Photo: JoeKunkel. Web-sized reference image. A laboratory culture, not a household infestation. This photograph shows one growth stage. · CC BY-SA 4.0Live insects and lookalikes
Compare body features, life stages, and the place an insect appeared.
PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE / OBSERVATION FIRST
Begin with the evidence.
05 / COLLECTIONS
A mark, insect, pellet, or damaged surface is a starting point. Use what you can see to compare plausible causes and choose a useful next check.
Know the pest? Browse by familyEXPLORE THE COLLECTIONS
What did you find?
Choose the closest match to open a collection of detailed guides.
Photo: JoeKunkel. Web-sized reference image. A laboratory culture, not a household infestation. This photograph shows one growth stage. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Identify pest droppings
Compare where the material appeared, its shape, and the clues nearby before deciding what left it.
Wood and wall clues
Compare pellets, mud tubes, and damaged wood without assuming every mark is a termite.
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
Eggs and larvae in the home
Use appearance, location, and surrounding signs to narrow down what you found.
Winged insects and shed wings
Compare termite swarmers, flying ants, and wings found around doors or windows.