Bites & stings
Bed Bugs
Start with a specimen or physical evidence near a sleeping place.
Cimex lectulariusPhoto credit
Your home & garden field guide
First, find out what you’re dealing with.
A few good observations can change the whole plan. Identify the signs, explore your options and take the next step with confidence.
FIELD NOTE 01 Start with where you found it.
Follow the evidence
Open the pest finder Where is the problem?
Get to know the signs
Explore the full library A place to begin
Wildlife
Mice
Confirm fresh mouse activity, protect food and plan exclusion with trapping.
Mus musculusPhoto credit
Wood & structure
Termites
Swarms, tubes, pellets and damaged wood are clues that need interpretation.
Isoptera, species not specifiedPhoto credit
Home
Pantry Pests
Moths or tiny beetles in a kitchen are a reason to inspect stored products, not proof that every packet is infested.
Plodia interpunctellaPhoto credit
Bites & stings
Fleas
Confirm a flea on an animal or in the environment, then coordinate veterinary care with cleaning where animals rest.
Ctenocephalides felisPhoto credit
Bites & stings
Mosquitoes
Start with water-holding containers and protection from bites.
Aedes aegyptiPhoto credit
A calmer, more useful processObserve.
Observe.
Act.
Check again.
01
Confirm the evidence
A bite, a hole or a brown insect can have several explanations. Use the distinguishing signs before choosing a control.
Compare common lookalikes ↗02
Choose a proportionate response
Find out what you can do now, what changes around children or pets, and when local expertise matters.
Make an action plan ↗03
Keep a useful record
Save observations, check the same places and bring clear notes to a professional if you need one.
Start your notebook ↗Before you buy a treatment
Good advice starts with good questions.
Learn how to compare a written diagnosis, the work included and the full quoted cost. A low starting price is only one part of the decision.
Compare pest-control quotesGrounded in primary sources
Our guides link to universities, public-health agencies and other primary references. Sources have dates and locations. We explain the limits of a photo or an online guide.
Read our editorial approach ↗