Help identify / get rid of these bugs near my sink?
October 22, 2023 11:02 PM Subscribe
Moved into this fairly old apartment in NYC in the spring, and all has been well until about a few weeks ago started seeing these bugs.
Can you help identify what bugs these are, and suggestions to get rid of them?
They are only around the bathroom sink, I don't see them anywhere else usually at night. I now regularly see a few (1-3?) every day or two. I don't know if it's seasonal but they did come around the time it's turned to fall.
They are only around the bathroom sink, I don't see them anywhere else usually at night. I now regularly see a few (1-3?) every day or two. I don't know if it's seasonal but they did come around the time it's turned to fall.
If you are starting to see bugs of any description around your sink, then it is worth having a check on the drain from the sink to make sure there is no leak there: leak=damp=good for bugs.
Apple tells me that is an Epicauta beetle - a large family known as Blister Beetles - but normally found outside; so it may be wrong. Does not look like an earwig to me (note the tail) - and also does not look like one of the insects commonly attracted by drain problems - so you might want to check any nearby house plants.
posted by rongorongo at 2:38 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Apple tells me that is an Epicauta beetle - a large family known as Blister Beetles - but normally found outside; so it may be wrong. Does not look like an earwig to me (note the tail) - and also does not look like one of the insects commonly attracted by drain problems - so you might want to check any nearby house plants.
posted by rongorongo at 2:38 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm afraid my first thought is cockroach nymph; the cerci at the tail end look very short for earwig pincers. I will be very happy if someone more local to you can say otherwise!
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:14 AM on October 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:14 AM on October 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Yeah, I'm someone local (in Brooklyn) and "dude, those are roaches" was my first thought.
If you rent, then this is a puzzle for the landlord to solve. Most landlords usually have a monthly exterminator visit - if yours does, then just find out when the next visit would be and tell the landlord to make sure the guy hits your place up. Usually they will put bat around where you saw them and that should take care of things.
If you own, I would follow rongorongo's advice for figuring out where they're getting in and then hit up the hardware store to recommend bait or poison, and put it in that spot.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:50 AM on October 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
If you rent, then this is a puzzle for the landlord to solve. Most landlords usually have a monthly exterminator visit - if yours does, then just find out when the next visit would be and tell the landlord to make sure the guy hits your place up. Usually they will put bat around where you saw them and that should take care of things.
If you own, I would follow rongorongo's advice for figuring out where they're getting in and then hit up the hardware store to recommend bait or poison, and put it in that spot.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:50 AM on October 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Yeah these pics are too blurry to say for sure but I live in NYC and have had a couple major roach infestations and that’s a young roach. I’m pretty much certain.
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:57 AM on October 23, 2023
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:57 AM on October 23, 2023
Best answer: I had a bad cockroach situation in Miami many years ago, and my bet is those are young cockroaches.
Good news is (a least in my anecdote) that very, very deep, thorough cleaning, making sure there is no leak or dampness anywhere combined with bug poisons can be very, very effective in getting rid of most of these things. You need to check underneath everything and deep clean with chemicals, make sure there's no gunk down the sides of cabinets, behind your stove, under the "floors" of cabinets, baseboards... everywhere. We moved into a place that was badly infested, and got it almost roach-free. It does take work and persistence though!
Could be your neighbors with whom you share drains/walls are not clean. But we had very good luck with extreme deep cleaning and plain old over the counter roach killer. Have your landlord spray too, but you need to do the cleaning, in my experience. Landlords will not clean deep enough. Good luck, you got this!
posted by SoberHighland at 5:06 AM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Good news is (a least in my anecdote) that very, very deep, thorough cleaning, making sure there is no leak or dampness anywhere combined with bug poisons can be very, very effective in getting rid of most of these things. You need to check underneath everything and deep clean with chemicals, make sure there's no gunk down the sides of cabinets, behind your stove, under the "floors" of cabinets, baseboards... everywhere. We moved into a place that was badly infested, and got it almost roach-free. It does take work and persistence though!
Could be your neighbors with whom you share drains/walls are not clean. But we had very good luck with extreme deep cleaning and plain old over the counter roach killer. Have your landlord spray too, but you need to do the cleaning, in my experience. Landlords will not clean deep enough. Good luck, you got this!
posted by SoberHighland at 5:06 AM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Boric acid powder puffed under various cabinets worked well to control roaches in my apartment.
posted by BungaDunga at 5:54 AM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by BungaDunga at 5:54 AM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Something you can do right this minute is make a habit of drying out the sink and wiping down the counter after using water, and plug the drain. Check under the sink (with a bright light, with the taps running) for leaks as well. People associate roaches with food waste and they'll certainly enjoy it, but it's the water they want.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:35 AM on October 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 6:35 AM on October 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Pour boiling water down the sink. That gets rid of various drain flies and is worth a try. Roaches need water, so that makes sense.
posted by theora55 at 6:53 AM on October 23, 2023
posted by theora55 at 6:53 AM on October 23, 2023
Baby roaches. They hatched from an egg somewhere in your building, and they in turn will lay more eggs that will hatch, and on and on.
Bring in an exterminator (if you have a landlord they will need to do this). I’d guess multiple apartments in your building will need to be treated to get rid of them. And yes deep clean: especially the inside of your cabinets, use a flashlight in there to look for any eggs and roach poop to see where they are congregating.
posted by wondermouse at 9:15 AM on October 23, 2023
Bring in an exterminator (if you have a landlord they will need to do this). I’d guess multiple apartments in your building will need to be treated to get rid of them. And yes deep clean: especially the inside of your cabinets, use a flashlight in there to look for any eggs and roach poop to see where they are congregating.
posted by wondermouse at 9:15 AM on October 23, 2023
Response by poster: Omfg thank you for validating my worst fears Mefi. I've lived here almost a decade and never dealt with them I guess it's inevitable.
Marked some of the best answers with the suggestions I'd take up but appreciate the hive wisdom.
posted by artificialard at 9:34 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Marked some of the best answers with the suggestions I'd take up but appreciate the hive wisdom.
posted by artificialard at 9:34 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Nthing that it looks like a cockroach nymph. Specifically, it looks like an American cockroach nymph. As it so happens--ask how I know!--the extermination substances and strategies are not the same for the various types of cockroaches. I have never had particularly good luck with NYC landlords and pest control, but I have had good luck with DYI Pest Control.
posted by slkinsey at 12:09 PM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by slkinsey at 12:09 PM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
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posted by kschang at 12:35 AM on October 23, 2023