Identify Any NH Pest
A field guide to every common New Hampshire bug, rodent, spider, and wildlife pest — how to identify it, the signs it leaves, the real risks, and when to call a pro.
Describe What You're Seeing
Our AI finds the right pest profile instantly
Showing 86 of 86 pests
Ants
Trails, swarms & carpenter damageOdorous House Ant — Quick ID for New Hampshire
Odorous house ants are New Hampshire's most common kitchen nuisance ant — tiny, dark, and identifiable by their rotten-coconut or blue-cheese smell…
View profileCarpenter Ant — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Carpenter ants are New Hampshire's largest house ants — up to 13 mm, black, with a single smoothly rounded thoracic hump. They don't eat wood; they…
View profileCrazy Ant — Quick ID & New Hampshire Verdict
Crazy ants are small, dark ants with long legs and antennae that run in fast, erratic zigzags rather than orderly trails. The invasive tawny crazy …
View profileFire Ant — Quick ID & New Hampshire Verdict
Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are not established in New Hampshire — our winters are far too cold. A painful ant sting in NH is almos…
View profilePavement Ant — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Pavement ants are New Hampshire's dominant urban outdoor ant — small, dark, and identified by the tiny crater mounds of excavated soil they push up…
View profileAcrobat Ant — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Acrobat ants are small, bicolored NH ants with a distinctive heart-shaped abdomen they raise up over their back when alarmed — the 'acrobat' tell. …
View profileCockroaches
Kitchens, drains & allergensGerman Cockroach in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The German cockroach is New Hampshire's most common and most serious indoor roach — a tiny (~½ in) tan insect with two dark parallel stripes that b…
View profileOriental Cockroach in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The Oriental cockroach — sometimes called a 'waterbug' or 'black beetle' — is a large (~1 in), sluggish, near-black roach that lives in cool, damp …
View profileAmerican Cockroach in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The American cockroach is the largest common indoor roach in New Hampshire — up to 2 inches, reddish-brown with a pale yellowish figure-8 band on i…
View profileRodents
Mice & rats indoorsDeer Mouse in New Hampshire — Hantavirus & Safe Cleanup
The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is a native New England woodland mouse and the primary North American carrier of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndr…
View profileHouse Mouse in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The house mouse (Mus musculus) is the most common indoor rodent in New Hampshire — uniform gray-brown with a hairy tail and a musky ammonia smell. …
View profileNorway Rat in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is the rat species you will actually encounter in New Hampshire — stocky, gray-brown, with a blunt nose and a sc…
View profileRoof Rat in New Hampshire — Or Is It a Squirrel?
The roof rat (Rattus rattus) is an agile climbing rat not established in New Hampshire's cold climate — NH occurrences are rare ship-borne strays. …
View profileVoles in New Hampshire — Lawn Runways, Not House Mice
Voles (meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus) are stocky, short-tailed outdoor rodents that are not indoor pests — Iowa State Extension notes they '…
View profileWhite-Footed Mouse — NH's Key Lyme Disease Reservoir
The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a native woodland mouse and the single most important reservoir of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorfe…
View profileBlack Rat in New Hampshire — Is It Even Here?
