Bugs in the Kitchen: 19 Types and What to Do
Bugs in the Kitchen are one of the most common identification questions we get. Here are 19 you are likely to see.
Quick list
How to narrow it down
Narrow it down with three quick checks. Count the legs: insects have six, spiders and ticks have eight, and centipedes and millipedes have many more. Check for wings, even folded ones. Then compare size against a coin: a US penny is 19 mm across. Our bug identifier tool does this filtering for you.
The 19 bugs
American Cockroach
American CockroachPeriplaneta americanaThe largest common house cockroach, a reddish-brown roach that lives in sewers, basements and steam tunnels. It can fly short distances in warm weather.
Tell-tale sign: Large reddish-brown body up to two inches long. Risk: American cockroaches can spread bacteria to food and trigger allergies and asthma.
Argentine Ant
Argentine AntLinepithema humileA small, light-to-dark brown ant that forms huge, cooperating supercolonies. Wide, busy trails often stream into kitchens during hot or rainy weather.
Tell-tale sign: Uniform light-brown body with one flat node. Risk: Argentine ants don't sting and rarely bite; they protect aphids and scale insects on garden plants.
Blow Fly
Blow FlyLucilia sericataA shiny, metallic green or blue fly that lays eggs on dead animals, meat and garbage. A sudden swarm indoors often signals a dead mouse or bird in a wall or attic.
Tell-tale sign: Metallic green, blue or bronze body. Risk: Blow flies don't bite but can carry bacteria from rotting material.
Brown-Banded Cockroach
Brown-Banded CockroachSupella longipalpaA small cockroach with two light bands across its back that prefers warm, dry spots high in rooms. It hides behind picture frames, in electronics and inside furniture.
Tell-tale sign: Two pale yellow bands across the wings and abdomen. Risk: They carry bacteria and allergens like other cockroaches but are not known to bite.
Cigarette Beetle
Cigarette BeetleLasioderma serricorneA tiny, humpbacked, reddish-brown beetle that infests tobacco, spices, dried flowers, cereals and pet food. Adults are strong fliers and are often found near windows.
Tell-tale sign: Rounded, humped body with smooth, ungrooved wing covers. Risk: Cigarette beetles do not bite; they contaminate and damage stored products.
Confused Flour Beetle
Confused Flour BeetleTribolium confusumA flat, slender, reddish-brown beetle common in flour, cake mixes, cereals and other milled foods. Heavy infestations leave a grayish tint and a sharp, unpleasant smell.
Tell-tale sign: Flat, elongated reddish-brown body. Risk: They don't bite or sting; infested flour tastes and smells bad.
Drain Fly
Drain FlyClogmia albipunctataA small, fuzzy, moth-like fly that rests on bathroom walls near sinks, tubs and floor drains. Its larvae live in the slimy film inside drains.
Tell-tale sign: Fuzzy, gray, leaf-shaped wings held roof-like over the body. Risk: Drain flies don't bite and aren't known to spread disease in homes.
Drugstore Beetle
Drugstore BeetleStegobium paniceumA small, reddish-brown pantry beetle with rows of fine grooves along its wing covers. It infests dried foods, spices, pet food, and even books and medicines.
Tell-tale sign: Oval, reddish-brown body with lengthwise grooves. Risk: Drugstore beetles don't bite or spread disease, but they ruin stored food.
Fruit Fly
Fruit FlyDrosophila melanogasterA tiny, tan fly with bright red eyes that hovers over ripe fruit, drains, trash and spilled drinks. It can go from egg to adult in about a week.
Tell-tale sign: Very small tan body with bright red eyes. Risk: Fruit flies don't bite; they can carry bacteria from trash onto food.
German Cockroach
German CockroachBlattella germanicaA small, light-brown cockroach that breeds rapidly in kitchens and bathrooms, especially in apartments and restaurants. Females carry their egg case until it is ready to hatch.
