There's a huge gap between pests that are terrifying and pests that are actually dangerous to your home. A house centipede sprinting across your bathroom floor triggers a visceral panic response — but it's eating the cockroaches you should actually be worried about. Meanwhile, termites silently consume your home's framing for years before you notice a single sign.
This guide separates the real threats from the nuisance pests so you can focus your time and money where it matters.
Termites ($5+ billion/year in U.S. damage): Subterranean termites are the #1 structural pest in America. A mature colony consumes 5 pounds of wood per month. Most homeowner's insurance does not cover termite damage. Annual professional inspections ($75–$150) are the single best investment a homeowner can make. Prevention guide →
Carpenter ants: Don't eat wood (they excavate it for nesting), but the structural damage is real. Large black ants (1/2 inch) and sawdust-like frass near wood are the signs. Always indicates a moisture problem. Wood damage ID guide →
Wood-boring beetles: Powderpost beetles, old house borers, and anobiid beetles create tiny exit holes and reduce structural wood to powder over years. Active infestation (fresh frass, new holes) requires treatment. Old exit holes with no fresh frass may indicate an inactive, resolved infestation.
Rodents (fire hazard): Mice and rats chew electrical wiring — a leading cause of house fires. They also damage insulation, contaminate food storage, and create health hazards through droppings and urine.
Carpet beetles: Larvae feed on wool, silk, fur, leather, and any natural fiber. They can destroy clothing, rugs, and upholstered furniture. Often misidentified as moths.
Clothes moths: Similar damage profile to carpet beetles — target woolens, cashmere, and silk. Larvae do the damage; adult moths are just the visible symptom.
Carpenter bees: Bore perfectly round 1/2-inch holes in unfinished wood. Individual holes are minor, but repeated annual nesting in the same boards compounds damage over years. Woodpecker damage following carpenter bee activity accelerates the problem.
Silverfish: Destroy books, photographs, wallpaper, and stored documents. A symptom of excess humidity — fixing the moisture problem fixes the silverfish problem.
These pests trigger the most calls to pest control companies but cause zero structural damage:
House centipedes: Terrifying appearance, beneficial predator. Eats cockroaches, spiders, and silverfish. No structural damage. Their presence signals high moisture and a prey pest population.
Stink bugs: Overwintering nuisance — they enter homes in fall to hibernate. No structural damage, no indoor reproduction, no food contamination. Just annoying and smelly if crushed.
Camel crickets: Startle with their jumping, but cause no meaningful damage. Indicate moisture in basements.
Spiders (most species): The vast majority of house spiders are harmless. They eat other pests and cause no structural damage whatsoever.