PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE / VISIBLE CLUE

Live insects and lookalikes

An intact insect often gives more information than a stain. Start with a clear photograph, a body-length estimate, and the exact finding location. Use the comparisons to decide which features need a closer look.

Explore 12 guides Record an observation

From the guide: Baby cockroaches: nymphs and lookalikesPhoto: JoeKunkel. Web-sized reference image. A laboratory culture, not a household infestation. This photograph shows one growth stage. · CC BY-SA 4.0

OBSERVE THE SIGNCOMPARE THE POSSIBILITIESDOCUMENT WHAT CHANGES

THE RELEVANT EVIDENCE

Guides in this collection

12 / GUIDES

LIVE INSECTS

Baby cockroaches: nymphs and lookalikes

Compare young cockroaches with adults and other small insects. Learn which details make a useful identification photo.

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German cockroach: markings and indoor clues

Compare the two dark markings behind the head, indoor context, nymphs, and similar cockroaches.

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American cockroach: size, color, and lookalikes

Identify the features of an American cockroach and distinguish an isolated arrival from recurring indoor evidence.

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Oriental cockroach: dark body and short wings

Compare male and female Oriental cockroaches, damp-area sightings, and other large dark insects.

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Brownbanded cockroach: bands and hiding places

Compare brownbanded roach markings and understand why inspections may extend beyond kitchens and bathrooms.

Read guide COMPARISONS

Bugs that look like cockroaches: comparison guide

Use body shape, wing covers, antennae, and context to compare a suspected cockroach with other insects.

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Water bug vs cockroach: what the name leaves out

Compare a true giant water bug with household cockroaches and make sense of the common nickname.

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Black carpet beetle: adults, larvae, and fabric clues

Compare an adult black carpet beetle with its larvae and connect the finding to the material nearby.

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Carpet beetle vs bed bug: compare the actual insect

Compare bristly larvae, adult beetles, and bed bugs using physical evidence rather than skin symptoms.

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Bugs that look like bed bugs: what to compare

Compare bed bugs with carpet beetles, booklice, and closely related bat bugs without relying on bites.

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Tiny black bugs near windows: a starting checklist

Narrow a window-sill insect finding using size, movement, body details, and evidence elsewhere in the room.

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Silverfish in a house: body shape, eggs, and clues

Compare silverfish and firebrats and learn why an intact insect is more useful than suspected eggs.

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FROM THE JOURNAL

Go a step further.

All articles

01Prevention and storageBugs in cardboard boxes: inspect the item and its contents separatelyA practical record for an insect found in stored or incoming boxes, without assuming what it feeds on.02Fabric evidenceCarpet beetle shed skins: record the object before counting pestsUnderstand why an empty larval skin can be useful evidence without revealing how many live insects remain.03Room checklistsCarpet beetles in a closet: trace the material, not just the roomA closet inspection record for larvae, shed skins, and fabric damage that avoids guessing from an adult beetle.04Travel and secondhand itemsChecking a hotel room for bed bug evidenceA travel checklist for documenting a suspected finding and reporting it clearly to hotel staff.