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Welcome to What’s Bugging You!

Our goal is to help you identify, understand and, where needed, safely manage the critters found in and around your home, garden, school, places of work and worship. Use of the word “critter” is intentional; not all things that buzz, crawl or slither are pests! Some insects may be pollinators that play an important role in the ecosystem, and some animals can help reduce the numbers of ticks and other pests in your yard.

This page is designed to help you identify your critter by choosing one of the sections below. If you know what type of critter you have, you can select it from the list of pest categories in the left sidebar. If you are not sure, you can either select the location where you found it, or the time of year it was discovered. For arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.), you can also try the Pest Identification Key or Quick ID Guide.

Choose the room in your house that needs pest management
cutaway view of an attic room containing storage boxes, old toys and furniture
Attic
cut-away view of a bathroom containing tub, toilet, sink and mirror
Bathroom
cut-away view of a bedroom containing lamp, bed, and dresser
Bedroom
cut-away view of living room containing television, bookcase, and sofa
Living Room
cut-away view of kitchen containing sink, cupboards, stove, oven, refrigerator, and counter stools
Kitchen
cut-away view of garage containing car, bicycle, and workbench
Garage
cut-away view of basement containing furnace and pipes, water heater, and washing machine
Basement
outdoor space with tree, shrubs, patio, and chairs and table
Patio
outdoor space with tree and flowers growing in front of white picket fence
Lawn and Garden
Choose the season in which you need pest management
illustration of tree among shrubs in spring. The tree has small green leaves, and the shrubs have new leaves and pink flowers
Spring
Illustration of tree and shrubs in summer. The tree and shrubs have dark green foliage.
Summer
Illustration of tree and shrubs in autumn. The tree and shrubs have gold and scarlet leaves.
Fall
Illustration of tree and shrubs in winter. The tree and shrubs are covered in snow.
Winter

If you are unable to identify your pest, consider bringing a specimen to your Cornell Cooperative Extension office or sending arthropod specimens to the Cornell Insect Diagnostic Laboratory.