What Is That Bug?

Ants

Formicidae · March through October, peaking May–July

The number-one call on the peninsula. Which species matters enormously — one damages your house, the rest are a nuisance.

Spiders

Araneae · Year-round indoors, with a sharp spike in September and October

Mostly harmless, universally unwelcome. The Pacific Northwest has fewer dangerous species than people believe.

Wasps & Hornets

Vespidae · Nests build from May, peak late July through September

The only pest on this list with a genuine safety dimension. Nest removal is included in the contract.

Earwigs

Forficula auricularia · Peak June through September, worst in wet years

Alarming to look at, harmless in fact. The pincers cannot meaningfully hurt you and they do not go in your ears.

Box Elder Bugs

Boisea trivittata · Congregate September–November, reappear on warm days through spring

A pure nuisance pest with one specific habit: they mass on warm walls in autumn, then move inside to overwinter.

Silverfish

Lepisma saccharina · Year-round indoors, worse in damp winter months

A humidity problem wearing an insect costume. Where you find them tells you where your moisture problem is.

Crickets

Gryllidae · Late summer through autumn

Rarely a real infestation. Usually one loud individual in a crawlspace that nobody can locate.

Beetles

Coleoptera · Ground beetles peak in autumn; pantry beetles are year-round

A huge and varied group. On this peninsula, most indoor beetle calls are ground beetles wandering in by accident.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Carpenter ant — Alex Wild (source, public domain (CC0)); Giant house spider — Xocolatl (source, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped); Yellowjacket — Judy Gallagher (source, CC BY 2.0, cropped); European earwig — ImagePerson (source, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped); Box elder bug — Judy Gallagher (source, CC BY 2.0, cropped); Silverfish — s173 (source, CC BY 4.0, cropped); Field cricket — ImagePerson (source, CC BY 4.0, cropped); Ground beetle — AfroBrazilian (source, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped).