Pest Identification Guide
Idaho Pest Library
Boise homes deal with 45 common pests, sorted here into 5 categories. Insects, spiders, rodents, stinging insects, and occasional invaders.
About this guide
We've treated every one of them across 2,500+ Treasure Valley homes. Use this guide to spot what you're dealing with, learn prevention that actually works in Idaho's dry summers and cold winters, and know when to call. Updated September 2026.
Dangerous Pests in Idaho
Bites, stings, and real disease risk. Spot one? Call (208) 297-7947 same day.
Insects
Common crawling and flying insects found in Idaho homes
Pavement Ants
Tetramorium caespitumPavement ants are small, dark brown to black ants measuring 2.5-4mm long (about half the size of a grain of rice). Under...Learn More
Carpenter Ants
DangerousCamponotus speciesCarpenter ants are among the largest ants in North America, measuring 6-13mm long (about a quarter inch). Most around Bo...Learn More
Odorous House Ants
Tapinoma sessileOdorous house ants are small, brown to black ants that produce a distinctive "rotten coconut" smell when crushed. They'r...Learn More
Pharaoh Ants
Monomorium pharaonisPharaoh ants are tiny (1.5-2mm), light yellow to reddish-brown with a darker abdomen. They're almost translucent, so mos...Learn More
Bed Bugs
DangerousCimex lectulariusBed bugs are flat, oval, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple seed (4-7mm). After feeding, they become more ...Learn More
German Cockroach
DangerousBlattella germanicaGerman cockroaches are small light-brown roaches with two dark parallel stripes that run from the back of the head down ...Learn More
Silverfish
Lepisma saccharinaSilverfish are small, carrot-shaped bugs covered in silvery scales. They have two long antennae and three tail-like appe...Learn More
Mosquitoes
DangerousCulicidae familyMosquitoes are small, slender flies, about 3 to 6mm long, with long legs and a needle-like proboscis. Only the females b...Learn More
Fleas
Ctenocephalides felis/canisFleas are tiny dark reddish-brown insects, about 1.5 to 3.3mm long, with flat side-to-side bodies built to slip through ...Learn More
Ticks
DangerousIxodidae familyTicks aren't insects. They're arachnids, related to spiders, with eight legs and a flat oval body that balloons out once...Learn More
Biting Midges (No-See-Ums)
Culicoides spp.Biting midges, commonly called no-see-ums, are tiny flying insects barely visible to the naked eye. They look like minia...Learn More
Carpet Beetles
Anthrenus spp., Attagenus spp.Adult carpet beetles are small, oval, and usually marked with colorful mottled patterns. Common species include varied c...Learn More
Pantry Moths (Indian Meal Moths)
Plodia interpunctellaIndian meal moths are easily identified by their distinctive wings: the inner half is creamy-white and the outer half is...Learn More
Drain Flies
Psychodidae familyDrain flies (also called moth flies) are tiny, fuzzy gray flies about 2 to 5mm long with leaf-shaped wings that sit roof...Learn More
Fruit Flies
Drosophila melanogasterFruit flies are tiny tan flies with bright red eyes, about 1/8 inch long. You'll spot them hovering around ripening frui...Learn More
House Flies
Musca domesticaHouse flies are medium-sized gray flies, about 6-7mm long, with four dark stripes running down the thorax. They have lar...Learn More
Spiders & Scorpions
Eight-legged arachnids including venomous species
Black Widow Spider
DangerousLatrodectus hesperusFemales are shiny jet-black with a red hourglass on the underside of a globular abdomen. That hourglass is the giveaway....Learn More
Hobo Spider
DangerousEratigena agrestisHobo spiders are medium-sized brown spiders, about 10-14mm in the body. The giveaway is a chevron (V-shaped) pattern on ...Learn More
Wolf Spider
Lycosidae familyWolf spiders are big, hairy, fast-moving spiders, usually 10-35mm body length. They are brown, gray, or tan with darker ...Learn More
Giant House Spider
Eratigena atricaGiant house spiders are among the largest spiders in Idaho, with leg spans up to 75mm (3 inches). They're brown with mot...Learn More
Yellow Sac Spider
Cheiracanthium speciesYellow sac spiders are small (5-10mm) pale yellow to light green spiders with slightly darker jaws. They build small sil...Learn More
Cellar Spider (Daddy Long Legs)
Pholcus phalangioidesCellar spiders have small tan bodies (6-9mm) with extremely long, thin legs that can span 50mm or more. They build loose...Learn More
Brown Recluse Spider
DangerousLoxosceles reclusaBrown recluse spiders are identified by the distinctive dark violin-shaped marking on their cephalothorax (head region),...Learn More
Rodents
Mice, rats, and other destructive rodents
House Mouse
DangerousMus musculusHouse mice are small rodents with dusty gray to light brown fur, oversized ears for their body, and long scaly tails abo...Learn More
Norway Rat
DangerousRattus norvegicusNorway rats are big, heavy-bodied rodents measuring 7-10 inches, with tails shorter than their body. They've got brown o...Learn More
Roof Rat
DangerousRattus rattusRoof rats are sleek, agile rodents with tails longer than their body. They've got dark brown to black fur, large ears, p...Learn More
Voles
Microtus spp.Voles (meadow mice) are small, stocky rodents with short tails, small ears, and blunt snouts. They're often confused wit...Learn More
Moles
Scalopus aquaticusMoles are easily identified by their large, paddle-like front feet designed for digging. They have pointed snouts, tiny ...Learn More
Pocket Gophers
Thomomys spp.Pocket gophers are medium-sized burrowing rodents with small eyes and ears, large front teeth, and external fur-lined ch...Learn More
Stinging Insects
Wasps, hornets, bees, and other stinging pests
Yellowjacket
DangerousVespula speciesYellowjackets are black and yellow striped wasps, often confused with bees. Key differences: yellowjackets have smooth b...Learn More
Paper Wasp
Polistes speciesPaper wasps are slender wasps with long legs that dangle in flight, about 16-25mm long (roughly the length of a papercli...Learn More
Bald-Faced Hornet
DangerousDolichovespula maculataBald-faced hornets are large black wasps with bright white markings on their face and the tip of the abdomen. They build...Learn More
Mud Dauber
Sceliphron caementariumMud daubers are distinctive wasps with extremely thin, thread-like waists connecting thorax and abdomen. They can be bla...Learn More
Occasional Invaders
Seasonal pests that invade Idaho homes
Earwigs
Forficula auriculariaEarwigs are easy to spot once you've seen one. Long, flat, reddish-brown bodies (about half an inch to an inch) with a p...Learn More
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Halyomorpha halysBrown marmorated stink bugs are shield-shaped insects, 14-17mm long, with mottled brown coloring. Key identifiers includ...Learn More
Asian Lady Beetles
Harmonia axyridisAsian lady beetles look similar to native ladybugs but have distinguishing features: a black "M" or "W" shape behind the...Learn More
Cluster Flies
Pollenia speciesCluster flies are slightly larger than house flies, with dark gray bodies covered in golden-yellow hairs. They move slug...Learn More
Box Elder Bug
Boisea trivittataBox elder bugs are black bugs with distinctive red or orange markings on their backs. Adults are about 12-14mm long with...Learn More
Elm Seed Bugs
Arocatus melanocephalusElm seed bugs are small, oval insects with dark brown/black bodies and distinctive rust-red edges on their wings. They h...Learn More
Centipedes
Scutigera coleoptrata (house centipede) and othersCentipedes have flattened, segmented bodies with one pair of legs per segment. House centipedes have extremely long legs...Learn More
Millipedes
Diplopoda classMillipedes have cylindrical, segmented bodies with two pairs of legs per segment (unlike centipedes' one pair). They cur...Learn More
Sowbugs & Pillbugs
Armadillidium vulgare (pillbug), Porcellio laevis (sowbug)Sowbugs and pillbugs (roly-polies) are crustaceans, not insects. They're closer cousins to shrimp and crabs than to anyt...Learn More
Crickets
Acheta domesticus (house), Gryllus spp. (field)Crickets have cylindrical bodies, long antennae, and enlarged hind legs for jumping. House crickets are yellowish-brown ...Learn More
Springtails
Collembola orderSpringtails are tiny, wingless arthropods with a forked tail-like structure (furcula) that allows them to jump. They're ...Learn More
Clover Mites
Bryobia praetiosaClover mites are tiny, oval mites with a characteristic reddish-brown color. Their front legs are much longer than other...Learn More
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Pest Control Resources
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