Common St.Louis Metro-East Area Pests
At Imel, we treat for a wide variety of pests that threaten your family, property and dwellings. Whether you want to avoid the onslaught of wasps and hornets when you work outside or you’ve noticed a colony of ants that have found easy access to your kitchen, it’s good to know that Imel is only a call away. Using the latest in detection, eco-friendly pest treatments and prevention technologies, know that a visit from Imel Pest Control will keep your home or business building and property safe and sound.
Illinois Pest Identification –
Scroll Down to View Common Pests We Exterminate Here in the Midwest
| Eastern Subterranean Termite |
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Latin Name: Reticulitermes flavipes |
This is the most common type of termite found in this area. They often build mud-colored tubes to travel between colonies and food sources. Once inside a home, they can feed on the home’s structure, furniture, etc.
| Carpenter Ant |
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Latin Name: Camponotus |
This species of ant is dark to reddish-brown and usually makes its home in decaying wood. However, if you notice piles of sawdust and haven’t been sawing anything, you may have a carpenter ant problem.
| Pavement Ant |
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Latin Name: Tetramorium caespitum |
The name for this species of ant is derived from where they live – in the pavement of sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. Ant treatments can prevent these little guys from damaging the pavement at your home.
| House Ant |
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Latin Name: Tapinoma sessile |
These can be dark brown or black, and they like to hang around food and water. They may nest in walls, or crevices in your home.
| Pharaoh Ant |
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Latin Name: Monomorium pharaonis |
Yellowish-brown in color, these will make a nest pretty much anywhere, but prefer areas near food and water, and may use utility lines hidden in walls as a means of travel.
| Brown-Banded Cockroach |
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Latin Name: Supella longipalpa |
This species of cockroach is only found inside, and they prefer warm and dry places. They’ll feast on almost anything and are rarely seen during the day. Cabinets, closets, drawers, and other dry places may be a place for these cockroaches.
| German Cockroach |
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Latin Name: Blattella germanica |
In color it varies from tan to almost black and it has two dark, roughly parallel, streaks on the pronotum running from behind the head to the base of the wings. Although the German cockroach has wings, it can barely fly, although it may glide when disturbed.
| Oriental Cockroach |
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Latin Name: Blatta orientalis |
Also known as the waterbug, this is a large species of cockroach. It is dark brown or black in color and has a glossy body. Even though this cockroach has wings,
it is flightless.
| American Cockroach |
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Latin Name: Blattella germanica |
This cockroach is divided into three sections and, almost exclusively, active at night. One of the fastest insects, you may catch a quick glance when you turn on the lights to a dark room. These creatures move indoors when the weather gets cold in search of shelter and warmth.
| Honey Bee |
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Latin Name: Blatta orientalis |
The bodies of these bees may be light-brown to black with yellow striations. Honey bees are vital to healthy ecosystems and serve as pollinators for all sorts of flowers and plants, and they use pollen to make honey. Nests are often built in trees but may be found in chimneys or attics. WE DO NOT KILL OR TREAT FOR HONEY BEES!
| Hornet |
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Latin Name: Dolichovespula maculata |
Mostly black with white or yellow markings depending on the species. Their large, tear-dropped shaped nests are made in trees, shrubs, or even attached to buildings.
| Yellow Jacket |
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Latin Name: Vespula maculifrons |
Black and yellow banded flying insects that make their nests in many of the same places hornets do, which includes trees, shrubs, and human-made structures.
| Wasp |
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Latin Name: Polistes spp) |
These long and slender flying insects retain an orange to brownish color and build their nests on the underside of roofs and ledges. Nests are umbrella-shaped with a honeycomb pattern on the bottom.
| Bumblebee |
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Latin Name: Bombus |
Bumblebees are also beneficial due to their pollination of flowers and plants. However, this species of bees is known to be aggressive, with one of the most painful stings of any flying insect. Nests are many times found in soffit, fascia, attics, etc.
| Sweat Bee |
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Latin Name: Dialictus zephrum |
These long and slender flying insects retain an orange to brownish color and build their nests on the underside of roofs and ledges. Nests are umbrella-shaped with a honeycomb pattern on the bottom.
