What bug is that?

Fire Ant

Solenopsis invicta

Aggressive reddish-orange ants with a painful stinging bite that builds dome-shaped mounds.

Pharaoh Ant

Monomorium pharaonis

Tiny pale yellow ants that bud into new colonies when sprayed — never use repellent insecticides.

Odorous House Ant

Tapinoma sessile

Brown ants that smell like rotten coconut when crushed; love sweets and form wide foraging trails.

Little Black Ant

Monomorium minimum

Jet-black, smaller than most household ants; nests in masonry and wall cavities with multiple queens.

Thief Ant

Solenopsis molesta

Tiny pale ants that nest beside other ant colonies and steal their brood; easy to confuse with pharaoh ants.

Raspberry Crazy Ant

Nylanderia fulva

Erratic-running reddish-brown ants that displace native ants, form supercolonies, and short out electronics.

Identification only

Pavement Ant

Tetramorium immigrans

Dark brown ants that pile soil at sidewalk cracks; forage indoors for grease, sweets, and meats.

Acrobat Ant

Crematogaster spp.

Heart-shaped abdomen raised over the head when threatened; nests in moist wood and foam insulation.

Harvester Ant

Pogonomyrmex spp.

Large red ants of the western US with one of the most painful insect stings known to science.

Identification only

Argentine Ant

Linepithema humile

Light-brown invasive ants that form vast supercolonies and displace native species.

German Cockroach

Blattella germanica

The #1 indoor roach — light brown with two dark stripes; triggers asthma, breeds explosively.

American Cockroach

Periplaneta americana

Large reddish-brown roach (a.k.a. "palmetto bug") from sewers, drains, and commercial basements.

Smokybrown Cockroach

Periplaneta fuliginosa

Glossy mahogany-brown roach common in southern climates; strong flier, attracted to lights.

House Mouse

Mus musculus

Small greyish-brown mouse that squeezes through quarter-inch gaps; chews wires, spreads disease.

Norway Rat

Rattus norvegicus

Large brown burrowing rat found in urban Durham and Raleigh sewers, alleys, and around dumpsters.

Roof Rat

Rattus rattus

Sleek climbing rat that nests in attics, palm trees, and dense vegetation — spreading inland from coastal NC.

House Fly

Musca domestica

Grey fly with four dark thoracic stripes; mechanical vector for salmonella, E. coli, and dysentery.

Identification only

Fruit Fly

Drosophila melanogaster

Tiny tan-brown flies with red eyes that breed in overripe produce, fermenting liquids, and drains.

Identification only

Cluster Fly

Pollenia rudis

Sluggish dark-grey flies that overwinter inside attics and walls in large clusters.

Identification only

Cicada

Cicadidae family

Large stout-bodied insects with transparent veined wings; males produce the famous buzzing song.

Identification only

Yellow Jacket

Vespula spp.

Aggressive yellow-and-black scavenger wasps; sharp bands, smooth body, painful repeated stings.

Paper Wasp

Polistes spp.

Slender brown-yellow wasps with long dangling legs; build umbrella-shaped paper nests under eaves.

Hornet (Bald-Faced)

Dolichovespula maculata

Black with ivory-white markings; build large grey papery aerial nests in trees and eaves.

Black Widow

Latrodectus mactans

Glossy black female with red hourglass on underside; neurotoxic venom — seek medical care if bitten.

Brown Recluse

Loxosceles reclusa

Uniform light-brown spider with dark violin shape on back; necrotic venom can cause open ulcers.

Cellar Spider

Pholcus phalangioides

Pale tan body with extremely long thin legs; harmless and actually preys on other spiders.

Common House Spider

Parasteatoda tepidariorum

Mottled tan-brown spider that builds tangled cobwebs in corners; harmless beneficial predator.

Wolf Spider

Lycosidae family

Robust hairy brown-grey spider that hunts on the ground instead of building webs; not medically significant.

Mosquito

Culicidae family

Slender biting flies that vector West Nile, Zika, and other diseases; breed in standing water.

Bed Bug

Cimex lectularius

Flat reddish-brown blood feeders that hide in mattress seams. Castle offers inspection only, not treatment.

Inspection only

Deer Tick

Ixodes scapularis

Tiny reddish-brown tick with black legs; primary Lyme disease vector in the eastern US.

Silverfish

Lepisma saccharinum

Metallic silver teardrop-shaped insects that eat paper, glue, and starches in damp dark spaces.

Earwig

Forficula auricularia

Dark reddish-brown insects with rear pincers; nocturnal, harmless to humans, despite the old myth.

Boxelder Bug

Boisea trivittata

Black with three red-orange thorax stripes; clusters on sunny walls in fall trying to overwinter inside.

Identification only

Stink Bug (BMSB)

Halyomorpha halys

Shield-shaped mottled brown bug; major agricultural pest, indoor nuisance, releases pungent odor when crushed.

Identification only

House Centipede

Scutigera coleoptrata

Fast yellow-grey predator with 15 pairs of long banded legs; preys on roaches and silverfish.

Millipede

Diplopoda class

Cylindrical dark brown segmented arthropod with two pairs of legs per segment; harmless detritivore.

House Cricket

Acheta domesticus

Light yellow-brown crickets that chirp at night; chew fabric and paper, attracted to warmth.

Identification only

Carpenter Ant

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Large black ants that excavate smooth galleries in moisture-damaged wood — a sign of structural issues.

Subterranean Termite

Reticulitermes spp.

The #1 wood-destroying pest in the US — colonies of millions silently consume structural timber.

Powderpost / Borer Beetle

Lyctus / Anobium spp.

Small reddish-brown beetles whose larvae tunnel through hardwood floors and structural timber for years.

Clothes Moth

Tineola bisselliella

Small straw-yellow moth whose larvae chew irregular holes in wool, cashmere, silk, and fur.

Indian Meal Moth (Pantry Moth)

Plodia interpunctella

Small two-toned moth that contaminates flour, cereal, dried fruit, and pet food in pantries.

Beetles (Coleoptera)

Coleoptera order

Largest insect order — huge variety; some are pantry pests, some lawn pests, some structural.