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Extension Entomology

German Cockroach

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Article author: Mike Merchant, Janet Hurley, Wizzie Brown
Most recently reviewed by: Pat Porter (2018)

Common Name(s): German cockroach

Description

Adults are 1/2 to 5/8 inches long, light brown to tan, with two dark stripes on the shield (pronotum) behind the head. Females are often seen carrying a yellowish-brown egg capsule (ootheca) protruding from the end of the abdomen. Nymphs are generally darker with two prominent dark stripes surrounding a lighter tan spot or stripe on body midsection (thorax).

Origin and Distribution

German cockroaches are our most prolific cockroach species producing 3-6 generations per year. Besides its importance as a sign of poor sanitation used by health departments, the German cockroach has been implicated in the transmission of several pathogenic organisms and as a cause of allergic reactions for children and adults. Prompt attention to sanitation and control are necessary to prevent this pest from becoming abundant.

Habitat & Hosts

German cockroaches do not enter structures from outdoors, they are spread entirely by humans and live only indoors. German cockroaches spend most of their lives in cracks and protected void areas near sources of food and water.

Life Cycle

Egg, nymph and adult.

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

Control success depends not only on proper insecticide treatments, but on attention to good maintenance and housekeeping practices.
Cockroaches and their egg capsules are often introduced into buildings in packaging and boxes.  An effective control program should include monitoring and inspection of the area where they have been seen.

Sanitize

  • It’s much easier to prevent cockroach problems than to control these pests after they infest your home.  Start by keeping your home clean.
  • Do not leave food (or pet food) out or dirty dishes in the sink overnight.
  • Clean up spilled food and drink immediately.
  • If you feed your pets outside, move the food dishes away from doors.
  • Clean kitchen counters, tables and floors often.
  • Keep garbage in plastic bags and take the garbage out several times a week.
  • Keep garbage cans and waste baskets clean.
  • Rinse items to be recycled and do not let them accumulate for a long time.  Take them to the recycling center often.  Keep recycling bins clean.
  • Repair plumbing leaks.
  • Empty refrigerator drip pans regularly.

 Exclude

  • Store food and pet food in glass or plastic containers with tight fitting lids.
  • Use caulk to seal openings around plumbing pipes, ducts, electrical wiring, and any other openings where cockroaches can enter your home.
  • Inspect boxes, furniture and other items before bringing them into your home.

 Control

  • Before you buy or use any pesticide, read the label carefully.  Be sure the product is labeled for cockroaches and for the site you will treat.
  • Insecticide baits in childproof, plastic stations are safe, easy to use and effective.  Try baits first.
  • Insecticide gels in applicator tubes are also easy to use and very effective.
  • Apply insecticide to baseboards, cracks, openings around water pipes, and under sink.
  • If cockroaches remain a problem, hire a professional pest control service.

 

Related Publications

Cockroach Biology and Management, Texas A&M AgriLife Bookstore.

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Drain fly, Moth fly

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Most recently reviewed by: Janet Hurley & Pat Porter (2018)

Common Name(s): Drain Fly, Moth Fly

Pest Location

Urban Structural

Description

Adults are small and very hairy, with a pair of pointed wings. They resemble small moths because they hold their wings roof-like over the body when at rest. They are weak fliers and appear to hop or jump.

Origin and Distribution

A nuisance when numerous in and around homes and structures in the close vicinity of breeding habitats; larvae considered beneficial, an essential part of the cycle that breaks down waste into water soluble compounds; medically harmless.

Habitat & Hosts

Larvae have chewing mouthparts. Drain flies are common around sink drains, sewage treatment facilities, storm drains, dung and rotten vegetation. Larvae are aquatic or semi-aquatic, feeding on bacteria, fungi, algae and other microorganisms present in decaying organic matter. They often feed in the liquid or slime layers which develop around debris in drains, sewage treatment beds and standing water. However, when food is scarce they may become cannibalistic. Larvae are capable of surviving temperature extremes and habitats low in oxygen.

Life Cycle

Eggs, laid by females hatch into pale-colored larvae. Following a feeding period, larvae pupate and soon emerge as adult flies. Adults live only 3 to 4 days without food, but they can survive for weeks if nectar or other liquid carbohydrate food sources are available.

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

These flies are found in areas of high moisture — in and around drains, septic systems, grease traps and other areas containing very moist organic solids. Adults are attracted to the gelatinous mass that develops in these areas to lay eggs. Larvae feed on algae, bacteria, fungi and the sludge in this film. Infestations could indicate a cracked or damaged sewer pipe or a dry drain trap.

Cultural, physical and mechanical management options are the best strategies and include posting notices to encourage the cleanup of spills, proper food storage and trash/recycle handling, elimination of standing water, fixing plumbing leaks, drying mops, emptying mop buckets and inspecting incoming produce and rejecting any infested or overripe product.

Not generally considered a pest, see related publications for more information.

Related Publications

IPM Action Plan for Small Flies peer reviewed management plan for the most common structural small flies.

Drain flies (moth flies or filter flies) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Entomology publication

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Earwig

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Most recently reviewed by: Janet Hurley (2018)

Common Name(s): Earwig

Description

Adults and nymphs have characteristic “pinchers” or forceps-like structures on the back end of their brown to black somewhat flattened bodies. They may be as long as 1 inch and have three pairs of well-developed legs. Nymphal stages are wingless, but some adult earwigs have hind wings neatly folded underneath short cover-like forewings. However, they rarely fly.

About 10 species occur in Texas, but only a few are common. The ringlegged earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Lucas) (Labiduridae) has yellow legs with dark bands or rings on the segments. Other common species include the riparian earwig, Labidura riparia (Pallas); the linear earwig, Doru lineare (Eschscholtz); and the brown-winged earwig, Vostox brunneipennis (Serville). Earwigs are occasionally confused with rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), which are often elongate and have an exposed abdomen and short forewings (elytra). However, these beetles have no forceps-like structure on the end of the abdomen. Many sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidultidae) have short elytra as well.

 

 

Origin and Distribution

Earwigs can be collected from underneath rocks, bark and other debris or in infested structures. At night, they may be found around lights.

Habitat & Hosts

Earwigs are active at night and seek dark places during the day such as underneath rocks, bark, and plant debris. They also occur indoors, particularly during periods of unfavorable outdoor conditions. They feed mainly on both dead and living insects and mosses, lichens, algae and fungi. Indoors, their food consists of sweet, oily and greasy foods. One earwig, the European earwig, Forficula auricularia Linnaeus (Forficulidae), feeds at night on leaves of plants. Some species emit a foul odor when crushed.

Earwigs are generally harmless and feed mainly on arthropods and decaying organic matter. They can be a nuisance when they invade homes.

Life Cycle

Simple metamorphosis. All developmental stages are able to overwinter. Eggs are produced in clusters and hatch in about 2 weeks. Female earwigs stay with the eggs and young nymphs. Nymphs leave the nest is a few days and thereafter develop through five stages (instars) over about 45 to 176 days, depending on temperature. Adult males have larger, more curved forceps than do females. One to two generations are produced annually.

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

Moist, dark environments. Outdoors look under boards, mulch,flower pots, vegetation and stones. Indoors look around crack and crevices, door sweeps/thresholds, in storage areas and garbage cans. These insects can also be transported in produce and their storage crates.

Earwigs abandon drought-stricken ground to enter structures in search of moisture. To avoid invasions, reduce outdoor lighting as well as moisture and vegetation around the foundation. Foundation perimeter treatments with residual insecticides  and/or baits labeled for earwig control help reduce nuisance populations.

 

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