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Normally, your home is seen as a haven of sorts in order for pests to feel comfortable and survive. Sometimes, this could lead to great distress if the unwelcome intruder is ignored or allowed to go about its business unchecked.

Small, untamed animals that run on four legs and winged or crawling creatures with more legs than that typically fall under this category.

Here are the 7 dangerous offenders to look out for:

• The bald-faced hornet is prevalent in the United States and Canada. Like other hornets, it can deliver its painful sting multiple times. The location of injury can easily become infected, so those with allergies should be extra careful.

Look for their paper nests in tree limbs, hollow logs, large bushes, or on buildings. Notice their bluish-black bodies and white markings.

• The little bed bug is a tenacious and annoying – but not overly dangerous – household invader. Found throughout North America, they famously live in mattresses and other furniture to feed on us but can survive for months on end without food.

You recognize them by their flat, reddish-brown oval bodies about the size of an apple seed. A large infestation can be detected by a sweet smell like cola syrup.

• The well-known black widow spider lives throughout North America, both inside and outside buildings. Check out low, dark areas such as stacks of firewood for their webs. Look for their red markings and black bodies to avoid their venomous bites.

• Another dangerous spider, the brown recluse has a painful bite that causes fever and open wounds that do not heal and may become infected if untreated.

They are about ¼ to ½ inch long with yellowish-brown bodies and dark, violin-shaped marking. Notice their six eyes as opposed to the typical spider’s eight. They nest in debris outdoors or indoors, or in piles of stored wood, boxes, etc.

• Rare in the United States, black flies are known to carry onchocerciasis, a disease that can cause blindness if left untreated. They live near shallow, fast-moving streams and have a humped-back appearance with black bodies.

• Deer flies are often mistaken for horse flies, with their half-inch long, black or brownish coloration with yellow-green markings. Their bites can sometimes cause human tularemia, a nasty infection typically found in rodents.

They are found in rural areas. Oddly, only the females feed on animals, the males prefer plant pollen.

• Deer mice live in many habitats, including homes where their food is prevalent. Small and tan on top, they have white undersides and feet. They can carry the hantaviruses that cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Note that live deer mice that are released are very likely to return to the home they are found near.

Depending on your location in Phoenix, you may need to be vigilant for several of these creatures. If you have an infestation of pests – dangerous or otherwise – in your home, you should not hesitate to call professional extermination team.

They will be sure to deal with the problem in the safest and most expedient way possible.