Little, bothersome creatures known as gray bugs can infest homes. Silverfish, a little nocturnal silvery-gray wingless insect that may be seen slithering over the bathroom or kitchen floors, is the most prevalent gray bug. Stink bugs, gray blister beetles, weevils, and pillbugs are some of the other gray bugs that may be found in the home or yard.
Seeing a gray bug scuttling across the floor fills you with dread. Luckily, since they don’t sting or bite, most gray-colored insects in the home are benign. Eliminating these grayish bugs, however, is still required since they might spread illness or contaminate food in your pantry.
The most prevalent types of gray bugs in your house or garden are described in this article. You’ll find useful tips on getting rid of the pests, in addition to descriptions and photos of gray-colored bugs.
How To Identify Gray Bugs in the House
The form, patterns, number of legs, and if the gray bug has wings are all characteristics that may be used to identify it. The insect’s traits and actions provide even more hints about its identity. Also, is the problem visible only at night or during the day?
Silverfish and pillbugs, for example, are only discovered in dark, moist locations and are difficult to see. However, when they come inside the house in the autumn, other gray bugs may release a pungent odor. Other insects, on the other hand, are usually exclusively discovered outdoors..
Types of Gray Bugs (With Pictures) – Identification Guide
A little pearly-gray bug with a tear-shaped body is scuttling across the floor, have you seen it? Maybe it’s a little, slender gray bug with a long snout, and you have no idea what it is. However, please continue reading to learn more about common gray bug symptoms in your home.
Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)
Silverfish is a tiny silvery, light-grey bug that squirms around the floor in fish-like motions. It is most common in damp locations at home. The body of this little wingless bug is flattened, with the head protruding and the tail tapering. A silverfish has two enormous antennae, six legs, and three long bristles at the end of its tail, as seen in closeup photographs.
Little, innocuous grayish bugs that are 0.33″ (8.5 mm) long, silverfish are tiny and harmless. Their bristly appendages are easily recognized. At the tail end, one of the bristles is stiff, while the other two are bent at right angles. Two extra-long thread-like antennae are on the opposite end.
Damp, chilly, and dim settings are appealing to silverfish. As a result, in kitchens, basements, attics, and bathrooms, you’ll often find the silvery bugs. When you disturb their habitat during the day, you are usually only going to see the slithering bugs. The distinctive appearance and habits of silverfish earned it the name.
The metallic look of shiny fish scales is seen on the carrot-shaped silvery-gray bug. It also scuttles across the floor in fish-like movements, which you may notice.
Yellowish stains or microscopic black pepper-like droppings on infested counters or floors are indications of a silverfish infestation. Feeding marks or holes in linens, clothes, cardboard, or wallpaper are other indicators of bedbugs. Little, little transparent skin molts are a typical symptom of gray bugs.
Do silverfish bite?
The little silverfish are harmless creatures that won’t bite you. The gray pests, on the other hand, are not nice insects to have in your home. They do not transmit diseases. Signs of silverfish are also frequently indicative of moisture problems or excessive moisture in your house.
Silverfish may cause allergies, despite the fact that they are not considered dangerous. According to studies, their shed skins and droppings might cause allergic responses and respiratory problems in those who are sensitive.
How to get rid of silverfish
Stopping silverfish from establishing a habitat is the best way to get rid of them. As a result, it’s vital to discover and fix any moisture concerns in your house. Leaky pipes and broken vents, for example, might necessitate your attention. Dehumidifiers, on the other hand, may help to alleviate moisture concerns.
Storing old magazines and newspapers in airtight, sealed containers is another way to prevent a silverfish infestation. Also, sugary foods and starches attract silverfish. As a result, flour, sugar, and other similar goods should be stored in airtight containers.
How do you get rid of silverfish? Cedar oil is said to be effective in pest control. You might try placing cedar shavings in areas where you have seen silverfish activity, for example. Cedar oil and water can also be used to spray surfaces. You can use an old, moist newspaper to trap silverfish if you want.
Attract the silvery-gray bugs by dampening an old newspaper. Where do you think silverfish are residing? Place the trap there. After that, they’ll settle in the newspaper for the rest of their lives. After a couple of days, you may wrap up the newspaper and toss it in a plastic bag.
Gray bug identification
The silvery tapered body, fish-like swimming motions, and long antennae distinguish silverfish from other species.
Gray Stink Bugs / Shield Bugs
Brochymena affinis is a type of gray stink bug / shield bug. The stink bugs Brochymena quadripustulata have a rough, flattened shield-like body and are brownish gray in color. The bug’s triangular bodies and speckled patterns on the back distinguish them from other species. Gray stink bugs also have two antennae and six long legs. The 0.67” (17 mm) long and broad insects are covered in a foul odor.
When the weather gets colder in the fall, stink bugs (Brochymena arborea) invade homes. Cracks around window frames, doors, or the building’s structure are used by the stinking gray bugs to enter. Crawl spaces, attics, wall cavities, and basements will be their new homes.
Stink bugs come in a variety of colors and are also known as shield bugs because of their unusual form. Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is the most common pest. Brown, reddish-brown, gray, or black are some of the colors of this bothersome bug.
When they are threatened or squashed, stink bugs emit a powerful odor known as brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). The gray bugs, on the other hand, are virtually harmless and don’t bite people or damage property. They merely produce a horrible odor.
Preventing stink bugs from entering your home in the first place is the best way to deal with them. Inspect your property’s exterior in late summer and caulk any seams around utility pipes, sidings, doors, and windows.
To prevent a stink bug infestation, you should also install window and door screens. Vacuuming is the most effective method of getting rid of stink bugs. To avoid the horrible stench from spreading in your home, remove the dust bag after vacuuming the pests and toss it in the outdoor trash.
