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Field guide · Kansas pests

Kansas pesticide business license #3403

Kansas pests, one at a time

Where each one hides in a Wichita house, with K-State’s own facts. See the house

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Where pests hide in a Wichita house

Pick the bug you’ve seen, or tap a part of the house.

Showing October

Cutaway of a Wichita houseAn isometric drawing of a one-storey house with an attic, a basement, an attached garage and a yard, cut open so the inside shows. Eight parts of it are marked: the foundation, the outside walls and eaves, the attic, the basement, the kitchen and bathrooms, the bedrooms and living room, the garage and the yard edge.

Pick the bug you’ve seen, or tap a part of the house.

Seen from the street, west corner

All 16 pests

Parts of the house

What comes inside in the fall in Kansas?

Lady beetles, boxelder bugs and crickets move indoors in the fall, looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Crickets follow warmth leaking from the house. Scorpions turn up indoors in late summer and fall. Sealing gaps at ground level and around windows before fall helps with all four.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Spiders and Scorpions (MF-771); K-State, Boxelder and Red-Shouldered Bugs (MF2580)

What’s in the house in spring?

Brown recluses become active again in spring. Winged termites and winged ants fly in spring after the first warm rains. A winged termite indoors is worth a termite inspection. Lady beetles and boxelder bugs that spent the winter in the walls come out on warm days.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Brown Recluse Spiders (MF3133); K-State Kansas Bugs, Ant and Termite Swarms (2019)

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No. 01

Brown recluse

Loxosceles reclusa

Plain brown, with a dark violin on its back (the neck points to the rear), legs all one color, and six eyes in pairs.

Seeing it in October? Not usually. It’s their quiet time of year.

Where
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How it gets in
It crawls in, or rides in on boxes, furniture and firewood.
When
Active from spring to early fall, and quiet from October through March, even in a heated house.
What you’d notice
A messy retreat web in a corner, like a dusty cobweb, not used for catching.
What you can do now
Put sticky traps along the walls and check them weekly. Shake out shoes before you put them on. Bug bombs don’t reach them.

Source: K-State, Brown Recluse Spiders (MF3133); K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291)

What Donnie is called for

Brown recluses are the only spider Donnie finds in numbers inside a house. Spiders are part of his general pest control.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
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No. 02

Ants

Most are brownish to black, with elbowed (bent) feelers.

Where

Nests are usually outside; K-State says they can often be traced to the lawn.

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How it gets in
Through cracks in the house. K-State says it helps to find where they are entering.
When
Winged ones swarm, commonly after a rain, and most often in April.
What you’d notice
In the kitchen, after crumbs, grease and food left open.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State Kansas Bugs, Ant and Termite Swarms (2019); University of Minnesota Extension, Ants

What Donnie is called for

Donnie says ants and spiders are probably tied for his most common call, depending on the year. Ants are part of his general pest control. Ants and spiders together don’t cost more.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
Text Donnie a photo Or request a visit Ants in Wichita homes

No. 03

Bed bugs

About the size of an apple seed, brown and flat, and redder and rounder after feeding.

Where
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How it gets in
They ride in on luggage, used furniture, bedding, boxes and clothing.
When
Indoors, with no set season. In a warm room the life cycle can finish in as little as five weeks.
What you’d notice
Small dark spots on the mattress seams, and shed skins.
What you can do now
Text Donnie a photo of the bug or the spots.

Source: EPA, Bed bugs: appearance and life cycle; K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291)

What Donnie does

Bed bug treatment starts at $350.

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No. 04

Mosquitoes

A small fly with a gray, brown or black scaly body and one pair of wings. About 50 kinds live in Kansas, and most are hard to tell apart.

K-State says May and June tend to be the time of year when adult mosquito populations rise in Kansas.

