is there any chance this is not a cockroach. any at all.
August 18, 2013 7:27 PM Subscribe
Ugh. I am moving and cleaning out my place after 6 years. 6 glorious, bug-free years.
And then I found THIS GUY.
Please hope me!
It's pretty small, as you can see, and much lighter in actual color (the flash on my camera makes it look dark and roach-ly, but it's actually a light beige).
It's just hangin' in the pantry, and I see no evidence of any friends, and it does not seem the least bit perturbed by light or me.
I have lived in places with roaches before, and they never looked like this or behaved this way--they were always kind of fat, bigger, darker, and like...roachier. And they always scrambled away LIKE WHOA when a human approached.
But what else could it be? How itchy should I be feeling right now? And should I burn down the apartment?
It's pretty small, as you can see, and much lighter in actual color (the flash on my camera makes it look dark and roach-ly, but it's actually a light beige).
It's just hangin' in the pantry, and I see no evidence of any friends, and it does not seem the least bit perturbed by light or me.
I have lived in places with roaches before, and they never looked like this or behaved this way--they were always kind of fat, bigger, darker, and like...roachier. And they always scrambled away LIKE WHOA when a human approached.
But what else could it be? How itchy should I be feeling right now? And should I burn down the apartment?
I have lived in places with roaches before, and they never looked like this or behaved this way--they were always kind of fat, bigger, darker, and like...roachier. And they always scrambled away LIKE WHOA when a human approached.
Yeah, your photo is private like ignignokt says, but your thin, smaller, lighter description sounds like actual roaches and not waterbugs. Hope not though.
posted by cashman at 7:39 PM on August 18, 2013
Yeah, your photo is private like ignignokt says, but your thin, smaller, lighter description sounds like actual roaches and not waterbugs. Hope not though.
posted by cashman at 7:39 PM on August 18, 2013
One night, I was being terrorized by a GIANT bug. It crawled over me and woke me up. Multiple times, until I had the shakes and couldn't sleep. Thankfully, I found it sitting in the garbage can in the morning. Basic internet research says it was some kind of cockroach.
I immediately went to the store and bought a bunch of bait traps and left them around. They were the kind with a clear window so you can see if anything has been nibbling on the bait, and there were no signs in any of the pods.
The moral of my story is that sometimes you can just catch a stray.
posted by gjc at 7:41 PM on August 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
I immediately went to the store and bought a bunch of bait traps and left them around. They were the kind with a clear window so you can see if anything has been nibbling on the bait, and there were no signs in any of the pods.
The moral of my story is that sometimes you can just catch a stray.
posted by gjc at 7:41 PM on August 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
We can't see your picture, but I'm sure you can! Compare your bug to the bugs in this pest and insect library and figure out what it is. I was able to figure out I had pantry pests and I took steps to mitigate them.
You should not feel itchy and definitely do not burn down the apartment.
posted by Rob Rockets at 7:44 PM on August 18, 2013
You should not feel itchy and definitely do not burn down the apartment.
posted by Rob Rockets at 7:44 PM on August 18, 2013
If it looks kind of like a tiny roach, try Google Image searching bedbugs. And I hope that isn't what this guy looks like...
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:04 PM on August 18, 2013
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:04 PM on August 18, 2013
I don't know what your bug is, as I can't see your picture, but seconding that sometimes there really is just one. I find maybe one cockroach every four or five years, and have never had an infestation.
Also, you are moving out, right? So what do you care?
posted by lollusc at 8:19 PM on August 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also, you are moving out, right? So what do you care?
posted by lollusc at 8:19 PM on August 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also, you are moving out, right? So what do you care?
Well if it's roaches, there is the issue of them or their eggs being in boxes or packed up in clothes or goods from the pantry, and showing up at the new place.
posted by cashman at 8:31 PM on August 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
Well if it's roaches, there is the issue of them or their eggs being in boxes or packed up in clothes or goods from the pantry, and showing up at the new place.
posted by cashman at 8:31 PM on August 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
Adding to the chorus: I posted an Ask about a roach more than a year ago. I've never seen another one. When we moved I was terrified of finding, like, roach corpses everywhere, or roach eggs in ours tuff, but (due to fear, and also due to some mice) we were extremely thorough and there was no sign of them.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 4:31 AM on August 19, 2013
posted by goodbyewaffles at 4:31 AM on August 19, 2013
I have lived in places with roaches before, and they never looked like this or behaved this way--they were always kind of fat, bigger, darker, and like...roachier. And they always scrambled away LIKE WHOA when a human approached.
That's because there are different species of cockroaches. Cockroaches can also change colour depending on their age.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:58 AM on August 19, 2013
That's because there are different species of cockroaches. Cockroaches can also change colour depending on their age.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:58 AM on August 19, 2013
Response by poster: Guh. Sorry you guys--I never have used Flickr before, guess it was a default private setting. Never mind! I shall proceed as if it is a roach, and not burn down the building ;)
posted by like_a_friend at 1:06 PM on August 19, 2013
posted by like_a_friend at 1:06 PM on August 19, 2013
Lesson: after posting an AskMefi question, at least watch the results for the first few minutes to see if there's an obvious problem or missing information in your question.
posted by intermod at 2:19 PM on August 19, 2013
posted by intermod at 2:19 PM on August 19, 2013
Response by poster: Lesson: after posting an AskMefi question, at least watch the results for the first few minutes to see if there's an obvious problem or missing information in your question.
Yep, really wish I could have. Unfortunately with the whole moving thing I only have about 10 minutes of internet at a time--It was kind of a panic-driven, ill-considered post. Mods, if you want to delete, please feel free.
Sorry again, everyone! :(
posted by like_a_friend at 4:37 PM on August 19, 2013
Yep, really wish I could have. Unfortunately with the whole moving thing I only have about 10 minutes of internet at a time--It was kind of a panic-driven, ill-considered post. Mods, if you want to delete, please feel free.
Sorry again, everyone! :(
posted by like_a_friend at 4:37 PM on August 19, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ignignokt at 7:33 PM on August 18, 2013 [5 favorites]