Are Those Roaches? Part Two

Last week, we looked at several insects who are sometimes mistaken for cockroaches. This week, we have three additional bugs. These three may have less obvious comparisons, but they’re mistaken just the same.

Water Bugs

Some water bugs look similar to cockroaches, with dark, oval shaped bodies and long antennae. It doesn’t help that some people grow up learning to call cockroaches water bugs because they stay in damp areas like bathrooms and basements. True water bugs, though, are actually aquatic. They are skilled swimmers and feed on other insects, small fish, and even amphibians with their piercing mouthparts. They will bite when threatened, and some people have bad reactions to their bites. 

Water bugs tend to be larger. Cockroaches are an inch to an inch and a half, while water bugs grow to two inches in length. Roaches, while they like damp and dark, don’t do well in water, and water bugs are rarely if ever found in your home. Another clear sign - roaches are brownish red, while water bugs tend to be more greyish, able to blend with their aquatic environment.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

An invasive, Asian species that snuck into the United States in the 90s, stink bugs are sometimes mistaken for cockroaches, especially the brown marmorated stink bugs. They’re slightly smaller than roaches, about ¾ of an inch, oval, or shield-shaped, and their brown outer body is mottled or striped with white and grey. 

Both bugs have wings, but stink bugs prefer to congregate outdoors in the sunshine, while cockroaches choose to scuttle around in dark, damp parts of our homes. Stink bugs are more a threat to fruit trees, but they do sometimes come into homes, usually as temperatures dip, looking for warmth. Their name, by the way, comes from the chemical they produce as a defense. It creates a putrid odor, most often smelled when stomped upon. The chemical can also stain your furniture.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs might seem a strange comparison to roaches. But if you look closely - very closely - bed bugs do resemble nymph cockroaches in many ways. They’re both about the same size, reddish-brown in color, and somewhat oval shaped. Bed bugs, though, are flatter and more seed-shaped, while cockroaches have a little more weight to their cylindrical bodies. 

Bed bugs range in size from ¼ to ⅙th of an inch. They have small antennae and legs, tiny beady eyes, and protruding mouth parts. They feed on the blood of mammals, usually humans, but can also survive in a hibernation state for weeks, even months without eating. More often than not, we don’t see bed bugs as much as the results of bed bugs. Red, itching bites, tiny eggs and eggshells, reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses, or dark spots that resemble the dot from a marker are all signs of a bed bug infestation. 

In many ways, finding bed bugs can be worse than seeing a cockroach. Both are signs of an infestation you’ll need professional help for. Remember, roaches aren’t just creepy, they spread disease, can cause allergies and asthma to flare up and contaminate food. You do not want either of them in your house. 

Good News Pest Solutions offers specialized treatment for bed bugs. Depending on the size of your infestation, our technician will advise you of your options. Cockroaches are one of the many creepy crawlies we cover with our Go Green Perimeter Plus solution. This green treatment takes care of roaches, ants, spiders, silverfish and more, and is safe for your family and pets. For more information, or to schedule your first appointment, please give us a call!