My husband found this bug in the basement yesterday. It was alive then, but I put it in a small cup with saran wrap over it. I hope these images are good enough to ID. It's missing a back leg now because of my handling of it yesterday. Here's the top of him.......
Here's the underside......
We always called them water bugs I think they are kin to roaches. But they seem to hang out in moist dark areas and dont thrive in your kitchens so much. When I lived in the dallas fort worth area they would get up to an inch and a half long.
Oh please no....my MIL has what she's always called water bugs and they are roaches. I've never seen them though, but my husband and BIL tell stories of them scurrying when they walked into the kitchen late at night and turned on the light. Jeepers, I've lived this long and never seen a roach and never had one in my house......sigh. Now I've got a serious case of the willies!! lol....
I think you should name him "Ralph"...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/typefiend/184312125/
http://yucky.discovery.com/noflash/roaches/
Oh, ha ha Equil! This is disgusting. Now what? If there's one, isn't there a hundred?
You know something, I'd rather have roaches to flies any day of the week. Go to an outdoor barbecue party this time a of year and watch how many people think nothing of chasing a fly that lands in the potato salad out with their hand so they can scoop out a portion and eat it. Now drop one measely cockroach in that same potato salad and everyone would treat it as if it was infected with the bubonic plague or something. I don't think the discovery of that roach in your house is that big of a deal but I don't know what I'd do. Maybe take the bug to Orkin to positively identify it as a "foe" of some sort otherwise start growing carnivorous plants at home by the hundreds in earnest ???.
Hi all,
Hope you don't mind me commenting before I head off to work.
I had a relative bring roaches in my house in laundry when I offered him to use my washer and dryer. I put out roach motels everywhere. Didn't see anymore and offered to do his laundry after that shaking it out in the driveway before bringing it into the house. They usually ride in somehow...grocery bag, cardboard box, etc....
I have more of a problem with mole crickets in my basement, but the cats take care of them. Cats go after flies too!
Happy Wednesday : )
as long as you dont live in an apartment complex they can be fairly easily controlled with diatomacious earth and boric acid.
Equil, have you met my husband and me? We don't eat what flies have landed on. At least not what we see them land on. Did you see the remake of "The Fly" with Jeff Goldbloom? Ewwwww..........
greenrain, Roach motel, eh? My dog won't get into them? She's smaller than a cat, so I can't use anything that she might get into. I'm afraid I'm allergic to cats ;(
tednugent, no, we live in a house built in 1896. Where do you put the diatomacious earth and boric acid?
I've read they can come up sewers, drains, etc. And of course, in the first room down there, in front of my washer and dryer is a drain. The washer doesn't go to the drain, but when they installed air conditioning, they put the drain pipe over to the drain. I don't know that this is how it came in though. This is just so disgusting to me.
Yes, I have met you and your husband! Fine looking couple you are! All I know is that I cover all food with cellophane because I have a big problem with flies. If a cockroach landed in a salad or something I'd just scoop out the area where it fell but if a fly landed in a salad, I'd toss the whole salad. Never saw the remake of "The Fly"- do I want to ? ;)
Your little doglette shouldn't be able to get into a roach motel and even if bark-o-matic did get into it, I don't think it's a big deal-
http://www.blackflag.com/products/roach_motel.php
along baseboards,under yourwasher dryer,under cabinet drawers anywhere the little buggers crawl. I got a used recliner a few years ago and imported roaches there wsnt very many but they were gone within a week or two. Lowes sometimes carries a diomatacious earth with a bait that lures them to it. I went a little crazy with it but I would rather sweep up dust and dead roaches than live with them. I moved into an apartment for about 3 month one time roaches were a constant problem I hate them I had to move.
I believe boric acid is not advisable to use with pets.
I also think water bugs although related are not the same as roaches. I would be upset about roaches but water bugs are a minor inconvenience.
Equil, we do the same thing if a fly lands in a dish in between it being covered. If we see a dish of something, with no cover, we don't take any. I think everybody should watch that re-make. Then you all can be as nuts (grossed out) as I am about flies. Seems only fair. I don't mind bugs outside, I just don't want them in my house. And to think of all the places I've lived, from the beginning of my life really, and have never had a roach anywhere, well, it's just turning my stomach. Aren't you the one who called me the Queen of Clean? And I have roaches ;(
tednugent, I haven't seen any upstairs, only the1 in the damp basement. I don't like the idea of spreading diatomacious earth around inside, up in my living room, dining room or kitchen. We have a long haired chihuahua that would surely be dragging it all over in her tail. I do thank you though for the suggestion! You inadvertently brought in roaches with a used recliner, a guy I dated years ago bought a used couch and brought in fleas.
semper, I did a search yesterday on water bugs. What I came up with were a variety of different bugs, but each site I landed on said that the Oriental Cockroach is often referred to as a water bug. What do you know to be a water bug?
To all, I know it is a very unfair assumption that because one has roaches, then somehow that translates to being dirty. You just always hear about some filthy disgusting house and of course it's infested with roaches. It's a mind thing. And just ewwww.........so please excuse me while I go do a heebie jeebie dance........
The bug in your photo does match the one in this link of an Oriental Cockroach or "waterbug". Here's an excerpt from the article.
Threats
Cockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. They can pick up germs on the spines of their legs and bodies as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage and then carry these into food or onto food surfaces. Germs that cockroaches eat from decaying matter or sewage are protected while in their bodies and may remain infective for several weeks longer than if they had been exposed to cleaning agents, rinse water, or just sunlight and air. Recent medical studies have shown that cockroach allergens cause lots of allergic reactions in inner city children. They were even shown to cause asthma in children. These allergens build up in deposits of droppings, secretions, cast skins, and dead bodies of roaches.
http://www.pestworld.org/Database/FactSheet.asp?ID=120
A visual of this bug crawling on your food could be part of an effective weight management program -- with flies on the side, of course. I actually have a mouse phobia. Eek!!! Another reason that I love my cats. Mice can carry tapeworms and so do fleas. Boy is my skin crawling now! I need to quit. Sorry. : (
Your skin is crawling??!! I live here!! Oh this is just too much. My husband bought some Raid Max and sprayed that around the perimeter (inside) of the basement and around windows anywhere he thought these things could be getting in. Now we need to go buy some roach motels. Either that or I'm calling an exterminator. I have another can of that Great Stuff that I need to go around again and seal up some more pinholes in the brick foundation that I've seen. When I removed the kitchen cabinets in this old house, they had steel wool between them. My sister told me it was for mice. I've never seen any mice here or any signs of them since we've lived here, but on the top inside of the lazy susan I removed were mouse droppings. My dad just caught one in his truck.
Sammy Sosa just hit number 600!
I love Great Stuff!
Unless it doesn't spray out, then I don't like it at all. I've had 3 cans that did that to me. Can you tell I love the stuff too? lol.....
What is Great Stuff? Will it seal small holes in outside walls, etc.?
Thanks,
Karen
I've used it to seal around ponds. I think the can has different recommendations.
http://greatstuff.dow.com/
They've got a can for gaps and cracks, one for windows and doors, and one for big gaps which is the one I use around small ponds.
http://greatstuff.dow.com/cons/index.htm
That looks like just the thing I need. I will get some. Thanks.
Karen, what are you using it for? Gaps in your siding? In your foundation? It's an expanding foam, so you really need to be careful with it...or should I say where you spray it. I know the red can comes out yellow. I used the blue can for around a window before we put new sheetrock up, but I don't remember the color on it. They say not to use for tuck pointing, but I did on the inside of our cinder block garage. You can also buy concrete that comes in a tube like caulk does, if it's for your foundation and the hole is small enough.