| Black & Yellow Mud Dauber |
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Latin Name: Sceliphron caementarium |
Bumblebees are also beneficial due to their pollination of flowers and plants. However, this species of bees is known to be aggressive, with one of the most painful stings of any flying insect. Nests are many times found in soffit, fascia, attics, etc.
| Blue Mud Dauber |
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These long and slender flying insects retain an orange to brownish color and build their nests on the underside of roofs and ledges. Nests are umbrella-shaped with a honeycomb pattern on the bottom.
| Cicada Killer |
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Latin Name: Sphecius speciosus |
Bumblebees are also beneficial due to their pollination of flowers and plants. However, this species of bees is known to be aggressive, with one of the most painful stings of any flying insect. Nests are many times found in soffit, fascia, attics, etc.
| Carpenter Bee |
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Latin Name: Xylocopa virginica |
These bees are yellow and black, with a fuzzy thorax, and will make their nests by boring holes into wooden structures. Pay attention for fresh sawdust around decks, carports, wood fascia, etc. Holes are about 1” deep and run 4-6 inches along the grain of the wood.
| Asian Lady Beetle |
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Latin Name: Harmonia axyridis |
The Asian lady beetle is what is commonly known as the ladybug. Adorned with spots, this insect can devour and damage the leaves of many crops found throughout the Midwest.
| Convergent Lady Beetle |
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Latin Name: Hippodamia convergens |
These beetles are quite similar in coloring to the Asian Lady Beetle. However, Convergent Lady Beetles are much larger, comparatively speaking, and feature white markings behind the head.
| Spotted Cucumber Beetle |
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Latin Name: Diabrotica undecimpunctata |
This type of beetle is a pest throughout North America and feeds on many popular crops, damaging their stalks and leaves. They are notorious for infesting crops of soybeans, cucumbers, cotton, beans, and even corn.
| False Bombardier Beetle |
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Latin Name: Galerita bicolor |
These colorful beetles can be found a number of places including inside and outside the home. They usually wander inside during the cold months.
| Ground Beetle |
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Latin Name: Xylocopa virginica |
Ground beetles are black or dark brown in color, and they are attracted to bright lights and moist climates – they may enter your home during a hot, dry summer.
| Margined Blister Beetle |
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Latin Name: Epicauta funebris |
The blister beetle gets its name from a chemical that’s released when threatened – it can cause human skin to blister. Adults feed on plant-life including foliage and fruit.
| Japanese Beetle |
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Latin Name: Polpillia japonica |
This beetle can be highly damaging to a wide variety of plants and foliage. They’re most active from midsummer to early fall, and they feed in groups, which can cause a considerable amount of damage.
| Big Dipper Firefly |
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Latin Name: Photinus pyralis |
These bugs light up the night during the summer and are caught by children everywhere. This is the most common species of firefly in North America. The Big Dipper is a flying and light-producing beetle with a light organ on the underside of its abdomen.
| Black Firefly |
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Latin Name: Lucidota atra |
Black Fireflies are very similar and often mistaken for the Big Dipper Firefly. They have completely black wing coverings while other relatives have yellow edging on them. Additionally, the pronotum is round and yellow and extends over the head like a shield.
| Green June Beetle |
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Latin Name: Cotinis nitida |
These beetles are attracted to overripe fruits and the sap of some trees. They have the ability to severely damage trees and plants and are found in gardens, orchards, and other wooded areas.
| May Beetle |
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These beetles are commonly referred to as “junebugs” due to their high level of activity in the summer. Additionally, they’re attracted to light and are mostly active at night.
| American Oil Beetle |
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Latin Name: Meloe americanus |
This is another type of blister beetle that can be harmful when it comes into contact with humans. These beetles do not fly and feed on vegetation.
| Boxelder Bug |
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Mostly black with white or yellow markings depending on the species. Their large, tear-dropped shaped nests are made in trees, shrubs, or even attached to buildings.
