Signs of termites in a house
Compare pellets, shelter tubes, damaged wood, swarmers, and shed wings.
PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE / PEST FAMILIES
Follow the evidence trail.
12 / COLLECTIONS
Have a likely pest in mind? Follow its evidence trail, compare lookalikes, and learn what a sighting can and cannot establish.
Unsure of the pest? Browse by visible clueEXPLORE THE COLLECTIONS
Which pest do you suspect?
Choose the closest match to open a collection of detailed guides.
Photo: Bestiasonica / Wikimedia Commons. Resized for web. Depicts Oriental cockroach frass; other species may leave different marks. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Signs of cockroaches
Where to look for droppings, egg cases, and other clues around a home.
Photo: Matt Frye / NY State IPM Program at Cornell University, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized by Wikimedia to 1280 pixels; no further changes. The source identifies house mouse droppings. No measurement scale is shown. · CC BY 2.0.jpg){kind=link}
Signs of mice and rats
Document droppings and nearby signs, then use safe cleanup guidance.
Photo: Thomas Oldani / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Source version cropped and brightness-adjusted by Soerfm; used without further changes. Source-described bed bug with eggs in a wooden bed; no scale shown. · CC BY 3.0
Physical signs of bed bugs
Check for eggs, shed skins, live bugs, and dark spots before relying on bite marks.
Photo: Arnoldius / Wikimedia Commons. Resized for web; this is a varied carpet beetle larva. · CC BY-SA 4.0.jpg){kind=link}
Signs of carpet beetles
Larvae, cast skins, eggs, and damage to natural fibers are useful clues.
Signs of carpenter ants
Compare sawdust-like frass, ant activity, and wood damage with termite signs.
Photo: Aiwok. Web-sized reference image. The three tail appendages are visible. Related household species can look similar. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Silverfish and related clues
Compare tapered insects, tail filaments, and moisture context.
Wood-boring beetle evidence
Compare round emergence holes and wood powder.
Flea evidence around pets
Keep pet, bedding, and veterinary observations together.
Wildlife evidence around the home
Document suspected wildlife waste without disturbing it.
Spider evidence and spotting
Connect visible webs and animals with nearby marks.
Photo: Fvukajlovic. Web-sized reference image. The head and segmented body are visible. Food or webbing context is not shown. · CC BY 4.0
Pantry pests and food evidence
Follow larvae and webbing back to affected stored food.