Central New York Pest Library

A field guide to the 54+ pests that actually turn up in Central New York and the Finger Lakes — how to identify each one, what it does, when it's active here, and how it's treated. Not sure what you're dealing with? Start with the category, then find your pest.

Rodents

Mice, rats, and voles — the pests that push into CNY homes every fall.

House mouse

Mus musculus

Small (2.5–3.5 inches plus tail), gray to light brown, with large ears and a pointed nose. Droppings are rod-shaped and about ⅛ inch.

Norway rat

Rattus norvegicus

Large and heavy-bodied (7–9 inches plus tail), brown with a blunt nose and small ears. Droppings are capsule-shaped, up to ¾ inch.

Roof rat

Rattus rattus

Slimmer than the Norway rat, dark, with a tail longer than its body and large ears. An agile climber that nests high.

Deer mouse

Peromyscus maniculatus

Bicolored — brown above, white below and on the feet — with large eyes and ears. Common in rural and wooded settings.

White-footed mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

Very similar to the deer mouse — brownish above, white feet and underside. Difficult to tell apart without close inspection.

Meadow vole

Microtus pennsylvanicus

Compact, stocky rodents with small ears and eyes and a short tail. Rarely enter homes; live in the lawn and landscape.

Ants

From nuisance trails to structure-damaging carpenter ants.

Carpenter ant

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Large black ants, ¼ to ½ inch, with a single node and evenly rounded thorax. Winged reproductives appear in spring.

Pavement ant

Tetramorium immigrans

Small (⅛ inch), dark brown to black, with two nodes and faint grooves on the head and thorax. Often nests under slabs and driveways.

Odorous house ant

Tapinoma sessile

Small (⅛ inch), brown to black; gives off a rotten-coconut odor when crushed. One node, hidden beneath the abdomen.

Pharaoh ant

Monomorium pharaonis

Tiny (1/16 inch), pale yellow to light brown, nearly translucent. Nests in warm, hidden indoor voids.

Citronella ant

Lasius interjectus

Yellowish ants that emit a lemon/citronella odor when crushed. Often noticed as large swarms of winged ants near foundations.

Field ant

Formica species

Medium to large ants, often black, brown, or reddish, sometimes mistaken for carpenter ants but with an uneven thorax profile.

Cockroaches

Indoor breeders that spread through older and multi-unit housing.

German cockroach

Blattella germanica

Small (½–⅝ inch), light brown with two dark stripes behind the head. The species behind most home and apartment infestations.

American cockroach

Periplaneta americana

Large (1.5–2 inches), reddish-brown with a pale figure-8 behind the head. Sometimes called a 'water bug.'

Oriental cockroach

Blatta orientalis

Dark, almost black, glossy, about 1 inch. Slow-moving; associated with damp, cool spaces.

Pennsylvania wood cockroach

Parcoblatta pennsylvanica

Medium brown roach with pale edges on the thorax; males fly and are drawn to lights. An outdoor species.

Stinging insects

Wasps, hornets, and bees active around CNY homes in summer and fall.

Yellowjacket

Vespula species

Slender wasps with bright yellow-and-black banding, about ½ inch. Nest in the ground, wall voids, and cavities.

Bald-faced hornet

Dolichovespula maculata

Large black-and-white wasp (actually a yellowjacket relative) that builds a big gray, football-shaped paper nest in trees and under eaves.

European hornet

Vespa crabro

Large brown-and-yellow hornet, up to 1.5 inches — the only true hornet in the region. Active even at night.

Paper wasp

Polistes species

Slender, long-legged wasps that build open, umbrella-shaped combs under eaves, railings, and grill lids.

Carpenter bee

Xylocopa virginica

Large, robust bees resembling bumblebees but with a shiny, hairless black abdomen. Hover around eaves and decks.

Ground-nesting bees

various (Andrena, Bombus, etc.)

Solitary or bumble bees that nest in soil; small mounds with a central hole, or bumble nests in old rodent burrows.

Overwintering invaders

The fall invasion that overwinters in walls and attics.

