Welcome to Plunkett's Pest Gallery. The pests below are especially active. For information, click on one of these or any of the other pests in the table below.

Jay Bruesch, our Technical Director, has prepared a bulletin outlining many of the pests which have been recently causing our clients concern.

Click here to view that document.

Spiders become a nuisance when found inside homes or hanging from eaves, shutters and window frames. On the exterior of homes and other buildings, their webs can be quite unsightly. Spider problems are greatest for homes and cabins on a shady lot near a lake, stream or pond.

Some spiders will attempt to bite when disturbed, but they are usually unable to pierce human skin. Poisonous spiders, such as the Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders, are not native to our area.

If you would like more information on spiders, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Mice can enter a house through a crack as small as ¼ inch. The House mouse is light brown to gray and reaches 3 ½ inches in length; its tail is as long as its body. The House mouse has a pointed nose and large ears.

The damage done by mice is far out of proportion to their small size since they like to “nibble” on numerous items. When feeding, a single mouse can contaminate many packages of food by gnawing, and also by depositing urine and fecal droppings on them.

If you would like more information on mice, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Four species of cockroaches are common in our area: of these, the German cockroach is the one most frequently found in homes and apartments. Another species, the Wood roach, is common in cabinets and lake homes.

Cockroaches like to hide in dark, undisturbed places close to food and water; this is why they are often noticed first in kitchens and bathrooms. They feed mainly at night and will scurry for shelter when the lights are switched on.

If you would like more information on cockroaches, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Cluster Flies are a common pest of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin homes and cabins. Adult Cluster Flies, which are a little larger than common houseflies, spend the summer months outdoors. They survive the winter by hibernating inside wall voids and attics of homes and other buildings.

Cluster Flies enter buildings in the early fall through foundation cracks, gaps in siding, attic vents, and similar small openings. Once inside, they remain mostly dormant over the winter. However, on warm, sunny winter days, a few of the flies become active and find their way into the living space to annoy the residents.

If you would like more information on Cluster Flies, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Pantry Pests include several different beetles and moths which infest dry food products. The ones that occur most frequently in homes are the Saw-Toothed Grain Beetle, the Indian-Meal Moth and the Confused Flour Beetle.

Pantry Pests will be found in such diverse products as pancake mix, cereals, macaroni, crackers, spices, pet food, birdseed, and dried fruit. Often, a food product contains eggs of these pests when it is purchased, and it is only a matter of time before their presence becomes evident in kitchen cabinets.

If you would like more information on pantry pests, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Wingless insects characterized by their tapered shape (narrower at the rear) and by the presence of three diverging bristles at the tail end. Silverfish have a shiny silver appearance and are able to run rapidly. They often feed on paper products such as books, magazines or wallpaper.

If you would like more information on silverfish, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Everyone knows the chirping of a cricket and what it can do to a night’s sleep. Crickets tend to enter homes as the nights get cooler in late summer. Once inside, they can live for months feeding on such diverse items as paper and rubber-backed carpeting.

If you would like more information on crickets, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

These “thousand leggers” actually have only 15 pairs of legs with which they are capable of moving very quickly across a room. Centipedes like moist areas, and will often be found in damp basements, bathrooms and closets, where they eat other insects. If disturbed by humans, they may inflict a mild bite.

If you would like more information on centipedes, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Plunkett’s can provide relief from these pests for a special outdoor party you may be planning. Our environmentally safe material applied to the lawn and shrubs lasts from several days to two weeks, even if it rains.

If you would like more information on mosquitoes, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

If you live in the metropolitan area of Minneapolis/St.Paul, you may wish to visit a site maintained by the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District. By clicking HERE you will be directed to that site.

Termites DO occur in several neighborhoods of the Twin Cities as well as some southern Minnesota towns. Because they eat wood, their damage to a house can be extensive.

If you would like more information on termites, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Clover Mites are tiny mites that live in lawns. They can enter homes in huge numbers, usually in spring or fall.