Where
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How it gets in
Through torn screens and open doors. Gutters that hold water breed them too.
What you can do now
Tip out anything that holds water every week: pots, buckets, tires, birdbaths, pet bowls.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State Research and Extension news story, 25 June 2025 (Pat Melgares)

What Donnie does

Mosquito control every 4 to 6 weeks while they’re active, with In2Care stations or spraying: $80 to $110 a month.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
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No. 05

Fleas

Ctenocephalides felis

The cat flea: tiny, flat and wingless, and the flea on Kansas dogs and cats.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
On pets, or from raccoons and opossums under a deck. In a house where the last owners had pets, cocoons can wait in the carpet.
When
Indoors all year; outdoors in summer.
What you’d notice
Bites around the ankles after a trip or a move.
What you can do now
Treat every pet through your vet the same week, and vacuum along the baseboards.

Source: K-State, Fleas Infesting Pets and Homes (MF760)

What Donnie is called for

Fleas are in Donnie’s top ten calls, almost always at rental properties.

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No. 06

Lady beetles

Harmonia axyridis

A black “W” behind the head; red, orange or yellow, with anywhere from no spots to nine.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
Cracks around windows, siding and soffits.
When
Fall, then warm winter days indoors. They leave in spring.
What you’d notice
Gathering on the south and west walls in the late afternoon.
What you can do now
Vacuum them, don’t squash them, and empty the bag away from the house.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291)

What Donnie is called for

Donnie rarely sees lady beetles. Boxelder bugs are much more common.

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No. 07

Boxelder bugs

Boisea trivittata

Black, about half an inch long, with red-orange edges. It doesn’t bite, sting or damage the house.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
Cracks in the foundation and siding, and gaps around windows and doors.
When
Fall; warm winter days; and early spring, when they leave all at once.
What you’d notice
At windows and light fixtures on warm winter days.
What you can do now
Vacuum them; crushed, they stain.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Boxelder and Red-Shouldered Bugs (MF2580)

What Donnie is called for

Donnie is called about boxelder bugs for a month or two a year.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
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No. 08

Crickets

Gryllus spp.

Field crickets come in as fall nights cool and may live indoors for a few months without breeding; house crickets are browner and can breed indoors.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
Through cracks at ground level, drawn by warmth leaking from the house, and by lights at night.
When
Late summer into fall.
What you’d notice
Chirping at night.
What you can do now
Seal the gaps at ground level and turn off porch lights you don’t need.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Kansas Insect Newsletter, 3 October 2024

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No. 09 · Inspection only

Termites

Winged termites are dark brown to black, with straight feelers, a thick waist and four whitish wings of equal length. This is the eastern subterranean termite, the most common termite in Kansas.

Seeing it in October? Not swarming now. Mud tubes on the foundation are the sign to look for.

Where
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How it gets in
From colonies in the soil, through mud tubes on the foundation and where pipes come in.
When
Swarms in spring after the first warm rains, usually from about 10 in the morning.
What you’d notice
Winged termites indoors, often at windows, or mud tubes on the foundation.
What you can do now
A winged termite inside is worth an inspection.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291)

What Donnie does

Donnie inspects for termites ($85) and doesn’t treat them; he refers treatment to a termite company his dad knew for years.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
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No. 10

Scorpions

Centruroides vittatus

The striped bark scorpion, the only scorpion in Kansas: pale yellow with two dark stripes. It stings like a wasp.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
Gaps around the foundation and under doors.
When
Indoors from mid-August through October.
What you’d notice
In shoes, clothing and bedding.
What you can do now
Shake out shoes and clothes, and wear leather gloves for boxes and firewood.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Spiders and Scorpions (MF-771)

What Donnie is called for

Donnie says scorpions are rare. One business near 21st and Arkansas sees maybe two a year.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
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No. 11

Wolf spiders

Eight eyes and long, fuzzy legs that may look spiny or banded. It hunts on the ground with no web for catching prey, and may line a resting spot with silk. Its venom isn’t dangerous to people.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
Wanders in from lawns and flower beds.
When
Especially in fall.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Brown Recluse Spiders (MF3133); UC IPM, Spiders (Pest Notes UC ANR 7442); University of Minnesota Extension, Wolf spiders

What Donnie does

Spiders are part of Donnie’s general pest control.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
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No. 12

Paper wasps

Slender and long-legged, with a narrow waist, reddish to brown, and they may have yellow or black markings. Their legs dangle in flight.

Seeing it in October? Possibly. An overwintered queen can turn up indoors in fall and spring.

