Solenopsis invicta
1/16–1/8 in
Spring and fall peaks
Spot it: Reddish-brown workers with a darker rear end, in mixed sizes. Mounds of loose soil, rarely over 18 inches across, with no opening on top.
Signs: New mounds after rain in sunny lawns and along slabs. Disturb one and the ants swarm out and sting together, leaving white pustules.
Camponotus species
1/4–5/8 in
Spring to fall, at night
Spot it: Big ants, solid black, reddish, or black with red-orange. From the side, the back is one smooth curve. Winged ones swarm in spring and early summer.
Signs: Small piles of shredded wood below a hole, often near leaks or rotted trim. They tunnel into damp wood but don’t eat it.
Tapinoma sessile
About 1/8 in
Spring and summer, after rain
Spot it: Small dark brown to black ants, all one size, moving fast in long trails. Crush one and it smells like rotten coconut.
Signs: Trails along counters, sinks, and window frames, often after heavy rain. Shallow nests under mulch and stones, and sometimes indoors.
Periplaneta americana
1 1/2–2 in
Year-round, most in summer
Spot it: The big reddish-brown roach many Texans call a water bug. A pale yellow band rims the shield behind its head. Adults can fly short distances in hot weather.
Signs: Comes up from drains, sewers, crawl spaces, and mulch beds, mostly at night and after heavy rain.
Blattella germanica
1/2–5/8 in
Year-round indoors
Spot it: Small, light brown roach with two dark stripes running lengthwise behind the head. Lives indoors, close to warmth, water, and food.
Signs: Pepper-like droppings in cabinet hinges, under sinks, and behind appliances. Seeing them in daylight usually means a large infestation.
Loxosceles reclusa
Quarter to half-dollar
Year-round indoors
Spot it: Tan to gray-brown, with a dark violin shape on the front of the body. Six eyes in three pairs instead of eight, and slender legs all one color.
Signs: Hides in undisturbed clutter: boxes, closets, garages and attics. Bites can ulcerate, so get medical care for one that blisters, darkens or spreads.
Latrodectus mactans
1/2 in, female body
Spring to fall
Spot it: Shiny black female with a red hourglass under her round abdomen. Spins tangled, messy webs low to the ground in dark corners.
Signs: Woodpiles, meter boxes, sheds, garages, and outdoor furniture. Bites can cause severe muscle pain and cramps, so get medical care.
Family Lycosidae
Body up to about 1 in
Spring to fall
Spot it: Hairy, gray-brown spider with stripes or mottling, often mistaken for a brown recluse. Hunts on the ground without a web, and its eyes shine in a flashlight beam.
Signs: Runs in under doors and through garages, especially in fall. A lot of them can mean other insects are getting inside too.
Gryllus species
3/4–1 in
Late summer and fall
Spot it: Shiny black to dark brown, with long antennae and thick jumping legs. Males chirp through the night. They don’t bite or sting.
Signs: Thousands can gather at lights left on all night, then slip under doors. Dead ones pile up and smell. Yellow bulbs, or lights off, help.
Lepisma saccharinum
About 1/2 in
Year-round indoors
Spot it: Wingless and carrot-shaped, covered in silvery scales, with three bristly tails. Moves in fast, fish-like wiggles.
Signs: Bathrooms, laundry rooms, attics, and stored boxes. Feeds on paper, glue, book bindings, and starched fabric, leaving ragged holes and yellow stains.
Order Dermaptera
1/2–3/4 in
Spring and summer, after rain
Spot it: Slim, reddish-brown to black insect with a pair of pincers at the tail end. Hides in damp, dark places during the day.
Signs: Comes indoors after heavy rain or during hot, dry spells. Check under pots, mulch and door mats, and in bathrooms.
Reticulitermes flavipes
Swarmers 1/4–3/8 in
Year-round; swarms in spring
Spot it: Workers are soft, creamy white and rarely seen in the open. Swarmers are dark brown to black, with a thick waist, straight antennae, and two pairs of equal-length wings.
Signs: Pencil-width mud tubes on foundations, piers and slab cracks, shed wings on windowsills, and wood that sounds dull when tapped.
Rattus rattus
Body 6–8 in, longer tail
Year-round; moves in as nights cool
Spot it: Sleek, dark gray to black rat with big ears, a pointed nose, and a tail longer than its head and body. An excellent climber.
Signs: Scratching in the attic at night, greasy rub marks on rafters, chewed pecans or fruit, and droppings about 1/2 in long with pointed ends.
Rattus norvegicus
Body 7–10 in, shorter tail
Year-round
Spot it: Heavy, brown-gray rat with a blunt nose, small ears, and a tail shorter than its body. Digs burrows and swims well.
Signs: Burrows along foundations and under slabs and woodpiles, worn runways in grass, and capsule-shaped droppings about 3/4 in long.
Mus musculus
Body 2 1/2–3 1/2 in
Year-round; moves in as it cools
Spot it: Small gray-brown mouse with big ears and a thin tail about as long as its body. Fits through a gap the size of a dime.
Signs: Pointed droppings 1/8–1/4 in long in pantries, drawers and under sinks, a musky smell, and nests of shredded paper or insulation.
Aedes albopictus
Under 1/4 in
Spring to fall; bites by day
Spot it: Black, with bright white bands on the legs and a single white stripe down its back. Bites during the day, often at the ankles in shade.
Signs: Breeds in small containers: plant saucers, buckets, tires, clogged gutters and bird baths. Empty standing water every week.
Culex quinquefasciatus
Under 1/4 in
Spring to fall; bites at night
Spot it: Plain light brown, with no bold markings. Bites from dusk through the night, often indoors. Culex mosquitoes like this one transmit West Nile virus.
Signs: Breeds in still, dirty water: storm drains, clogged gutters, septic overflow, and neglected pools.
Cimex lectularius
3/16 in, an apple seed
Year-round
Spot it: Flat, oval, and reddish-brown, turning rounder and darker after feeding. Young bed bugs are pale and hard to see.
Signs: Rusty or black specks on mattress seams and headboards, shed skins, and itchy bites in rows or clusters. Often arrives in luggage or used furniture.
Musca domestica
About 1/4 in
Spring to fall, peak in summer
Spot it: Dull gray fly with four dark stripes on its back and reddish eyes.
Signs: Breeds in garbage, pet waste, compost, and spilled feed. In summer heat, eggs can become adult flies in about a week, so numbers climb fast.
Apis mellifera
About 1/2 in
Swarms in spring
Spot it: Fuzzy, golden-brown bee with dark bands. Africanized honey bees, in Texas since 1990, look the same but defend a nest far more aggressively.
Signs: A swarm hanging from a branch, or bees streaming in and out of a wall, soffit, water meter box or shed. If they chase you, cover your face and get inside.
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