Cluster fly

Pollenia species

Slightly larger and slower than a house fly, dark with a faint golden sheen on the thorax. Gather in clusters on warm walls.

Brown marmorated stink bug

Halyomorpha halys

Shield-shaped, mottled brown, about ⅝ inch, with white bands on the antennae. Releases an odor when disturbed.

Asian lady beetle

Harmonia axyridis

Orange to red, ⅓ inch, with a variable number of spots and an M-shaped marking behind the head. Resembles native ladybugs.

Boxelder bug

Boisea trivittata

Black with red-orange lines and edges, about ½ inch. Congregate on sunny surfaces near boxelder, maple, and ash trees.

Western conifer seed bug

Leptoglossus occidentalis

Large (¾ inch), brownish, with flared hind legs; often mistaken for a stink bug or 'kissing bug.' Buzzes loudly in flight.

Elm leaf beetle

Xanthogaleruca luteola

Small (¼ inch), yellow-green to olive with dark stripes along the wing covers. Associated with elm trees.

Flies & small flying insects

Filth and moisture flies common in kitchens and drains.

House fly

Musca domestica

Dull gray, about ¼ inch, with four dark stripes on the thorax and sponging mouthparts.

Fruit fly

Drosophila species

Tiny (⅛ inch), tan with often-red eyes, hovering around ripe produce and fermentation.

Drain fly

Clogmia albipunctata

Small, fuzzy, moth-like flies (⅛ inch) that rest on walls near drains and sinks.

Phorid fly

Megaselia species

Tiny (⅛ inch), humpbacked, running erratically across surfaces rather than flying straight.

Biting & disease vectors

Bed bugs, ticks, and mosquitoes — the pests that bite and carry disease.

Bed bug

Cimex lectularius

Flat, reddish-brown, apple-seed sized; hides in mattress seams, furniture joints, and cracks. Leaves dark fecal spotting.

Blacklegged (deer) tick

Ixodes scapularis

Very small; nymphs are pinhead-sized. Reddish-brown with dark legs; the primary Lyme-disease vector.

American dog tick

Dermacentor variabilis

Larger than the deer tick, brown with whitish-gray markings on the back. Common in grassy, open areas.

Lone star tick

Amblyomma americanum

Aggressive biter; females have a single white dot on the back. Expanding its range northward.

Mosquito

Culex / Aedes species

Small biting flies; females need a blood meal to lay eggs. Breed in standing water.

Occasional invaders

Moisture-loving pests that wander in from foundations and basements.

House centipede

Scutigera coleoptrata

Fast, with 15 pairs of long legs and a flattened gray-yellow body. Startling but harmless.

Silverfish

Lepisma saccharina

Silvery, teardrop-shaped, wingless insects with three tail bristles and a wriggling motion.

Springtail

Collembola

Tiny (1/16 inch), jumping when disturbed via a spring-like appendage. Appear in large numbers in damp areas.

Earwig

Forficula auricularia

Dark, elongated insects with prominent rear pincers (cerci). About ⅝ inch.

Pill bug (roly-poly)

Armadillidium vulgare

Gray, segmented crustaceans (not insects) that roll into a ball when disturbed.

Camel cricket

Ceuthophilus species

Humpbacked, wingless crickets with long legs and antennae; tan and mottled. Jump when startled.

Carpet beetle

Anthrenus / Attagenus species

Small, oval beetles (⅛ inch), mottled or solid; the fuzzy larvae are the damaging stage.

Wood-destroying insects

The insects a WDI inspection looks for.

Eastern subterranean termite

Reticulitermes flavipes

Creamy-white workers and dark swarmers; build mud tubes from soil to wood. Swarmers have equal-length wings.

Powderpost beetle

Lyctus / Anobiid species

Small beetles whose larvae bore through wood, leaving tiny round exit holes and fine, flour-like frass.

Old house borer

Hylotrupes bajulus

A longhorned beetle whose larvae tunnel in softwood framing; audible rasping chewing and oval exit holes are signs.

Wildlife

Bats, squirrels, and nuisance animals that den in CNY homes.