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Pests in the Urban Landscape
Article

Spring Cleaning: Where Indoor Pests Could Be Hiding

  • April 1, 2026
  • By Lindsey Hack

Spring has arrived! Along with warmer weather and blooming flowers (and seasonal allergies for some of us!), you may have also noticed more insects and spiders roaming your home. If these unwanted houseguests have you thinking about cleaning and clearing up some clutter, join the UC IPM Urban & Community team on April 16, 2026 for a fun and informative webinar, “Spring Cleaning: Where Indoor Pests Could Be Hiding.” Speaker Karey Windbiel-Rojas will discuss common indoor pests and some of the unexpected places you might encounter them. 

For a sneak preview, can you guess the pest in the following photos? Answers are at the bottom. 

Pest # 1 

A small, oval, multicolored beetle with brown, white, and black spots on its wing cases next to a small, oblong black and white beetle larva with tufts of black hairs arranged in horizontal stripes down its back.
They’re round, multicolored, and have a fondness for fabrics. Photo by Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM.

Pest # 2 

A long, thin, dark brown insect with a pair of curved pincers on it's tail-end.
They’re long, brown, and have pincers on the tail end of their bodies. They might look intimidating, but they’re harmless to humans. Photo by Krystle Hickman, UC IPM.

Pest # 3 

A tiny, dark grey insect stuck to a bright yellow sticky trap. The insects has a pair of translucent wings, thin long legs, and an oblong body that is pointed at the tail-end.
You might find these tiny black flies buzzing around overwatered house plants. Photo by Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM.

Answers 

Pest # 1 is a carpet beetle, pest # 2 is an earwig, and pest #3 is a fungus gnat. 

If you enjoyed this guessing game, you might also be interested in another upcoming UC IPM Urban & Community IPM webinar on May 21, 2026 “Test Your Pest ID Knowledge.” In this interactive session, attendees will be quizzed on look-alike pests, causes of plant damage, good bug vs. bad bug, weed ID, and more. 

To learn about other upcoming webinars and to find links to recordings of past webinars, visit the Urban & Community IPM Webinars website.