Ants are one of the most common household pests in the Raleigh area and are often found trailing along kitchens, bathrooms, patios, driveways, and foundation edges. Look for trails of ants, activity around food or moisture, or repeat activity after cleaning.

Ladybugs and Asian lady beetles can be helpful outdoors, but they may become a nuisance when they gather on sunny walls and move indoors for winter shelter. Look for clusters around windows, light-colored siding, attic areas, or upper-level rooms.

Boxelder bugs are seasonal nuisance pests that collect on warm, sunny exterior walls, windows, doors, and siding. Contact us if large numbers are gathering outside or finding their way indoors.

Carpenter ants are large ants that tunnel through wood, especially damp or decaying wood, to create nesting areas. Look for large black ants, wood shavings, rustling sounds in walls, or activity near crawlspaces, decks, window frames, or moisture-damaged wood.

Carpenter bees drill round holes into exposed wood, including deck rails, fascia boards, porch ceilings, pergolas, and untreated trim. Look for hovering bees, sawdust-like material, staining below holes, or repeated activity in the same wood each spring.

Cockroaches are commonly found around kitchens, bathrooms, drains, laundry rooms, crawlspaces, garages, and commercial food areas. Look for live roaches, droppings, egg cases, odor, or nighttime activity, and contact us early because roaches can spread quickly once established.

Small flying pests are often connected to moisture, drains, trash, fruit, organic buildup, or damp areas indoors. Look for flies around sinks, floor drains, garbage disposals, trash cans, fruit bowls, or houseplants. Contact us if the source is hard to identify as we will be happy to schedule a tech to help pinpoint a source.

Fire ants build mounds in lawns, landscape beds, driveways, and sunny yard areas, and they can sting aggressively when disturbed. Contact us if mounds are showing up near walkways, pets, children’s play areas, or outdoor living spaces.  Our Tree & Shrub division has a great program to treat for fire ants in your yard.

Fleas can be brought into yards and homes by pets, wildlife, or rodents and may hide in carpets, pet bedding, furniture, crawlspaces, and shaded outdoor areas. Look for pets scratching, small jumping insects, bites around ankles, or recurring activity after vacuuming.

Kudzu bugs can gather on exterior walls, windows, door frames, decks, and siding, especially near vegetation. They are mostly a nuisance pest, but large numbers around the home can be frustrating once they start moving indoors.

Mosquitoes thrive in warm, humid weather and breed in standing water around gutters, planters, bird baths, low yard areas, and shaded landscaping. If mosquitoes are making it hard to enjoy your yard, Advance Tree & Shrub offers outdoor mosquito service for local properties.

Occasional invaders include pests like crickets, millipedes, centipedes, earwigs, and other insects that move indoors during weather changes. Look for activity around door thresholds, garages, basements, crawlspaces, and damp areas, especially after heavy rain or temperature shifts.

Known for the unpleasant odor they emit when crushed, these ants are drawn to sweet substances and can quickly infest kitchens and pantries.

Pantry pests include small beetles and moths that infest dry goods such as flour, cereal, rice, pasta, pet food, bird seed, spices, and stored grains. Look for moths, beetles, larvae, webbing, clumped food, or insects inside packaging.

Read more about pantry pests here: BLOG: Pantry Pest Control in NC

Powderpost beetles are wood-damaging insects that may affect structural lumber, flooring, furniture, or stored wood. Look for tiny round exit holes, fine powdery dust, or damaged wood, and schedule an inspection if you are unsure whether activity is old or active.

Mice and rats often enter homes through small gaps around crawlspaces, garages, attics, utility lines, and storage areas. Look for droppings, scratching sounds, gnaw marks, shredded nesting material, or damaged food packaging.

Larger outdoor roaches are common in warm, humid North Carolina conditions and may move indoors looking for food, water, or shelter. Look for activity in garages, crawlspaces, bathrooms, basements, drains, and around exterior doors.

Spiders often show up where other insects are active, especially around garages, porches, crawlspaces, basements, sheds, and exterior lights. Look for webs, egg sacs, or frequent indoor activity; regular pest control can help reduce the insects spiders feed on.

Stink bugs are nuisance pests that often gather on sunny siding, windows, doors, attic vents, and rooflines before moving indoors to overwinter. Look for groups of shield-shaped bugs outside the home or occasional indoor activity on warm days.

Termite swarmers are winged termites that often appear around windows, doors, garages, and crawlspaces, especially after warm weather and rain. Seeing swarmers indoors or finding piles of discarded wings is a good reason to contact Advance Pest Control for a termite inspection.

Want to learn more about termite swarmers, visit: NC State Extension – Termites

Ticks are commonly found in wooded edges, tall grass, leaf litter, fence lines, and shaded areas where pets, people, and wildlife travel. Look for ticks on pets, clothing, shoes, or skin after being outdoors, especially near wooded or natural areas. Our Tree & Shrub division has a great tick preventative service to help minimize tick risk in your yard.

Stinging insects often build nests around eaves, soffits, porch ceilings, shrubs, trees, wall voids, ground cavities, and sheds. Contact us if you see repeated flying activity near doors, patios, play areas, or places where people and pets spend time.