Identify a household pest by combining two things: where you saw it and what it left behind. On Long Island, small tan insects with pepper-like specks near a dishwasher are German cockroaches, rice-sized droppings with night scratching in a wall are house mice, pencil-width mud tubes on a foundation are subterranean termites, and round holes in cedar trim are carpenter bees. Pick a location below to narrow it down, then call Bobby Bugs at (516) 509-6001 for a free written quote.
23 likely matches across Long Island homes.
Signs: Small tan insects behind the stove or dishwasher, dark specks like pepper in cabinet corners
German cockroaches breed indoors year-round and hide within a few feet of food and water. Daytime sightings usually mean the population is already crowded.
Signs: Rice-sized dark droppings, gnawed cardboard or dry goods, scratching inside walls at night
Mice enter through gaps as small as a dime around pipes, dryer vents, and sill plates. Trapping without sealing entry points only pauses the problem.
Signs: Droppings the size of an olive pit, greasy rub marks, burrow holes near the foundation or under a shed
Rats travel established runways between a burrow and a food source, so treatment works outward from the burrow with tamper-resistant stations and exclusion.
Signs: Steady trails of small dark ants along counters, baseboards, or driveway seams
Trailing ants are foragers from an outdoor colony. Repellent sprays kill the visible ants and leave the queen producing more, which is why they come back.
Signs: Large black ants indoors, sawdust-like shavings below trim, faint rustling inside a wall or window frame
Carpenter ants excavate galleries in damp wood and often keep satellite colonies inside the structure while the parent nest sits in a tree or woodpile outside.
Signs: Pencil-width mud tubes on foundation walls, blistered paint, hollow-sounding sill plate, swarmers at a window in spring
Subterranean termites are established across Long Island and work from the soil up into framing. Damage is hidden until it is expensive, so inspection comes first.
Signs: Perfectly round holes in cedar trim, fascia, or deck rails with coarse sawdust below
Carpenter bees bore galleries into unpainted softwood and return to the same wood each spring, and woodpeckers often widen the damage chasing the larvae.
Signs: A grey paper nest under an eave or in a shrub, or wasps flying in and out of one spot in the siding
Yellowjacket and hornet nests grow through late summer and defend aggressively. Treatment happens at the nest, not with a perimeter spray.
Signs: Very large wasps patrolling low over a lawn with tunnel openings and small soil mounds in sandy patches
Cicada killers dig burrows in dry sandy soil, which is common across Long Island lawns. Treatment targets the burrows rather than the open air.
Signs: Fast many-legged insects on a basement floor, silver insects in a bathroom, occasional bugs near a floor drain or window well
These are moisture-driven occasional invaders. They signal damp conditions and open entry points more than anything else, and they respond to a targeted interior and perimeter treatment.
Signs: Small moths flying in the kitchen, webbing or clumping in flour, rice, cereal, birdseed, or dry pet food
Indian meal moths arrive inside packaged grain. The fix is finding every producing package, then treating cabinet seams and shelf pin holes where larvae pupate.
Signs: Ticks found on people, kids, or pets after time in the yard, especially along wood lines and tall grass
Blacklegged and lone star ticks are widespread in Suffolk and eastern Nassau. A seasonal barrier treatment focuses on shaded edges where ticks actually live.
Signs: Grey planthoppers with red underwings on tree trunks, sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below
Spotted lanternflies cluster on maple, willow, and tree of heaven. Seasonal suppression protects the trees and cuts the honeydew mess on decks and cars.
Signs: Heavy thumping or rolling sounds in the attic, chewed soffit or roof edge, insulation pushed aside
Attic wildlife needs humane trapping plus a sealed entry point, otherwise the next animal moves into the same opening within weeks.
Signs: Chirping in a dryer vent or bathroom fan, nesting material in a vent hood or under a soffit
Vents blocked by nesting material are a fire and airflow problem. Unprotected nests are removed and the vent is guarded so it does not happen again.
Signs: Shield-shaped bugs, lady beetles, or boxelder bugs gathering on sunny siding and window frames in fall
Signs: Slow, sluggish flies bunching at upstairs or attic windows on warm days in fall and late winter
Signs: Small rust-colored spots on sheets or mattress seams and itchy bites in a line after sleeping
Signs: Tiny dark jumping insects on pets, carpets, or ankles, with bites around the lower legs
Signs: Webs in basement corners, window wells, and eaves, with spiders on walls or ceilings
Signs: Biting insects in the yard at dusk, near standing water, gutters, or shaded shrubs
Signs: Brown insects with rear pincers under mulch, doormats, or near a damp basement door
Signs: Chirping at night from a basement or garage, or humpbacked camel crickets jumping on a damp floor
Still not sure? Read the pest control FAQ, browse all sixteen services, or check the Long Island pest guides.