Gray bug identification
The body of a gray stink bug is shaped like a shield with gray and white mottled patterns on the back, making it easy to identify.
Squash bugs (Anasa tristis)
Squash bugs have a flattened oval body with light grayish-white nymphs (left) that turn dark gray-brown when they become adults (right). On its abdomen, the gray garden pests have a striped pattern of brown and orange. Grayish-brown squash bugs also feature two black antennae and six legs. Squash bugs are 0.6 inch (15 mm) long and 0.3 inch (7.5 mm) broad when fully grown.
Squash bugs are a big problem because they live in gardens and vegetable patches. Squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and bottle gourds are all infected with grayish bugs in the Cucurbitaceae family. Sap-sucking insects suck the juices out of plant matter by biting into it. Yellow and brown patches on the leaves are a result of this feeding activity. In order to get rid of squash bugs in your garden, vigilance is required. The easiest technique to get rid of the gray bugs is to pick them off plants and drop them in soap water.
Making a neem oil solution and applying the DIY spray to plant leaves and stems once a week is another way to eliminate squash bug eggs, larvae, and adults. Squash bugs can also be prevented from infecting plants in a variety of ways. You may utilize row covers early in the season before pollinators are active to prevent squash bugs from laying eggs, for example.
Gray bug identification
The flattened dark gray-brownish oval body of a squash bug bears a distinct V-shape on its back, as well as tan-colored lines around its margins and across its thorax.
Gray Sunflower Seed Weevil (Smicronyx sordidus)
The gray sunflower seed weevil is an unusual-looking gray bug with a long snout and six legs that may be found on sunflower plants in the garden. The little gray bug is just 0.31 inches (8 mm) long. The sunflower bug, which is grayish in color, is most commonly found feasting on sunflower plants.
Weevils that resemble golden sunflowers seed are rare, and only visible when sunflowers are in the garden. Weevils of various kinds may be home pest. Biscuit weevils, rice weevils, maize weevils, and pantry weevils are the most common kinds of brown pantry bugs.
Gray bug identification
The oval, rounded gray abdomen, small head, and arching black snout of the gray sunflower weevil distinguish it from other species.
Springtail (Collembola)
Gray springtails have six short legs and two segmented antennae. They are wingless arthropods with a slender gray body. Because they only range in length from 0.07 to 0.16 inch (2 to 4 millimeters), the tiny grayish-brown or pale gray bugs are hard to find.
Minute bugs are never a problem in the house, and they survive on the ground. Springtails with six-segmented antennae with brown, white, yellow, and black colors include the Orchesella cincta. Little insects with pinkish segmented antennae include the Entomobrya nivalis.
Gray bug identification
A tiny gray arthropod with a thin body, black stripes, and two segmented antennae, the grey springtail is identified as such.
Ashy Gray Lady Beetle (Olla v-nigrum)
The ashy gray lady beetle is one of the few gray bugs with black markings in the Coccinellidae family. The thorax and head of the flying gray insect are gray, as are its wing covers. There are also several unique black markings on its back. The lady beetle is 0.14 to 0.24 inches (3.7 to 6.1 mm) long, and it’s tiny.
The majority of lady beetles have spotted wing covers, although some have a gray back and heart shape on each side. Olla v-nigrum is the scientific name for a kind of black and red ladybug.
Throughout North America, the black-spotted gray ladybug may be found. Aphids are eaten by ashy gray lady beetles, which are considered beneficial insects. Ladybugs are encouraged to help control aphid populations naturally by those who grow crops in greenhouses.
Gray bug identification
The rounded form, light grayish-white colors, and black dots on the wing covers distinguish the ashy gray lady beetle.
Little Gray Blister Beetle (Epicauta velata)
The little gray blister beetle has two orange and black clubbed antennae and six legs, and it is poisonous. Its secretions may cause severe blistering. The cylindrical abdomen, thin thorax, and wide head of this gray type are comparable to those seen in other blister beetles. The fuzzy gray body and legs of the little gray blister beetle are 0.47″ (12 mm) long.
The secretions released by the gray blister beetle may cause severe blistering, which gives it its name. Ingesting a few of these bugs can be deadly to predators, making the gray beetles extremely hazardous to predators. B Insects like blister beetles are uncommon in homes.
They do, however, feed on garden flowers and nectar from ornamental plants. When the beetle is threatened, it may exude fluid that causes skin inflammation, swelling, and blistering. However, in seven to ten days, the blisters should heal.
Gray bug identification
The slender fuzzy gray body, orange and black antennae, and enormous black complex eyes on its head distinguish the little gray blister beetle.
Pillbugs (Armadillidiidae)
When they perceive danger, pillbugs may roll with their hard segmented shell and two clubbed antennae. The little grayish bug resembles a tiny armadillo. When they are endangered, these little insects roll into a ball. Pillbugs grow to be 0.25 to 0.5 inches (6 to 12 mm) long. Roly polies, doodle bugs, slaters, and potato bugs are all names for pillbugs.
When you gather huge stones, rocks, or move leaf litter, pillbugs are usually present. The grayish bugs feed on decaying plant leaves and other organic material, and they prefer dark places. Gray bugs may feed on plant roots and foliage, and they may be minor pests in gardens. Pillbugs are sometimes a problem in the home, where they congregate in damp, dark areas. The gray armadillo-like insects, on the other hand, are innocuous and just a bother.
By sweeping up and tossing out pillbugs in the yard, you may swiftly get rid of them from your house. Caulk any floor level openings at doorways or in the foundation to prevent future access to the home. It’s also a good idea to keep old vegetation at a safe distance from the house.
Gray bug identification
The little barrel-shaped gray shell of pillbugs, which resembles an armadillo, and their propensity to roll into a ball for shelter, make them easy to spot.