| Weevil |
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Latin Name: Curculionidae |
These bugs can be identified by their snout, which is unique to these beetles. These small beetles are attracted to dry foods such as nuts, seeds, cereals, and grain.
| Human Flea (house flea) |
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These tiny insects feed on the blood of their host organism, which could be dogs, cats, humans, etc. Additionally, they carry disease and may cause disease.
| Dog Flea |
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Latin Name: Ctenocephalides canis |
These tiny brown bugs are visible to the human eye and, many times, will enter the home on the back of a pet. These insects will manifest anywhere they can feed on a host.
| Camel Cricket (cave cricket) |
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These brownish creatures prefer dark, moist places and will find their way into your home when the weather becomes too hot and dry. Common places they’re found include basements, crawlspaces, plumbing, etc.
| Mole Cricket |
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Latin Name: Gryllotalpidae |
These crickets may appear similar; however, mole crickets are larger, and they don’t hop like other species of crickets. These may be found around the outside of the home and prove a nuisance with their louder-than-normal chirping.
| Field Cricket |
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This species of cricket can range in color and only grows to about an inch in length. Additionally, they enter homes through cracks in doors, windows, and walls when outdoor conditions become unfavorable.
| House Cricket |
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Latin Name: Acheta domesticus (Linnaeus) |
While house crickets prefer moist, warm weather, and usually live outside; they venture inside when the weather changes and can feed on the fabric of furniture, clothing, etc.
| Common House Spider |
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Also known as the American House Spider, these creatures feed on small insects. They live in close proximity to humans and are not aggressive – you probably don’t even notice that they are there.
| Wolf Spider |
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Latin Name: Lycosidae |
Wolf spiders do not hunt with webs and stay on or below ground level when inside and outside the home. They can bite; however, these are not aggressive creatures unless provoked.
| Brown Recluse Spider |
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This is the most deadly spider known to roam the Metro East area. They can be spotted by a brown, violin-shaped mark on their back and prefer cool dark areas of the home. Seek medical attention immediately if bitten.
| Northern Black Widow |
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Latin Name: Latrodectus various |
These are distinguishable by a black body with an hourglass-shaped red spot on the abdomen. These reclusive creatures reside out of sight and only attack when provoked. However, the venom is highly toxic, meaning you should be vigilant when working around piles of brush, dead wood, attics, closets and other dark places.
| Daddy Long Legs |
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These arachnids resemble, but are not, spiders. They’re not harmful and prefer dark, moist environments. They also are not known to have any major effect on crops or vegetation.
| Bed Bug |
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Latin Name: Cimex lectularius |
Bed bugs feed on blood and are found in furniture, mattresses, box springs, etc. Also, these creatures can travel in suitcases, duffel bags and live in small cracks and crevices that provide them access to humans.
| Brown Marmorated Stink Bug |
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These bugs live in trees and feed on fruit and vegetable crops. They make it into homes via doors, windows, and other small crevices. Additionally, they emit an odor when threatened, which is an easy way to identify them.
| Centipede |
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Latin Name: Scutigera coleoptrata |
Centipedes typically live outside and feed on spiders, bed bugs, termites, cockroaches, ants, etc. They like cold, moist habitats and will find a way into your home via the plumbing when the weather dictates.
| Millipede |
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These creatures are similar to, and quite a bit larger than, centipedes. Millipedes bodies feature a long body with two pairs of legs for each segment. Most millipedes can’t survive inside for more than a few days, but give off a fluid that can cause blistering on human skin.
| Clover Mite |
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Latin Name: Bryobia praetiosa |
These tiny bugs are brown as adults and red when they are young. They like to gather around mold and other fungi that occur in damp places.
| Silverfish |
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White to brownish-gray, these insects hang around in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, attics and basements and they prefer humid climates. They can be identified by three long bristles sticking out of the backend and two antennae.
| Sow Bug |
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Latin Name: Armadillidium vulgare |
More commonly known as “rollie pollies,” these bugs are actually crustaceans that have adapted to live on land, which is why you’ll mostly find them outside in dark and damp areas.
