Household Pests

Additional Information Resource -

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For homeowners in Middle Tennessee seeking expert advice on common household pests, the BugDoc offers valuable insights and solutions tailored to loca...

Adult

Adult mite on grass blade.

Tiny and often invisible to the naked eye, adult mites on grass blades can cause fine stippling or discoloration by feeding on plant sap. These pests ...

American

American dog tick male

This tick, commonly found in Middle Tennessee areas like Franklin and Brentwood, is identifiable by its reddish-brown body and ornate white markings o...

Ants, Carpenter

General feeders

Carpenter ants, common in Middle Tennessee homes including Columbia and Franklin, are large, black or reddish insects that tunnel into wood to create ...

Ants, Ground Nesting

General scavengers & honeydew

Small to medium-sized insects often seen foraging on lawns and gardens in Middle Tennessee, ground-nesting ants build intricate underground colonies. ...

Bed Bug

Small, reddish-brown insects about 4-5 mm long, bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) feed on human blood, leaving itchy, red welts on the skin. They often hid...

Black

Black carpenter ants taking sugars from Peony nectaries.

Black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) are large, smooth-bodied insects commonly found in Middle Tennessee homes, including areas like Frank...

Boxelder &

Feed on seeds of host trees

These pests, commonly found in Middle Tennessee areas like Franklin and Brentwood, are recognizable by their elongated bodies and distinctive markings...

Brown

These small brown household pests, often identified as brown recluses (Loxosceles reclusa), have a distinct violin-shaped marking on their cephalothor...

Clover Mites

Feed on grasses & some plants

Tiny reddish-brown clover mites are often found in large numbers on grass and some garden plants, where they feed by piercing plant cells, causing a s...

Cockroach

Cockroaches are flat, oval-shaped insects with long antennae and a reddish-brown to black coloration, commonly found in warm, humid areas of homes in ...

Common

Small insects often found indoors, common household pests such as ants, cockroaches, and silverfish can cause contamination and damage to food, fabric...

Earwigs,

Generally, predators

Small, elongated insects with pincers at the rear, earwigs are generally beneficial predators that feed on other garden pests. While they can occasion...

European

European hornets feeding on old apples in a back yard.

These large, reddish-brown insects with yellow markings are European hornets (Vespa crabro), commonly seen in Middle Tennessee, including areas like C...

Flea

Tiny, wingless insects with strong legs adapted for jumping, fleas are common household pests that feed on the blood of pets and humans. Their bites c...

Fleas & Ticks

Parasites associated with animals

These tiny parasites commonly found on pets can also infest homes in Middle Tennessee areas like Franklin and Brentwood, posing health risks to humans...

German

German yellowjacket nest entrance in blue rug juniper.

Yellowjackets, including the German yellowjacket (Vespula germanica), are aggressive wasps recognized by their black and yellow striped bodies. They o...

Ground

Ground beetle adult, a general predator.

These dark, fast-moving beetles are beneficial predators commonly found in gardens and lawns throughout Middle Tennessee, including Columbia and Frank...

Ground Nesting Wasps

General predators and scavangers

Ground nesting wasps are slender, often black or yellow insects that build their nests in bare soil or sandy areas, commonly found around homes in Fra...

Household Invaders Associated with Landscapes

Common household invaders like ants, spiders, and centipedes often enter homes from surrounding landscapes in Middle Tennessee, including areas like F...

Jumping

Small and agile, jumping pests such as fleas or springtails are known for their impressive leaping ability, which helps them quickly move across surfa...

Millipede (Diplopoda)

Sowbug, pillbug (Isopoda)

Millipedes (Diplopoda) are elongated, multi-legged arthropods that thrive in moist environments, often found in garden mulch or leaf litter around hom...

Millipedes, Centipedes,

Millipedes are small, slow-moving arthropods with cylindrical bodies and two pairs of legs per segment, often found in damp areas like mulch or leaf l...

Moles, Voles and Shrews

Voles are herbivores

These small mammals can cause significant damage to lawns and gardens in Middle Tennessee, including areas like Franklin and Brentwood. Moles create t...

Most

Most home owners are unaware of where mosquitoes come from.

Mosquitoes commonly breed in stagnant water found in gutters, birdbaths, and clogged drains around homes in Middle Tennessee, including areas like Col...

Mouse

Small rodents with gray or brown fur and long tails, mice can invade homes in Columbia and surrounding Middle Tennessee areas seeking food and shelter...

Pavement

Pavement ant colonies commonly battle each other.

Tiny and reddish-brown, pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum) build extensive underground colonies often found in cracks of sidewalks and driveways, p...

Pests "Associated" with Landscapes

Artillary fungus

Artillery fungus, known scientifically as Sphaerobolus, is a common household pest that thrives in mulched landscapes around Middle Tennessee homes, i...

Rat

Rats are medium-sized rodents with coarse fur, long tails, and sharp incisors that can gnaw through wood, plastic, and wiring. They pose health risks ...

Recommendations

Recommendations for Managing Household Invaders

Effective management of household invaders in Middle Tennessee homes involves a combination of preventive measures and targeted treatments. Seal crack...

Reducing Food of Invaders

Limiting access to food sources is a key strategy for managing household pests like ants, cockroaches, and rodents in Middle Tennessee homes. Keeping ...

Reducing Habitat of Invaders

Minimizing clutter and sealing entry points around your Columbia or Franklin home can effectively reduce the habitat for household invaders like ants,...

Reducing Water

Audit irrigation systems! (reschedule, repair, etc.)

Irrigation systems that are improperly scheduled or damaged can create excess moisture, attracting household pests like mosquitoes and ants around you...

Roof

Roof rat feeding in bird feeder!

These agile rodents, known scientifically as Rattus rattus, have sleek black or dark brown fur and a long tail, often invading attics and outdoor area...

Slugs & Snails

Feed on young/soft plants & clippings

These common garden pests have soft, slimy bodies and leave a silvery trail as they move, feeding primarily on young, tender plants and lawn clippings...

Spiders

Spiders are eight-legged arachnids commonly found in homes throughout Middle Tennessee, including areas like Franklin and Brentwood. They vary in size...

Striped

Striped earwig male.

These striped earwigs (Forficula auricularia) are small, slender insects with dark bodies and distinctive yellowish stripes along their backs. They ca...

Termite

Termites are small, pale insects that feed on wood, causing significant structural damage to homes and buildings in Middle Tennessee, including areas ...

Tick Sizes

Ticks vary in size from about 1/8 inch as larvae to nearly 1/2 inch when engorged as adults. These small, flat arachnids attach to skin and feed on bl...