If you would like more information on Clover Mites, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Millipedes are hard, dark-brown, wormlike creatures with two pairs of short legs attached to each body segment. They usually curl up when disturbed. Millipedes need a moist environment in which to live, and feed on decaying vegetation.

If you would like more information on millipedes, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Many species of ants either live inside of homes and other buildings, or invade them from outdoors in search of food. House-infesting ants include the tiny, brownish-yellow Pharaoh ants; plus larger Cornfield ants, Odorous House ants; Pavement ants; and many other species.

Pavement ants are tiny, brown to black ants. They have an unevenly-shaped thorax and two nodes, or bumps, between the thorax and the abdomen. They are often active in homes and other buildings during the winter months. Normally, they are found in slab-on-grade dwellings, such as townhomes; or in the basement of houses. This is because they are soil dwellers, and survive the winter beneath the concrete slabs of heated buildings. They may be seen in winter, foraging for sweets, fats, and proteins.

If you would like more information on ants, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

The predominant species of carpenter ants found in our area is relatively large and black in color; worker ants range in size from 1/8" to more than a half-inch. Some species of carpenter ants may be smaller, and may appear in other colors.

The features shared by all carpenter ants, regardless of the exact species, include: A single node, or hump, between the ant's thorax (middle portion of the body) and its abdomen (rearmost portion of the body); and a smoothly-rounded thorax (the thorax of most other ants is uneven or bumpy in profile).

Main nests of carpenter ants are usually outdoors, and are dormant until spring. But satellite nests of carpenter ants are frequently located inside of buildings, and these colonies often begin to "wake up" and become active during January and February. If you notice carpenter ants in your home during the winter months, it's a sure sign you have a satellite nest.

If you would like more information on Carpenter Ants, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Boxelder Bugs are black with distinctive red markings. They occasionally invade homes in late summer and early autumn where they become a real nuisance wandering around every room. During the spring and summer, they feed and develop on seed-bearing Boxelder trees.

If you would like to read an informational bulletin prepared by our technical director, please click HERE.

If you would like even more information on Boxelder Bugs, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Fleas live and feed on dogs, cats and other animals, and will attack humans when deprived of their normal host. Eggs are laid on the host animal but soon drop to the floor. From the eggs hatch larvae, which are tiny and worm-like in appearance.

Flea larvae, eggs and pupae (the dormant stage between larva and adult) are often found in carpets, on bedding and furniture inside the home, and are sometimes found in shady areas outside during warm weather.

Successful control of fleas is a partnership job between the homeowner, a veterinarian who treats the pet, and Plunkett’s treating the home.

If you would like more information on fleas, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Honey bees, paper wasps, yellow jackets and hornets all become pests when they build their nests under eaves, in attics, in shrubs or trees, and in void spaces of homes.

Bees (honey bees and bumblebees) feed on pollen and nectar which they obtain from plants. Wasps, including hornets, yellow jackets and paper wasps, feed principally on other insects.All bees and wasps will inflict a painful sting if disturbed.

If you would like to read an informational bulletin prepared by our technical director, please click HERE.

If you would like even more information on bees and wasps, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Sowbugs are often described by homeowners as resembling“miniature armadillos.” Their oval-shaped bodies are segmented, many-legged, and bear two antennae. Because they are actually crustaceans (related to shrimp and lobsters), they need a very moist habitat to survive. They feed on decaying vegetation and hide under stones, boards, logs, or leaf mulch outside. Inside they will often be found in damp basements.

If you would like more information on sowbugs, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Lady beetles are probably the most easily recognized of all insects. There are hundreds of kinds of lady beetles in the United States. One recently-imported species is causing some concern among homeowners because of their sheer numbers: these are the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles.

Accidentally introduced into the United States some years ago, Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles first started appearing in the Upper Midwest in 1998; during 2000, they began invading houses in large numbers.