The black rat (Rattus rattus) — also called the roof rat or ship rat — is not established in New Hampshire. It is a warm-climate species; the only …
View profileWildlife
Attic & yard nuisance animalsEastern Gray Squirrel in New Hampshire — ID & Attic Control
The eastern gray squirrel is New Hampshire's most common attic invader — and the only one active during the day. Because its incisors never stop gr…
View profileBats in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Safe Removal
New Hampshire bats (chiefly little brown bat and big brown bat) are protected species of conservation concern. Exclusion is legally and ethically r…
View profileChipmunks in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) are burrowing rodents whose 12–30-foot tunnel systems can undermine NH patios, stone steps, and retaining walls…
View profileOpossum in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Honest Facts
The Virginia opossum is North America's only marsupial and is now common across southern and central New Hampshire. Two viral claims are wrong: opo…
View profileRaccoons in New Hampshire — Rabies, Removal & the Law
Raccoons are New Hampshire's dominant terrestrial rabies vector and the primary host of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) — a parasite wh…
View profileGroundhogs in New Hampshire — Burrows, Damage & Control
The groundhog (Marmota monax) — also called woodchuck or whistle-pig — is New Hampshire's most destructive burrowing mammal. A single burrow system…
View profileBirds
Roosting & nesting pestsEuropean Starling in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The European starling is a non-native, federally unprotected bird that invades dryer vents, gable vents, and building cavities across New Hampshire…
View profileHouse Sparrow in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The house sparrow is a non-native weaverbird (not a true sparrow) that is not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It stuffs vents, building…
View profilePigeons in New Hampshire — ID, Droppings & How to Deter Them
The feral pigeon (rock pigeon) is a non-native bird not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It roosts year-round on NH building ledges and …
View profileSpiders
Webs, bites & basement speciesBlack Widow Spider in New Hampshire: ID, Risk & Control
The northern black widow is the only New Hampshire spider with medically significant venom — but it is shy, uncommon, and almost always flees rathe…
View profileCellar Spider (Daddy-Long-Legs) in NH: ID & Control
The cellar spider — the long-legged, ghostly spider in your NH basement — is completely harmless, not known to bite people, and eats other insects …
View profileCommon Garden Spider in NH: ID, Web & Is It Dangerous
The black-and-yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is a large, bold orbweaver that appears in NH gardens and fields from late summer through the…
View profileBrown Recluse Spider: Is It in New Hampshire? (No)
The brown recluse spider is not established in New Hampshire — its range is the south-central and lower-Midwest United States, and the region's cli…
View profileHouse Spider in New Hampshire: ID, Webs & Control
The common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) is the small mottled-brown cobweb spider responsible for most indoor webs in New Hampshire home…
View profileJumping Spider in NH: ID, Bite Risk & State Spider
The bold jumping spider (Phidippus audax) is New Hampshire's official state spider since June 11, 2021 — a fuzzy, compact, iridescent-fanged hunter…
View profileOrchard Orbweaver in NH: ID, Web & Is It a Widow?
The orchard orbweaver (Leucauge venusta) is a tiny, jewel-like spider — green legs, silvery abdomen, sometimes a red or orange crescent underneath …
View profileWolf Spider in New Hampshire: ID, Bite & Is It a Recluse
Wolf spiders are large, fast, ground-hunting spiders — body up to 1½ inches — that enter NH basements and crawl spaces in fall as temperatures drop…
View profileYellow Sac Spider in NH: ID, Bite & When to Worry
The yellow sac spider (Cheiracanthium mildei indoors, C. inclusum outdoors) is a pale yellow or cream spider, nickel-sized, that hides in a silk sa…
View profileTicks & Fleas
Bites & disease vectorsBrown Dog Tick in NH: The Tick That Infests Houses
The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) is uncommon in New Hampshire, mostly tied to kennels and dog-keeping homes. Its defining trait — uniq…
View profileDeer Tick — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
The deer tick (blacklegged tick) is New Hampshire's primary Lyme disease vector — tiny, reddish-orange with a dark shield and no white markings. Ny…
View profileLone Star Tick in NH: Range-Expanding & Alpha-Gal
The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is range-expanding northward into New Hampshire. UNH Extension (May 2026) considers it established in onl…
View profileAmerican Dog Tick in NH: ID, Disease Risk & Removal
The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is established and common throughout New Hampshire. It does NOT transmit Lyme disease — that is the …
View profileFlea — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Fleas are tiny, wingless, reddish-brown insects flattened side-to-side that jump rather than fly. The cat flea is the most common species on NH pet…