| Fungus Gnat |
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These gnats are small and black with tiny clear wings. Fungus Gnats feed on moist, decaying material, and they might be the most annoying insects out there.
| Drain Fly |
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Latin Name: Psychodidae |
The body and wings of these flies are covered with hair, which gives them a fuzzy appearance. Similar to gnats, these are easily controlled with a fly swatter.
| Fruit Fly |
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This is what you think of when you say “housefly.” Fruit flies are attracted to sugary materials, and they can breed just about anywhere, which makes them hard to eliminate from a home.
| Sand Fly |
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Latin Name: Phlebotamus |
These tiny flies are often found outside in dark and moist places. Females use their mouth to feed on blood when producing eggs. This may be the culprit if you feel a biting sensation.
| Biting Midge |
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These tiny flies are often found outside in dark and moist places. Females use their mouth to feed on blood when producing eggs. This may be the culprit if you feel a biting sensation. Adults mostly emerge in the summer. Discomfort from a bit may persist for extended periods but is not severe.
| Horse Fly |
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Latin Name: Tabanidae |
These large flies are Found near bodies of water, you’ve seen a horse fly if you’ve been pestered by a loud-buzzing winged creature while enjoying the pool in the summertime. Bites can be incredibly painful.
| Deer Fly |
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These flies are similar in size and appearance to the housefly, and they prefer to live around water. These insects carry diseases and may bite humans to feed on blood for the production of eggs.
| Stable Fly |
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Latin Name: Stomoxys calcitrans |
Generally a lighter color than a housefly, these flies have elongated mouth parts that help deliver painful bites. Bites may occur around ankles, legs, etc.
| Black Fly |
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These flies bite during the daytime and bites may be quite painful. Fortunately, you’ll only have to worry about black flies outside – they typically do not venture indoors.
| Cluster Fly |
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Latin Name: Pollenia rudis |
Cluster flies are larger than common houseflies, and they seek warm environments to live in during the cold winter months. Their size causes them to be slower than houseflies, which makes them easier to control.
| Inland Floodwater Mosquito |
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This species of mosquito lays its eggs offshore, and those eggs hatch when floodwater reaches them. They’ll feed on any large mammals and tend to spread diseases.
| Vector Mosquito |
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Latin Name: Culicidae |
These mosquitoes can breed in any form of stagnant water. Like any other species, the females feed on human blood for the production of eggs.
| Asian Tiger Mosquito |
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These mosquitoes are easily recognizable by a white strep that runs down the abdomen and thorax. They usually feed during daylight hours when they are most active.
| American Dog Tick |
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Latin Name: Dermacentor variabilis |
The most common tick is called the “American Dog Tick.” This tick species is also known as the “wood tick” and feed on warm blooded animals such as mice and birds, as well as more domestic mammals such as dogs. In the state of Illinois, it is common for these ticks to appear in the early months of spring and summer (April -June). These ticks are known to transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia and Ehrlichiosis in humans.
| Lone Star Tick |
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The lone star tick is primarily found in the southern areas of Illinois. These ticks are likely to feed on all warm-blooded hosts including domestic animals and humans. These ticks are most active April through July and are known to transmit the same diseases as the American Dog Tick.
| Blacklegged Tick/Deer Tick |
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Latin Name: Ixodes scapularis |
This tick feeds on a variety of hosts including people. They ticks are more common around fall and tend to feed off mostly deer, hence the name. They are known for transmitting Lyme disease, babesiosis and ehrlichiosis.
| Brown Dog Tick |
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The brown dog tick is a tick that is most found on dogs but is known to bite humans. These ticks unlike others, can survive, develop and grow indoors. These ticks are typically found in kennels or homes where dogs tend to lay near open cracks or under furniture. The brown dog tick is not a carrier of any human disease and can be treated.
| Winter Tick |
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Latin Name: Dermacentor albipictus |
The winter tick is a tick that likes to feed on larger mammals such as deer, cattle, horses and some larger dogs. Winter ticks are hosts of larva allowing it to stick forever. They carry dangerous disease to animals but are not known to transmit any disease to humans. You’re most likely to see these while hiking or hunting.
