Calling an exterminator and saying "I have bugs" sends the technician in blind. The better you can describe what you found, where you found it, and when you first noticed it, the faster the inspection goes and the more accurate the treatment proposal. This guide is designed to help you go into that conversation with real information.
Quick Pest ID Tool
The rest of this guide gives you the full picture on each pest: size, color, behavior, where they hide, and what their presence signals.
Cockroaches
Three species account for nearly all residential cockroach calls in Westchester County. Getting the identification right is critical because the treatment is completely different for each.
- Small dark droppings (like ground pepper) in cabinet corners
- Egg cases (brown, ribbed, 5-8mm) glued under appliances
- Musty odor in heavy infestations
- Live bugs visible during daylight (sign of heavy population)
German roaches are the most difficult household pest to eliminate. They breed entirely indoors and can produce hundreds of offspring from a single female. If you see them during the day, the population is already large enough that harborage areas are overcrowded.
- Large reddish-brown insect seen at night
- Dark, ridged droppings near drain or sump
- Musty smell near floor drain
- Brown egg cases near water sources
American cockroaches enter from outside or via sewer systems. Finding one occasionally is less alarming than finding dozens. They prefer moisture and warmth, so leaky pipes and floor drains are common entry points.
Ants
Ants are the most common pest call we receive in spring and early summer. Several species are present in Westchester County homes, and the treatment approach differs significantly.
- Trails along countertops and walls
- Activity near moisture (leaky faucet, dishwasher base)
- Multiple entry points (hard to locate single source)
- Large black ants (biggest ant you will see indoors)
- Sawdust-like frass near wood trim or window frames
- Workers foraging alone, not in visible trails
- Swarmers (winged reproductives) indoors in late spring
Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. They excavate it to build galleries, preferring wood that is already softened by moisture. Finding carpenter ants indoors usually means there is a moisture problem somewhere in the structure.
Rodents
- Rice-grain size dark droppings along walls and in cabinets
- Gnaw marks on food packaging, wood trim, or wiring
- Grease smears along baseboards (from fur oil)
- Musky odor, especially in confined spaces
- Nesting material (shredded paper, insulation) in drawers
A single mouse produces 50 to 80 droppings per day. Finding a handful of droppings does not mean one mouse. Finding droppings in multiple locations means an established population. Mice breed year-round indoors and a pair can produce 10 litters annually.
Termites
- Mud tubes (pencil-width) on foundation walls or crawl space piers
- Winged swarmers emerging from foundation cracks in spring
- Discarded wings in window sills or near exterior doors
- Hollow-sounding wood when tapped
- Damaged wood with thin galleries running parallel to grain
Ants vs. Termites: The Most Confused Pair
Termite Swarmer
- Straight, thick body (no pinched waist)
- Two pairs of wings, equal length
- Sheds wings immediately after landing
- Antennae straight (not elbowed)
- Creamy white to light brown color
Ant Swarmer
- Pinched waist clearly visible
- Front wings larger than rear wings
- Keeps wings until they break off
- Antennae elbowed (bent at 90 degrees)
- Black, red-black, or dark brown
If you find a pile of wings on a windowsill with no insects: those are almost certainly discarded termite wings. Termite swarmers shed their wings within minutes of landing. Ant swarmers keep theirs until mating is complete or they break off over time.
Bed Bugs
- Small dark fecal spots (pen-tip size) on mattress seams or behind headboard
- Shed skins (translucent, five sizes as nymphs grow)
- White eggs or eggshells in seams and cracks
- Sweet, musty odor in heavy infestations
- Unexplained bite marks in lines or clusters on exposed skin
You are more likely to find evidence of bed bugs than live bugs. They feed at night and hide in tight crevices during the day. Check mattress seams, the gap between mattress and box spring, and the joints of the headboard with a flashlight and a credit card to probe seams.
Stinging Insects
- Repeated wasp activity from a specific point (gap in siding, ground hole)
- Paper nest visible under eave or overhang
- Wasp activity increasing indoors via gap in attic or wall void
Yellow jackets nesting in wall voids are a particularly hazardous situation. They can chew through drywall and emerge inside the home, especially as colonies grow in late summer. Do not seal the entry point without treatment first.
A Note on Ticks
Deer ticks (black-legged ticks) are not household pests in the traditional sense, but they are a significant health concern throughout Westchester County. Adults are sesame-seed size. Nymphs, which are responsible for most Lyme disease transmission, are poppy-seed size and extremely easy to miss. They are found in leaf litter, tall grass, and along the edges where lawn meets wooded or naturalized areas.
Finding a tick on yourself or a family member after yard time is not an infestation, but recurring tick encounters on the property warrant a seasonal tick barrier treatment program. Three to five targeted barrier spray applications from late spring through fall significantly reduce tick populations in the treatment zone.
When to Call a Professional
Some identifications you can make with confidence from this guide. Others require a professional inspection to confirm. Call a professional when:
- ! You found any termite evidence (mud tubes, swarmers, hollow wood): call same day
- ! You are seeing small cockroaches in the kitchen during the day
- ! You found fecal spots or shed skins near your mattress
- ! Mouse droppings appear in more than one location in the home
- ! You hear activity in walls at night (scratching, rustling)
- ! A wasp nest is inside a wall void, attic, or below-grade entry point
Not Sure What You Found?
Describe it to us and we will help identify it. If an inspection is warranted, we schedule fast and inspect thoroughly. Serving all of Westchester County.