Common Pests Found in Philadelphia
Click any pest to learn how to identify it and what to do next.
Bed Bugs
Tiny reddish-brown oval insects found in mattresses and furniture
High concern
Cockroaches
Brown to black fast-moving insects found in kitchens and basements
High concern
Ants
Small colonial insects ranging from tiny pavement ants to carpenter ants
Medium concern
Spiders
8-legged arachnids from harmless house spiders to brown recluse
Medium concern
Wasps & Hornets
Stinging insects that build paper nests in eaves, trees, and soil
High concern
Mice & Rats
Gnawing rodents that damage property and spread disease
High concern
Termites
Wood-destroying insects that silently damage home structures
High concern
Fleas & Ticks
Small parasites that feed on humans and pets
High concern
Carpet Beetles
Small oval beetles whose larvae destroy wool, silk, fur and natural fiber fabrics
Medium concern
House Centipede
Fast-moving, long-legged hunters found in damp basements and bathrooms
Low concern
Millipedes
Slow worm-like arthropods that invade homes after rain or in fall
Low concern
Earwigs
Reddish-brown insects with distinctive rear pincers found in gardens and basements
Low concern
Spotted Lanternfly
Invasive PA pest destroying grapevines, fruit trees and hardwoods — kill on sight
High concern
Drain & Fruit Flies
Tiny fuzzy or red-eyed flies breeding in drains and fermenting produce
Low concern
Crickets
House and camel crickets invading basements, garages and crawl spaces
Low concern
Boxelder Bugs
Black and red fall invaders massing on warm walls to overwinter
Low concern
Clover Mites
Tiny red arachnids appearing by the thousands on windowsills and walls in spring and fall
Low concern