECAY AND NON-DECAY FUNGI
Sap-Staining Fungi (blue-stain fungi) – A non-decay fungi that produces colored threadlike strands deep within wood. The colors are usually bluish, bluish black, gray, or brown.
Brown Rot – A wood-decay fungi that causes wood to have a brownish color. Once it dries the wood shrinks into small pieces with perpendicular cracks. These small pieces are fragile and can be easily crushed to powder.
Surface-Staining Fungi (molds and mildews) – A non-decay fungi that produces colorless threadlike strands within wood. There are usually formed colored spores (a powdery/fuzzy texture) that appear on these strands on the woods surface.
Water-Conducting Fungus (dry rot) – A wood-decay fungi that produces a yellow/white papery threadlike strands, and thick brown/black rootlike threads. This causes the wood to rot with a brownish decay.
White Pocket Rot (pock rot, white pocket, white spec) – A non-decay fungi that produces many small pits fill with white threadlike strands. This is mainly found in living evergreen trees.
White Rot – A wood-decay fungi that gives wood a bleached look with black lines. The wood ends up becoming stringy and spongy.