Pests Beginning with P

This index features various insects, arachnids, and animals commonly considered pests, whose common names begin with the letter P. Click on a pest name to view detailed identification and control information.

A detailed list and link to more information on them is at bottom of the page

Household & Structural Pests (P)

  • Pantry Moths: General term for stored product moths, including Indian Meal Moths and Almond Moths.
  • Paper Wasps: Social wasps that build umbrella-shaped paper nests attached to eaves, decks, or ceilings.
  • Pavement Ants: Small, common ants that nest under sidewalks, driveways, and foundations, often invading homes for food.

Garden & Agricultural Pests (P)

  • Plant Bugs (Tarnished, Four-Lined): Sucking insects that cause stippling, curling, and distortion in leaves and flower buds.
  • Potato Beetles (Colorado Potato Beetle): Highly destructive beetles that feed on potato and other nightshade family plant foliage.

Rodents & Others (P)

  • Porcupines (Nuisance): Rodents that can damage wooden structures, outdoor furniture, and trees by gnawing.

Quick Tip: Paper Wasp nests are often smaller than hornets’ and can be safely treated by homeowners at night with proper caution and protective gear.

  • Pigeons
  • Pharaoh Ants
  • Pantry Moths
  • Powderpost Beetles
  • Paper Wasps
  • Pillbugs
  • Pine Beetles
  • Pack Rats
  • Psyllids
  • Prairie Dogs
  • Perimeter Ants
  • Piercing-sucking Insects
  • Pecan Weevils
  • Pea Aphids
  • Poultry Mites
  • Pumpkin Beetles
  • Potato Beetles
  • Pine Weevils
  • Pachycondyla Ants
  • Peach Twig Borers
  • Pecan Nut Casebearers
  • Pulse Beetles
  • Pseudococcus Mealybugs
  • Pine Cone Beetles
  • Paddy Stem Borers
  • Peach Fruit Flies
  • Pine Bark Beetles
  • Parasitic Wasps
  • Porcupines
  • Psycho Spiders