Around the home

Pests by room

Each room offers pests something different, usually food, moisture or a quiet place to hide. Fixing what draws them to a room works better than treating the room itself.[19][17][11]

The short answer

  • Kitchen: German cockroaches, ants, pantry beetles and moths, fruit flies and mice follow food and water.[17][18][26]
  • Bathroom and laundry: silverfish, drain flies and springtails follow moisture.[19][25][11]
  • Bedroom and closets: bed bugs hide near the bed, and carpet beetles and clothes moths feed on wool and other animal fibers.[13][15][16]
  • Basement, attic and garage: centipedes and millipedes in damp basements, overwintering insects and bats in attics, black widows in garage clutter.[4][22][7][21]

Kitchen

  • German cockroaches prefer warm, humid spots close to food and water, mainly kitchens and bathrooms; look for droppings, shed skins and egg cases near appliances and cabinets.[17]
  • Pantry pests: throw out every infested package and keep dry foods in containers with tight lids, since plastic bags aren't enough.[18]
  • Fruit flies breed in ripe produce, spills and drains; remove the source, then trap leftovers with cider vinegar under a paper funnel.[26]
  • Ants: wipe trails with soapy water, store sweets in sealed containers, and bait outdoors.[6]

Bathroom and laundry room

  • Silverfish need humidity; repair leaks and run a dehumidifier or fan in bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements. Ones found in tubs fell in and couldn't climb out; they don't come up the drain.[19]
  • Drain flies breed in the slime inside drains; scrub it out with a stiff brush. Boiling water or bleach alone doesn't solve it.[25]
  • Springtails show up in sinks and tubs when they find moisture indoors; drying the area out is the fix.[11]
  • At shared laundries, bag clothes for the trip and fold them at home; a hot dryer kills bed bugs.[1]

Bedroom and closets

  • Most bed bugs hide in or near the bed: mattress seams, box spring joints, bed frame cracks and behind headboards.[13]
  • Carpet beetle larvae and clothes moths eat wool, fur, feathers and other animal products; vacuum closets and under furniture and launder or dry-clean infested items.[15][16]
  • Hot washing, 20 to 30 minutes at 120°F or more, kills all clothes moth stages; cedar's effect is limited.[16]

Living and dining rooms

  • Boxelder bugs, multicolored Asian lady beetles and stink bugs that overwintered in walls wander into living spaces on warm days; vacuum them rather than crushing them.[22][14][2]
  • Carpet beetles feed in rugs, upholstery and along carpet edges; frequent, thorough vacuuming is the main control.[15]

Basement and crawl space

  • House centipedes live in damp basements, crawl spaces and floor drains; lowering humidity and sealing cracks reduces them.[4]
  • Millipedes wander in after cool weather or heavy rain and soon die indoors.[5]
  • Check foundation walls and piers for pencil-wide termite mud tubes, and keep crawl spaces ventilated and soil by the foundation dry.[23][20]
  • Foreign grain beetles in a newer home feed on mold on damp lumber and usually disappear as the house dries out.[24]

Attic

  • Roof rats nest in attics, walls and cabinets and travel along utility lines; trim branches away from the roof.[10]
  • Bats roost in attics in warm months; look for droppings and stains below entry points, let them leave, then seal. Never handle a bat.[7]
  • Tree squirrels and raccoons get in through gaps under eaves and roof edges; make sure no young are inside before sealing.[12][9]
  • Cluster flies and lady beetles overwinter in attics and wall voids; seal gaps before late summer.[3][22]

Garage

  • Black widows favor undisturbed spots such as woodpiles, clutter and outbuildings; wear gloves when moving stored items.[21]
  • Crickets come in at ground level, especially in late summer and fall; caulk gaps and reduce outdoor lighting.[27]
  • Mice squeeze under gaps 1/4 inch tall; fit garage doors tightly and store pet food in rodent-proof containers.[8][10]

Sources

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Protecting Your Home from Bed Bugs (updated July 6, 2026).” www.epa.gov/bedbugs/protecting-your-home-bed-bugs (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. Penn State Extension, “Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (revised December 2017).” extension.psu.edu/brown-marmorated-stink-bug (accessed 2026-10-06)
  3. Penn State Extension, “Cluster Flies.” extension.psu.edu/cluster-flies (accessed 2026-10-06)
  4. Penn State Extension, “House Centipedes (reviewed 2023).” extension.psu.edu/house-centipedes (accessed 2026-10-06)
  5. Penn State Extension, “Millipedes.” extension.psu.edu/millipedes (accessed 2026-10-06)
  6. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Ants (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/ants/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  7. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Bats (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/bats/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  8. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “House Mouse (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/house-mouse/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  9. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Raccoons (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/raccoons/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  10. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Rats (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/rats/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  11. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Springtails (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/springtails/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  12. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Tree Squirrels (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/tree-squirrels/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  13. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Bed Bugs, Publication 7454 (May 2013).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnbedbugs.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  14. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Boxelder Bug, Publication 74114 (July 2014).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnboxelderbug.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  15. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Carpet Beetles, Publication 7436 (revised April 2020).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pncarpetbeetles.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  16. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Clothes Moths, Publication 7435 (March 2013).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnclothesmoths.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  17. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Cockroaches, Publication 7467 (revised December 2019).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pncockroaches.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  18. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Pantry Pests, Publication 7452 (March 2013).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnpantrypests.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  19. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Silverfish and Firebrats, Publication 7475 (December 2009).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnsilverfish.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  20. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Subterranean and Other Termites, Publication 7415 (May 2014).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pntermites.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  21. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Widow Spiders and Their Relatives, Publication 74149 (revised March 2017).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnblackwidow.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  22. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-416: Asian Lady Beetle Infestation of Structures.” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef416 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  23. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-605: Protecting your Home Against Termites (revised March 2026).” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef605 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  24. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-610: Foreign Grain Beetle (revised March 2026).” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef610 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  25. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-615: Drain Flies or Moth Flies.” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef615 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  26. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-621: Fruit Flies.” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef621 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  27. University of Minnesota Extension, “Crickets (reviewed 2024).” extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/home-maintenance/household-insects/crickets (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-06. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.