Where
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When
Nests grow through summer, and the colony dies in winter. Mated queens overwinter in walls or chimneys.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); University of Minnesota Extension, Wasps and bees; UC IPM

Text Donnie a photo Paper wasps on Wichita houses

No. 13

German cockroach

About half an inch, light tan to light brown, with two dark stripes behind the head.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
They ride in on bags, cartons and furniture, and spread between apartments through shared plumbing.
When
Indoors all year.
What you’d notice
Under stoves, fridges and dishwashers.
What you can do now
Text Donnie a photo. It tells him whether it’s something to jump on or not a concern at all.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Cockroaches (MF2765)

What Donnie is called for

Donnie’s German roach calls are mostly at rentals.

5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
Text Donnie a photo Or request a visit Cockroaches in Wichita homes

No. 15

Carpenter ants

Reddish-brown to black, from 1/4 inch for a small worker up to 3/4 inch for a queen.

Colorado State says large numbers of winged carpenter ants usually emerge from nests during spring or early summer. K-State says April is usually the month most ant and termite swarms occur.

Where

Window sills, hollow-core doors, and weathered or water-damaged wood.

Text Donnie a photo
How it gets in
From trees touching the roof, and firewood.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); Colorado State Extension, Carpenter Ants; K-State Kansas Bugs, Ant and Termite Swarms (2019)

Text Donnie a photo Carpenter ants in Wichita homes

No. 16

House mouse

Mus musculus

Light gray-brown with a paler belly, relatively large ears and a nearly bare 3 to 4 inch tail.

Seeing it in October? Yes.

Where
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How it gets in
Cracks in the house. K-State says openings slightly larger than a quarter inch are enough.
When
UC IPM says they frequently enter homes in autumn, when nighttime temperatures become colder.
What you can do now
Seal cracks. Steel or copper wool plugs a gap for now; K-State says metal or concrete is the lasting seal, because mice chew through foam, plastic, rubber and wood.

Source: K-State Johnson County, Wildlife Activity in Fall; K-State, Controlling House Mice (MF1123); UC IPM, House Mouse

What Donnie does

Mice are in Donnie’s top five calls and about 85% of his winter work. He takes care of mice and rats, inside and out. Bait stations outside for mice are an upgrade. Donnie talks them through with you at the house, and whether you add them is up to you. Mice are part of general pest control at a similar price.

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Outside · 5 pests

Foundation and the ground against it

Five of the 16 pests use the ground against the foundation, from crickets in the mulch to termites in the soil.

What it is
Cracks, the gaps under doors, pipes going in, and flower beds against the wall.
Why they like it
Crickets live in the mulch, rock and tall grass against the foundation, and scorpions shelter under rocks, boards and mulch. Termites build mud tubes up from the soil.
Pests here
What you can do now
Seal cracks at ground level and fit door sweeps. Pull rock, mulch and boards back from the wall, and look for mud tubes.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Spiders and Scorpions (MF-771)

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Outside · 5 pests

Walls, eaves and soffits Walls and roof edge

The south and west walls are the warmest, so fall bugs gather there and work into the soffits.

What it is
The sunny outside walls, and the gaps under the roof edge.
Why they like it
Lady beetles and boxelder bugs gather on the warm walls to spend the winter inside.
Pests here
What you can do now
Seal soffit and window gaps before fall, and fix torn screens.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State, Boxelder and Red-Shouldered Bugs (MF2580)

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Inside · 6 pests

Attic

Brown recluses, lady beetles and boxelder bugs all use attics, and silverfish turn up in dry ones.

What it is
Stored boxes, insulation and still air.
Why they like it
It’s warm, dry and still, the way recluses like it, and nobody disturbs the boxes. Lady beetles and boxelder bugs that came in for the winter wait up here for a warm day.
Pests here
What you can do now
Put sticky traps along the walls and check them weekly. Store things in sealed bins, not stacked tight.

Source: K-State, Brown Recluse Spiders (MF3133); K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291)

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Inside · 4 pests

Basement or crawlspace

House crickets lay their eggs in basements and crawlspaces, and brown recluses hide in the storage.