View profileMites
Tiny biting & nuisance mitesChicken Mites in NH: Night Bites Mean a Bird Roost
The chicken mite (Dermanyssus gallinae), also called the red poultry mite, hides in poultry houses and pigeon nests by day and emerges at night to …
View profileDust Mites in NH: The Allergen You Can't See or Find
Dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus) are microscopic at 0.2–0.3 mm — completely invisible to the naked eye. They do not bite …
View profileBird Mites in New Hampshire: Bites Mean a Nest Nearby
Bird mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum / Dermanyssus spp.) are parasites that live on birds and their nests — when a nest is abandoned after fledging,…
View profileClover Mites in NH: Tiny Red Bugs That Don't Bite
Clover mites (Bryobia praetiosa) are harmless reddish plant-feeders that swarm sunny NH foundations and windowsills in spring and fall. They do not…
View profileStinging Insects
Wasps, hornets & beesCicada Killer Wasp — Quick ID for New Hampshire
Cicada killers are New Hampshire's largest wasps — up to 40 mm — and look alarming, but they almost never sting people. Males hover and patrol aggr…
View profileCarpenter Bee in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
The Eastern carpenter bee is a large (~¾–1 in) native NH pollinator with a shiny black abdomen — it looks like a bumble bee but bores round holes i…
View profileMud Dauber — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Mud daubers are solitary wasps known for their thread-thin waist and mud nests — pipe-organ tubes or a smooth daub on a sheltered wall or eave. The…
View profilePaper Wasp — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Paper wasps are slim, long-legged wasps that build open, umbrella-shaped nests under eaves and railings. New Hampshire has two common kinds — the n…
View profileEuropean Hornet — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
The European hornet is the only true hornet found in New Hampshire — a large brown-and-yellow insect with a reddish thorax that flies after dark an…
View profileYellowjacket — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Yellowjackets are stocky black-and-yellow colony wasps that nest in concealed spots — ground burrows, wall voids, and under decks. They are NH's mo…
View profileBald-Faced Hornet — Quick ID for New Hampshire
The bald-faced hornet is a large black-and-white wasp that builds distinctive enclosed gray football-shaped paper nests in trees, shrubs, and under…
View profileFlies & Gnats
Drains, fruit & filth fliesBlow Flies in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & How to Get Rid of Them
Blow flies are metallic blue/green/bronze flies slightly larger than a house fly that breed exclusively in carrion. A sudden indoor burst of these …
View profileCluster Flies in New Hampshire — Why They're in Your House in Winter
Cluster flies are fall occasional invaders — not filth flies. Their larvae parasitize earthworms in your lawn; the adult flies overwinter in wall v…
View profileBottle Flies in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
Bottle flies — the green bottle (Lucilia sericata) and blue bottle (Calliphora vomitoria) — are blow flies named for their metallic 'bottle-glass' …
View profileHouse Flies in New Hampshire — ID, Disease Risk & Control
The common house fly (Musca domestica) is a true filth fly — ~1/4 inch, dull gray with four thoracic stripes, sponging mouthparts that do not bite.…
View profileDrain Flies in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & How to Get Rid of Them
Drain flies (moth flies) are tiny, fuzzy, moth-like flies that rest on walls near sinks and tubs. They breed in the gelatinous organic film — biofi…
View profileFlesh Flies in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & Control
Flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) are large dull-gray flies with three dark thoracic stripes, a distinctive checkerboard (tessellated) gray-and-black abd…
View profileFruit Flies in New Hampshire — ID, Where They Come From & Control
Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are ~1/8-inch tan/brown flies with red eyes that hover around fermenting produce, spills, recycling, and drai…
View profileMosquito — Quick ID for New Hampshire Homeowners
Mosquitoes are slender, long-legged flies with a needle-like proboscis — only females bite. They breed in any standing water and are active at dawn…
View profileStable Flies in New Hampshire — The Biting "House Fly"
The stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) looks almost exactly like a house fly — same gray body, same four thoracic stripes — but it carries a forward-…
View profilePhorid Flies in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & How to Get Rid of Them
A phorid fly is a tiny (0.5–6 mm) humpbacked fly that scuttles across surfaces instead of flying, and breeds in moist, decaying organic matter — dr…
View profileFungus Gnats in New Hampshire — ID, Signs & How to Get Rid of Them
Fungus gnats are dark, delicate, mosquito-like flies with long legs that hover weakly near overwatered houseplants. Their larvae breed in the top 2…
View profileBeetles
Pantry, fabric & wood beetlesAsian Lady Beetle in New Hampshire: Honest ID & What to Do
