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Directors
Loren Oki
Department of Plant Sciences
UC Davis
David Fujino
California Center for Urban Horticulture
UC Davis
UCNFA Partners
Directors
Loren Oki
Department of Plant Sciences
UC Davis
David Fujino
California Center for Urban Horticulture
UC Davis
UCNFA Partners
Is This a Cockroach?
Advice from the Help Desk of the Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County
various life stages
photo: www.doyourownpestcontrol.com
I found this "bug" in my kitchen sink. Could you tell me what it is and what I should do about it?
Help Desk Response:
Thank you for contacting the Contra Costa Master Gardener Help Desk. I have inspected your insect sample, and suspect that it is a young (nymph stage) of an Oriental cockroach. This variety of roach prefer damp areas and cooler temperatures. They are most commonly found in single family homes surrounded by vegetation, and will come into homes in search of food. They are more slow moving than other roaches, and do not fly. Because of this, they will often be found trapped in sinks or bathtubs. Because Oriental cockroaches will take one to two years to grow to their adult size, you may be seeing only the nymph stage from a recent hatching.
photo: UCANR
I have included a link below from the UC Davis Integrated Pest Management website that will provide you with more information about roaches, including the most effective methods of control. A combination of baits, traps, sanitation, and exclusion methods are discussed.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7467.html
In the event that you decide to consult a professional exterminator company, I have also included this link providing information on how to choose a pest control company:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74125.html
I hope you find this information helpful. Please do not hesitate to call us again if we can be of assistance.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County
Note: The UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/
Comments:
Response from MGCC...
Thanks for the comments... Interesting ...however, UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County does not endorse and/or approve of pest control methods other than those approved by Univerisity of California IPM cited in our blog post.
• Irrespective of the type of cockroach identified, except for where they may be located, the elimination and management of household cockroaches is essentially the same and is well covered in the UC cockroach Pest Note. (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7467.html).
• We strongly urge the homeowner/gardener to take the IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach to controlling pests, in this case cockroaches:
Change the situation that promotes cockroaches!
Reduce food and water sources.
Eliminate hiding places.
Consider using baits.
Avoid sprays.
Use traps to monitor the population.
• Home owners and gardeners should contact Master Gardeners as their primary resource to help identify pests in the home and garden. This can be done at Ask a Master Gardener Tables at various events (Farmers’ Markets, etc.) or directly via email and/or office visit per the description at the bottom of the original blog post. County Agriculture’s primary efforts are to assist and protect the agriculture community. Master Gardeners can and may call upon County Ag for assistance depending upon the situation, especially if the pest is of importance to the County’s agriculture.
CHEERS
Posted by Steve Morse on October 11, 2015 at 5:40 PM