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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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Indian meal moth

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

Common Name(s): Indian Meal Moth, Indianmeal moth

Description

The wings of these moths are pale gray, but the outer two-thirds of the front wing is covered in reddish-copper scales. The moth is 1/2 inch long and has a wing span of 5/8 to 3/4 inches. Mature larvae are cream colored, but the color may vary depending on the food source. The larvae are 1/2 inch long. they produce silken threads that are visible on the food source.

Origin and Distribution

This insect is found in a wide range of climates in stored products and food storage facilities around the world. It is a pest of flour mills, processing plants, dried fruit and on the surface of all types of grains.

Adults are nocturnal, able to fly and are attracted to lights.

Habitat & Hosts

Moths and larvae are found in food storage areas. They attack grain and grain products; milled or ground cereal such as wheat, graham flour and cornmeal; and starchy processed products like cakes, pasta, dog food and rodent bait. They also like nuts, dried fruit, some spices and bird seed. The larvae spin silk as they feed and feed in or near a tunnel-like case of frass and silk, producing a lot of webbing in the infested material

Life Cycle

There are four life stages; egg, larva, pupa and adult.  In summer the life cycle takes about 4 weeks.

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.

In commercial or on-farm grain storage, take regular monthly samples and look for webbing and moths near grain surface.

Pheromone traps are available for monitoring and control both in commercial grain storage and in homes and restaurants.

Nonchemical control

The first step in controlling pantry pests is to find and eliminate infested items. Often all that is needed to solve the problem is to remove an infested package of flour, macaroni, or cake mix. But finding the source of an infestation is not always easy. Infested packages are usually the oldest, most difficult to reach foods in the pantry. Even unopened containers may be infested; some pests can easily penetrate plastic, waxed paper, and cardboard containers. Before buying an item in the store, check that the bag or container is well sealed and undamaged.

Good sanitation is important. Infestations often start in pet foods, spilled grains, or other foods. Clean up spilled food promptly. Discard old packages of grain and pasta. Vacuum and clean pantry areas periodically to remove spilled foods. Remove and clean underneath shelf paper. Caulk around pantry edges and in cracks and crevices to reduce areas where spilled food may collect.

Most pantry pest problems can be prevented by using all dried food within 2 to 4 months of purchase. Spices and other products kept for longer periods should be sealed in airtight containers.

Pet food can be a special problem.  The most commonly infested pantry items are birdseed and dog and cat foods. Store pet foods in well-sealed plastic buckets or storage containers and use them promptly. Clean the containers thoroughly before refilling them with food.

Occasionally, mice or other rodents can cause a persistent beetle infestation. Hoarded seed and grain in abandoned rodent nests can support a small population of pests. Old rodent bait that contains grain also can harbor insects. When controlling rodents, prevent insect problems by placing the bait where it can be retrieved and discarded after the rodents are controlled.

Heat or cold treatments can eliminate pests in some food items such as pet food, bulk grains and beans, and home-grown dried beans or peas. Put the product in the oven at 130 degrees F for 1 hour, or in the freezer for 7 to 14 days. To prevent an infestation, store foods that may attract pantry pests in the refrigerator or freezer.

Chemical control

On rare occasions, insecticides may be needed to control difficult infestations. Insecticides can reach inaccessible areas that cannot be easily cleaned; they can also help reduce heavy pest infestations more quickly.

Insecticide sprays may be applied to crevices and void areas around cupboards, drawers, and pantries. Before spraying, remove all food products, utensils, and containers from the treatment area. Allow the spray to dry before placing clean shelf paper on the shelves and returning food, utensils, or containers to the pantry.

Insecticide products that are labeled for use in food- storage areas generally contain ingredients that are short-lived and relatively safe to use in the home. Active ingredients of these products include pyrethrins, resmethrin, allethrin, and tetramethrin.

For areas where long-term residual control is de- sired, look for products containing synthetic pyrethroids, such as permethrin, esfenvalerate, cyfluthrin, or bifenthrin. Aerosol fog products can temporarily suppress infestations of flying insects, but these fogs will not kill pantry pests in food containers or protected locations.

Before using an insecticide, always make sure that the label says that the product may be used indoors and in kitchens. Never spray food, dishes, utensils, or cooking items with pesticides.