The multicolored Asian lady beetle is a beneficial aphid predator in summer that becomes a fall invader in New Hampshire, clustering on sunny south…
View profileSawtoothed Grain Beetle: New Hampshire's #1 Kitchen Pest
The sawtoothed grain beetle is New Hampshire's most common kitchen pest — a slender, flat, dark-brown beetle named for the six tooth-like projectio…
View profileCarpet Beetles in New Hampshire: Damage, the 'Bite' Myth & Control
Carpet beetles ruin wool, silk, fur, feathers, and leather — but only the fuzzy larvae do the damage; adults eat pollen outdoors and are harmless. …
View profileCigarette Beetles in New Hampshire: Spices, Signs & Control
The cigarette beetle is a small, humpbacked, reddish-brown pantry pest that infests dried spices, herbs, pet food, cereal, and tobacco. It doesn't …
View profileDrugstore Beetles in New Hampshire: Signs, Hidden Sources & Control
The drugstore beetle is a tiny reddish-brown pantry pest famous for eating almost anything — flour, spices, pet food, pharmaceuticals, dried flower…
View profileFlour Beetles in New Hampshire: Why Your Flour Smells Off & Control
Red and confused flour beetles are the small reddish-brown beetles most often found in opened flour, cereal, and baking mixes. They can't chew whol…
View profileSpider Beetles in New Hampshire: Not a Spider — Here's the Real ID
Spider beetles are odd little scavengers with long legs and a round, bulbous body that makes them look like tiny spiders, mites, or even engorged t…
View profilePantry & Fabric Pests
Moths in food & closetsClothes Moths in New Hampshire: Holes in Wool & How to Stop Them
The webbing clothes moth is a small, golden, light-shy moth whose larvae eat wool, cashmere, silk, fur, and feathers — leaving holes, silk webbing,…
View profileIndian Meal Moths in New Hampshire: Find the Source & Stop Them
The Indian meal moth is the most common pantry moth — the small moth you see flying around the kitchen at dusk. Its larvae spin telltale silk webbi…
View profileOccasional Invaders
Fall & basement intrudersBrown Marmorated Stink Bug in New Hampshire — ID & Control
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive Asian shield bug first confirmed in NH at Portsmouth in 2010. It masses on warm walls in fall …
View profileElm Seed Bug — ID and Whether It's Really in New Hampshire
The elm seed bug is a European invader now established in the western United States — but it is NOT confirmed established in New Hampshire or New E…
View profileBoxelder Bugs in New Hampshire — ID, Why They Invade & Control
The boxelder bug is a harmless black-and-red insect that masses on sunny NH walls each fall seeking a place to overwinter. It does not bite, breed …
View profileCamel Crickets in New Hampshire — ID, Why They're Inside & Control
The camel cricket — also called 'spider cricket' or 'spricket' — is a humpbacked, wingless, silent cricket that thrives in damp NH basements, crawl…
View profileEarwigs in New Hampshire — ID, the Ear Myth & Control
The European earwig is a flat, reddish-brown, nocturnal insect with distinctive rear pincers. The 'crawls in your ear to lay eggs' story is pure fo…
View profileFirebrats in New Hampshire — ID, Heat & Moisture Control
The firebrat is a mottled gray-brown, wingless bristletail that thrives in hot, humid pockets near furnaces, water heaters, and hot pipes. Like sil…
View profileSilverfish in New Hampshire — ID, Damage & Control
The silverfish is a teardrop-shaped, silvery, wingless insect that wriggles like a fish and bolts for cover when you turn on the light. It loves co…
View profileSowbugs in New Hampshire — ID, Pillbug Lookalike & Control
The sowbug is the pillbug's close cousin — also a land crustacean (isopod), not an insect — but with two key differences: it cannot roll into a bal…
View profileSpringtails in New Hampshire — Tiny Jumping Bugs Explained
Springtails are tiny (1–2 mm) jumping arthropods that appear in large numbers in damp spots — sinks, bathrooms, potted-plant soil, and basements. T…
View profileThrips in New Hampshire — Plant Pest, Not a Home Invader
Thrips are tiny (~1 mm) slender plant pests — not a household-infesting pest. Outdoors in large numbers they occasionally land on people and probe …
View profileWestern Conifer Seed Bug in New Hampshire — ID & Control
The western conifer seed bug is a large, harmless leaf-footed bug that feeds on pine and spruce cones and overwinters inside NH homes and buildings…
View profileWoodlice in New Hampshire — Pillbug & Sowbug ID & Control
"Woodlouse" is the umbrella name for the small, armored land crustaceans most NH residents call pillbugs and sowbugs. They are not insects — they a…
View profileHouse Crickets in New Hampshire — ID, the Chirp & Control
The house cricket is the small yellowish-brown, chirping cricket found in NH basements, utility rooms, and garages each fall. Only males chirp — by…
View profilePillbugs (Roly-Polies) in New Hampshire — ID & Control
The pillbug — also called roly-poly or woodlouse — is not an insect but a harmless land crustacean (isopod) that breathes through gills and rolls i…
View profileTermites
Wood-destroying insectsStill not sure what you've got?
Send us a photo or book a same-day inspection — family-owned since 2017, serving Southern New Hampshire.