Common Moisture Pests in Minnesota

House Centipedes​

Millipedes​

Springtails​

Sowbugs/Pillbugs​​

Silverfish​

Earwigs​

Strawberry-Root Weevil

To protect your home from all insects, join our Insect Protection Plan (IPP)

If you have any questions, concerns, or want to schedule an appointment

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House centipedes are among the most feared household pests, surpassed only by spiders and mice. Their bodies are flat, featuring 3 dark stripes along their backs. Their color varies between brown and gray with hints of yellow. Their 15 long, striped legs contribute to their unsettling appearance.

Length: >1.0 inches

Regardless of their disturbing look, house centipedes play a crucial role in our ecosystem. They are considered the top predator of the insect world. They feed on a variety of insects including ants, larvae, spiders, bedbugs, cockroaches, beetles, and any other small insect. They use the venom inside their claws to paralyze their prey before eating them. They are commonly found inside homes with other insect activity. Being prone to dehydration, they are drawn to water and moisture. Luckily for humans, their claws and fangs are not strong enough to penetrate through human skin. They are not known to carry disease, build webs, or cause structural damage to the home.

Lifespan: 3-5 years (with water source)

Contrary to popular belief, millipedes do not have a million legs, though they can have as many as 400. Their bodies are usually black or brown, and curl up when they feel threatened or die.

Length: 1-1.5 inches

Millipedes live in gardens underneath leaf litter, potted plants, rocks, and damp soil. They play an important role in breaking down organic matter and fungi. In other words, they are living composters! They are the most active at night. In the summer, when it becomes hot and dry, millipedes become motivated to search for moisture and cooler temperatures inside homes. They can be found inside homes after rain storms or when there is excess groundwater. In Minnesota, this happens in the spring when all the snow starts to melt.

Lifespan (inside): 2-4 weeks

Springtails vary between black, grey, and sometimes white. They are commonly misidentified as fruit flies or fleas. They do not have wings, making it impossible to fly like fruit flies. Their body structure is different from a flea’s. Fleas are much harder to crush because their bodies are flatter than a springtail’s.

Length: 1/16th-1/18th inches long

Springtails can be difficult pests to control due to their tiny size. During hot dry summer days, they become highly motivated to search for moisture inside homes and other structures. This usually causes them to congregate around bathrooms, basements, kitchens, and plumbing leaks. Reducing the moisture inside the home is the most effective way to keep them out. Living outdoors, they play a key role in consuming fungi, algae, and decaying organic matter. They are most abundant in mulch, gardens, and forest floors.

Lifespan: 0-1 year

Sowbugs are prehistoric insects that can be found on every continent and have been on our planet for millions of years. They are isopods, which are crustaceans related to lobsters, crayfish, and crabs. Their bodies have 14 legs and brownish-gray shells.

Length: 0.75 inches

Their main role in the ecosystem is breaking down decaying organic matter. Their lives depend on feeding on leaf litter, fungi, rotting wood, compost, and dead animals. They are often seen inside basements with excess moisture or homes with improperly designed runoff. Once inside, they do not survive long, as there is no food available.

Lifespan: 1 year

Silverfish get their name from the silvery metallic scales on their bodies. They possess 3 long, tail-like appendages, which are often as long as their bodies.

Length: <0.5 inches

Silverfish can be found living inside cereal boxes, books, wallpaper, and any other starchy items. As they chew and feed on these products, they oftentimes leave irregularly shaped holes, damaging whatever they are infesting. In the wild, they live under leaf litter, rocks tree stumps, and logs. Due to their desire for protein and starch-rich foods, they play an integral part in breaking down dead organisms and act as decomposers.

Lifespan: 2-3 years

Earwigs have a unique appearance, defined by their highly distinguishable pinchers located at the tip of the abdomen. Their bodies are reddish-brown, and have small wings on their thorax. To tell a female and male earwig apart, note that female pincers are closer together and straighter, while male pincers are curved and more widely separated.

Length: 0.6 inches

Earwigs prefer to live in dark areas with excess moisture. They can be found outside under potted plants, doormats, gardens, leaves, and cracks in sidewalks and driveways. Their main food source derives from decaying organic matter, but are also known to feed on live plants (see image above). The damaged foliage shows signs of small, circular, chewed holes. While they can damage plants, they are harmless to humans. Once inside a home, they do not reproduce or cause structural damage.

Lifespan: 1-3 years

Strawberry-root weevils are described as pear-shaped and about 1/4 inch long. They get their name from the small pits along their back that resemble the pits on a strawberry. Their bodies vary in color between black and dark brown. They can sometimes be misidentified as ticks. They only have 6 legs, whereas ticks have 8.

These are the most common weevils in Minnesota. They can be found inside homes during droughts or dry spells in search of moisture. They will infest places like bathrooms and laundry rooms. They do not cause structural damage or harm to pets and humans. Outside, they live in planters and around gardens. Their larvae feed on the roots of strawberries, evergreens, raspberries, and various other fruit-bearing plants.

Lifespan: 2-10 months

To protect your home from  insects, join our Insect Protection Plan (IPP)

If you have any questions, concerns or want to schedule an appointment

Call Us Today! 952-404-BOGO (2646)

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