What it is
Storage, the water heater, the dryer, a damp crawlspace.
Why they like it
It’s dark and quiet, with stored things to hide in, and a crawlspace sits right against the soil termites come up from.
Pests here
What you can do now
Sticky traps along the walls will show you what’s moving. Mud tubes on a crawlspace wall are the sign of termites.

Source: K-State, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291)

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Inside · 12 pests

Bedrooms and living room

Twelve of the 16 pests on this page turn up here, from bed bugs and fleas to crickets and wolf spiders.

What it is
Beds, closets, carpet, and shoes and clothes on the floor.
Why they like it
Flea larvae hide deep in carpet, and bed bugs live in mattress seams.
Pests here
What you can do now
Keep sheets off the floor and shake out shoes. Vacuum along the baseboards, and check the mattress seams.

Source: K-State, Brown Recluse Spiders (MF3133); K-State, Fleas Infesting Pets and Homes (MF760); EPA, Bed bugs: appearance and life cycle

Text Donnie a photo

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5. If pests come back, text him. Donnie talks it through and tells you before he comes whether a return visit costs anything.

Common pests in Wichita houses, one specimen each

  1. Brown recluse spider illustration, top view, showing the dark violin-shaped mark on the front half of the body and plain, unbanded legs. No. 01Brown recluse spiders in Wichita

    Loxosceles reclusa

    Body up to a quarter inch long.

    Spring to early fall

  2. Ant illustration, top view, showing a segmented body with a narrow waist. No. 02Ants
  3. Bed bug illustration, top view, a flat oval body with a striped abdomen. No. 03Bed bugs

    Eggs are pearl-white and the size of a pinhead.

  4. Mosquito illustration, top view, with a long thin body, a pointed mouthpart and long legs. No. 04Mosquitoes

    Adult female mosquitoes locate hosts by sensing carbon dioxide from breath and skin, host odor, temperature, color, and movement.

  5. Flea illustration, side view, with a banded body and large back legs built for jumping. No. 05Fleas

    Ctenocephalides felis

    Its cocoon can wait in the carpet up to six months.

    All year, indoors

  6. Asian lady beetle illustration, top view, a round yellow-orange shell with black spots. No. 06Lady beetles

    Harmonia axyridis

    Fall and warm winter days

  7. Boxelder bug illustration, top view, drawn in the brand's colors, with stripes behind the head and edged wings. No. 07Boxelder bugs

    Boisea trivittata

    Some people around Wichita call them rain tree bugs.

    Late fall, warm winter days, early spring

  8. Cricket illustration, top view, with long curved antennae, thick back legs and a ridged back. No. 08Crickets

    Gryllus spp.

    Late summer into fall

  9. Eastern subterranean termite illustration, top view, a long segmented body. Inspection only.Inspection only No. 09Termites

    Eastern subterranean termite.

  10. Striped bark scorpion illustration, top view, a pale body with two dark stripes and a curled tail. No. 10Scorpions

    Centruroides vittatus

    Mid-August to October

  11. Wolf spider illustration, top view, with banded, fuzzy legs and eight eyes. No. 11Wolf spiders

    When the spiderlings first hatch, they ride on the female’s abdomen.

  12. Paper wasp illustration, top view, with a narrow waist and striped abdomen. No. 12Paper wasps

    Hangs its nest from the house by a single stalk.

  13. German cockroach illustration, top view, a flat oval body with two dark bands behind the head. No. 13German cockroach

    The most common house roach in Kansas.

  14. Silverfish illustration, top view, a tapered body with three tail bristles. No. 14Silverfish

    A silverfish can live up to seven years.

  15. Carpenter ant illustration, top view, a large segmented body with a narrow waist. No. 15Carpenter ants

    The largest ants in Kansas.

  16. House mouse illustration, top view, with large round ears, small dark eyes, a lighter belly at the sides and a long, thin, nearly bare tail curled beside the body. No. 16House mouse

    Mus musculus

    Most people find the droppings first.

What pest control costs in Wichita 

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Kansas pesticide business license #3403

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K-State Research and Extension county offices also identify insects.K-State county offices also identify insects. Sedgwick County: sedgwick.k-state.edu

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In Wichita since 1992