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles are smoothly oval in shape, with a convex body; they may or may not be marked with spots, but all have a black "M" or "W" marking on their pronotum, the shield that hides their head.

If you would like more information on Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Ground beetles are found in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, from tiny black beetles less than 1/8" long to brightly-colored specimens over an inch long. Most ground beetles have parallel grooves in their hardened wing covers. They do not feed, breed, or cause damage indoors, and are considered strictly a nuisance pest.

If you would like more information on ground beetles, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Ticks are eight-legged creatures that are usually found in grassy areas;
they feed on the blood of pets and humans. Ticks of concern in our area include: Brown Dog Ticks, American Dog Ticks (also called Wood Ticks), and Black-legged Ticks (sometimes called Deer Ticks).

Of these, only Brown Dog Ticks can reproduce inside of dwellings. Black-legged Ticks can be infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, so certain precautions should be taken when going into areas potentially infested with Black-legged Ticks.

If you would like more information on ticks, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

The commonest clothes moth found in the upper Midwest is the Webbing Clothes Moth, which is small (about 1/4" long) and buff to golden in color. Adult clothes moths do not cause any damage; all damage is done by larvae. The larvae are tiny caterpillars which usually cover themselves with a mat of silken material, beneath which they may cause serious damage to clothes, rugs, furs, and other clothing or household articles made of wool, hair, feathers, or fur.

Casemaking Clothes Moths, whose larvae make cigar-shaped protective cases in which to live while feeding, may also be found from time to time. Adult Casemaking Clothes Moths are similar in size to Webbing Clothes Moths, and have three indistinct dark spots on each wing.

If you would like more information on clothes moths, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Houseflies are about 1/4" long, with four dark stripes on their thorax (behind the head). They are found near garbage, animal manure, and other decaying organic material, in which they lay eggs and upon which their larvae (maggots) feed. Flies can potentially carry bacteria and other disease-causing agents from infected material to food; screens are very useful for keeping them out of homes.

For commercial settings, a more comprehensive, integrated approach involving screens,light traps, and supplemental insecticide applications may be needed.

If you would like more information on housefiles, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

The presence of fruit flies, or a variety of other small flies, usually indicates that something is decaying inside the house or other structure. Fruit flies breed in fermenting liquids such as spilled liquid food, rotting fruit and vegetables, bottles and cans being stored for recycling, and improperly rinsed floor mops.

They are 1/10 - 1/8" long, brown or tan, and usually have red eyes. Other small flies include phorid (humpback) flies, moth (drain) flies, small dung flies, and fungus gnats.

If you would like more information on fruit flies and other small flies, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

These tiny brown creatures (about 1/4" with claws extended) are arachnids, like spiders and true scorpions. Unlike true scorpions, they lack a stinging appendage and cannot harm anything larger than the small insects which they catch in their claws. They look fearsome, though, and may cause alarm when they enter houses accidentally.

If you would like more information on pseudoscorpions, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Leaf-footed bugs superficially resemble Box Elder Bugs, but are a little larger and lack the bright-red markings of Boxelder Bugs. Their hind legs are enlarged and flattened below the "knee" part of the leg. Like their more colorful cousins, they are occasional invaders and may enter houses in late summer or early fall, seeking winter shelter. Unlike Boxelder Bugs, they seldom appear in large numbers and rarely require control measures.

If you would like more information on Leaf-footed Bugs, please click HERE, and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Larder beetles and other dermestids feed on dried animal matter, including: dead animals, dead insects, protein-based pet food, and a variety of other materials. They are frequently found near fireplaces when birds or animals build nests inside of chimneys and then die there. Smaller dermestids, such as Black Carpet Beetles and Varied Carpet Beetles, are common pantry pests, and often infest dried milk and other dairy- or protein-based dry foods.

You will then be directed to the most informative university site we have found for these pests.