Tell-tale sign: Light tan to brown body about half an inch long. Risk: German cockroaches contaminate food, and their droppings and shed skins are a major asthma trigger.
House Fly
House FlyMusca domesticaThe most common fly in homes, a dull gray fly with four dark stripes on its thorax. It breeds in garbage, manure and rotting food and lands on nearly everything.
Tell-tale sign: Four dark lengthwise stripes on a gray thorax. Risk: House flies don't bite, but they can carry bacteria that cause food poisoning.
Indian Meal Moth
Indian Meal MothPlodia interpunctellaThe most common pantry moth, with wings that are pale gray near the body and coppery bronze at the tips. Larvae spin silk webbing in grains, nuts, cereal, birdseed and dried fruit.
Tell-tale sign: Two-toned wings, cream at the base and rusty bronze at the tips. Risk: Pantry moths don't bite and aren't toxic; infested food should be thrown away.
Larder Beetle
Larder BeetleDermestes lardariusA dark, oblong beetle with a pale yellowish band across the front half of its back. Its hairy larvae feed on dried meats, pet food, cheese and dead insects.
Tell-tale sign: Dark, oblong body with a light tan band across the wing covers. Risk: Larder beetles don't bite, but larvae can bore into wood and they contaminate food.
Little Black Ant
Little Black AntMonomorium minimumA tiny, jet-black, shiny ant that nests in lawns, under rocks and in wall voids. Workers form narrow trails to sweets, grease and meats.
Tell-tale sign: Very small, glossy jet-black body. Risk: Little black ants have a sting too weak to feel; they are a nuisance only.
Longhorn Crazy Ant
Longhorn Crazy AntParatrechina longicornisA dark, slender ant with extremely long legs and antennae that runs in fast, jerky, seemingly random paths. It nests in soil, trash and wall voids, mostly in warm southern states.
Tell-tale sign: Long legs and antennae relative to its body. Risk: Crazy ants rarely bite and don't sting; their sheer numbers make them a nuisance.
Odorous House Ant
Odorous House AntTapinoma sessileA small, dark brown to black ant that trails along counters and sinks looking for sweets. Crushed workers give off a smell often compared to rotten coconut.
Tell-tale sign: Small, uniformly dark ant with an uneven thorax. Risk: Odorous house ants are a nuisance only; they rarely bite and don't sting.
Pavement Ant
Pavement AntTetramorium immigransA dark brown ant that nests under sidewalks, driveways and slabs, pushing up small piles of sand. Colonies fight noisy battles on pavement in spring.
Tell-tale sign: Parallel grooves on the head and thorax. Risk: Pavement ants have a weak sting that rarely bothers people; they are mainly a nuisance.
Pharaoh Ant
Pharaoh AntMonomorium pharaonisA tiny, pale yellow ant that nests in warm, hidden spots inside walls, cabinets and appliances. Colonies split into new nests when disturbed, which makes them hard to control.
Tell-tale sign: Very small, light yellow to amber body with a darker abdomen. Risk: They don't bite, but in hospitals and kitchens they can carry bacteria onto clean surfaces.
Rice Weevil
Rice WeevilSitophilus oryzaeA small, dark weevil with a long snout and four faint reddish spots on its back. Females chew holes in whole grains such as rice, wheat and corn and lay an egg inside each kernel.
Tell-tale sign: Long, narrow snout extending from the head. Risk: Rice weevils cannot bite people and are not harmful if accidentally eaten, but they spoil grain.
Which ones should you worry about?
0 of the 19 bugs in this guide can bite or sting. None of them are considered medically significant. The rest are harmless or simply a nuisance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common one?
Among the bugs in this guide, the American cockroach and Argentine ant are the ones people ask about most.
Which of these are dangerous?
None of them are medically significant, though some can bite or sting.
How can I identify a bug I found?
Use the free bug identifier tool: choose the number of legs, wings, main color, size and where you found it, and it will list the closest matches.