Related Publications

Pantry and Fabric Pests in the Home

Acrobat Ant

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Article author: Bradleigh S. Vinson

Common Name(s): Acrobat Ant

Description

Workers are one size, between 1/16 inch and 1/6 inch depending on species. Color is variable, but frequently the head and thorax are reddish-brown and the abdomen is black. They have two backward-pointing spines on the thorax. The waist (pedicle, the narrow segments at the front of the abdomen) has two nodes, and is attached to the upper side of the gaster (part of the abdomen following the waist). The gaster is heart-shaped and is often held upright over the body when the ants are disturbed.

Origin and Distribution

Of the 27 species known of acrobat ants known from the United States, 17 occur in Texas. C. punctulata, C. laeviuscula and C. minitussima occur widely throughout the state, six species are found only in eastern Texas and eight occur only in western Texas.  Although acrobat ants have a stinger, they seldom sting.  sometimes acrobat ants will enter houses near windows.

Habitat & Hosts

Acrobat ants sometimes forage in columns. Although they seldom sting, they can bite. While some species produce exposed nests, many nest under objects, in rotten logs, or are cavity nesters in shrubs or trees.  Their colony size is usually a couple thousand members. They are omnivorous; many tend aphids and occasionally east dead or living insects and sometimes can be attracted to sweets or meat.

Life Cycle

Egg, larva, pupa 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.

These ants nest in water-damaged or water-stressed wood similar to carpenter ants. Indoors, they are found in building voids and insulation. Outdoors, they are found in soil, leaves or wood. They will trail and enter buildings by any means. They are active during the day, and prefer sweet foods. They often feed on the sugary excretions of honeydew-producing insects (e. g. aphids or scales).

Bugwood Images

Argentine Ant

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Article author: Bradleigh S. Vinson
Most recently reviewed by: Pat Porter (2018)

Common Name(s): Argentine Ant

Description

Workers are one size, about 1/8 inch and light to dark brown. The waist (pedicel) has one node. The tip of the gaster lacks a circle of hairs. They may emit a stale greasy or musty odor when crushed. These ants do not have a stinger.

Origin and Distribution

The Argentine ant is an introduced exotic species that occurs in the United States and is widely distributed.   In areas where it is present it is often found in high densities.

This ant does not pose a medical threat because they do not have a stinger, but they are a threat to native biodiversity. Because of their common high nest density and large colony size, they are a major nuisance pest that very difficult to control.

Habitat & Hosts

Argentine ants are often seen in dense foraging trails. They frequently invade homes. They neither bite nor sting. They are cavity nesters in exposed soil or sometime inside houses, under cover or in rotten wood and can nest in lawns and plant beds.  Their colony size is in the hundreds or thousands of individuals.  Argentine ants have polygyne (multiple queen) colonies and both queens and workers freely move between mounds. This mixing of individuals leaves all the mounds genetically homogenous and thus making the entire population resemble one giant colony. These “supercolonies” may extend for many miles in diameter. They are omnivorous and attracted to sweets and animal fat.

Life Cycle

Egg, larva, pupa 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.

They usually nest near a moisture source. Indoors they are found near water pipes, sinks, potted plants and water leaks. Outdoors they are found in moist areas under logs, boards, stones, concrete slabs, debris, mulch, leaves and pine straw. Workers follow trails when foraging. They commonly tend honeydew-producing insects (e.g., aphids). Sweets are the favored food, but they will feed on most any food source.

Related Publications

Identifying Household Ants. Mike Merchant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

Managing Household Ant Pests.

Bugwood Images

Ghost Ant

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Article author: Bradleigh S. Vinson

Common Name(s): Ghost Ant

Description

Workers are one size, about 1/16 inch. The head and thorax are dark brown to black. The antennae, waist (pedicel), gaster and legs are pale in color. The waist has one flattened node hidden by the base of the gaster. The tip of the abdomen lacks a circle of hairs. These ants emit a nauseous, rotten coconut-like odor when crushed.

Origin and Distribution

Ghost ants have been reported along the Gulf coast of Texas.

Life Cycle

Egg, larva, pupa 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.

Indoors, ghost ants nest in cabinets, walls and potted plants and behind baseboards. Outdoors, they can be found under logs, stones, potted plants, etc. These ants prefer sweets but will eat insects. They tend insects for honeydew. Because of their high water requirements, they can be found trailing to water sources.

Related Publications

Managing Household Ant Pests.

Identifying Household Ants.

Bugwood Images