These occasional invaders are predaceous on other insects outdoors. They can be recognized by: the forceps-like appendage at the end of their abdomen, their short, leathery wings, their size (about 5/8" long) and dark brown color. Although harmless, they may cause alarm when they invade homes. Controlling them is a matter of reducing harborage outside by keeping ornamental mulch, stones, timbers, etc. at a minimum. Insecticides can help if applied to turf and the building's exterior.

If you would like more information on earwigs, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Long-horned Borers and Metallic Wood-boring Beetles are beetles whose larvae develop inside of dead wood. When the adult beetles, which are usually brightly colored and fairly large, emerge from firewood or other wood brought inside of homes, they may cause alarm.

Long-horned Borer adults have long, backward-sweeping antennae; Metallic wood-borers are characteristically boat-shaped and have a metallic sheen on their bodies. Neither Long-horned nor Metallic wood borers can re-infest seasoned wood, except for one species, the Old House Borer. Old House Borers are not commonly found in our area.

If you would like more information on firewood pests, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Once considered the No. 1 pest afflicting homeowners, bed bugs have been relatively rare since the 1950s. For a variety of reasons, bed bugs and their close cousins, bat bugs, are making a strong comeback. Both bed bugs and bat bugs will attack people. They are small (about 1/5" long), reddish in color, and flattened. They hide in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, furniture and woodwork by day and come out at night to feed on the blood of their sleeping hosts.


Homeowners usually first suspect they have bed bugs or bat bugs when they awake to find small blood spots on their bed linens. Certain individuals may experience mild to intense allergic reactions to the bite of a bed or bat bug. A diagnosis of bat bugs may lead to an inspection of a house's attic to determine if bats may be present.

If you would like more information on bed bugs and bat bugs, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for these pests.

These tiny brown beetles live outside all summer long, feeding on mold underneath tree bark and in dead leaves on the ground. At the first onset of cool evenings in late summer, they enter buildings looking for winter shelter. Since they are so small, they are able to penetrate ordinary window screens.

Foreign Grain Beetles seem to have a strong preference for new homes, since new houses often have elevated moisture levels - and mildew - as a result of having been built with damp materials. Once a new house has been through a heating season or two, it tends to dry out and be less likely to have problems with Foreign Grain Beetles in successive years.

If you would like more information on Foreign Grain Beetles, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Hackberry Psyllids and other psyllids are tiny plant-feeding bugs which are somewhat similar in appearance to aphids; they look a little like tiny cicadas.

They are about 1/5" long and have mottled wings which they hold over themselves in tent-like fashion when at rest. They have strong jumping legs, and are sometimes referred to as "jumping plant lice."

Adults are good fliers, and they are able to get through window screens. Outside, they make nipple-like galls on the undersides of hackberry tree leaves; indoors, they are principally a nuisance, although some people think they are being bitten by the psyllids. Psyllids cannot penetrate human skin, but a sensation of being bitten might be felt as the bug probes the skin with its mouthparts.

If you would like more information on psyllids, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

Springtail is the common name for at least a dozen insects, all belonging to the order Collembola. These are very small insects, usually less than the size of a hyphen (-). They are grayish or brownish in color and have a forked "tail", which they tuck underneath their body. When they need to move, they suddenly release the tucked-under tail, which propels them into the air.

It is this method of locomotion that earns them the nickname of "snow fleas", since they are the first insects seen in spring, jumping about on top of the melting snow.
Springtails need conditions of high moisture in order to survive, since they feed on mold and mildew. Controlling them is usually a matter of finding the humid or mildewy conditions that caused the infestation, and using dehumidifiers or fans to dry the area out.

If you would like more information on springtails, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.

These weevils (a weevil is a beetle with a "snout") are dark brown to black in color and about 1/4" long. They feed on a variety of plant roots, including yew, juniper, azalea and rhododendron. They sometimes wander indoors, where they are incapable of doing any damage.

If you would like more information on Strawberry Root Weevils, please click HERE and we will send you to the most informative university site we have found for this pest.