Interesting Cases and Misidentified Insects in Hampton Roads

Ant Sabotage!

Ewell Pest Control was called to a residence in Virginia Beach, VA after a Verizon phone repairman reported ants had damaged a phone jack.

The customer had reported to the phone company static on her phone line and, after one incoming ring, the phone would go dead. After troubleshooting the lines, the repairman found this jack (Top Left) to show some corrosion. Only after removing it from the wall did he find the cause (Bottom Left).

Our entomologist figured the ant was in search of food/moisture and when it walked across the conductors, the low voltage was enough to kill it. Formic acid, found in most ants, seeped from the ant and corroded the conductors. This caused the phone to short out!

Odorous house ants are an increasing problem in southeastern Virginia, finding nest sites in wall cavities and insulation.

Cockroach or Waterbug?

Depending on what area of the country you are from, the same cockroaches are known by many different names. This is one reason why entomologists call them by their Latin name: to avoid confusion. For example, in the eastern part of the country, larger cockroaches may be called roaches in New England, waterbugs in the Mid-Atlantic or South Atlantic, and palmetto bugs in the Deep South. All these names can be linked to the American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana!

Cockroach Invades Area. Now They Are Here To Stay.

In 1988, Ewell Pest Control’s newly hired entomologist discovered a cockroach he hadn’t seen before in the Shadowlawn area of Virginia Beach. After taking the specimen back to the office, he identified it as a Smokey Brown Cockroach, a close cousin to the American Cockroach, but not normally found in this area. After a few years, he found more smokey browns in apartment and naval housing units further inland. He concluded that the smokey browns had hitched rides from further south and decided the very warm summers and mild winters were to their liking. They only have to seek a warmer area in or under our house to survive.

These roaches normally live outside, so they invade when the weather changes. So once these roaches are eliminated, more could invade later on. It’s important to prevent these roaches from entering your home by sealing openings and keeping up proper pest control around the foundation.

Unfortunately, there are many area pest control people still misidentifying these recent invaders. They have now become well established in our area and only the well informed, professional pest control operators know how to identify these bugs. Our entomologist has posted the 3 similar roaches and a summary of their differences in the enlarged images.

Remember, it is necessary to correctly identify the pest before you can control it. Call Ewell Pest Control for proper identification and treatment.

Periplaneta fuliginosa – Smokey Brown Cockroach

Characteristics

Size: As large as 1 ½ inches in length

Color: Dark mahogany brown

Behavior

This cockroach is a ready flier and easily travels from trees onto houses. It is commonly attracted to homes to feed on improperly maintained trash containers and pet food on patios and decks. Once by the house, the insect may then enter.

Habitat

The smokey brown cockroach usually invades the attic or crawl space where it finds conditions similar to those found within a tree hole. Once populations grow large inside these areas, the cockroaches regularly venture down into the home. The occasional cockroach may wander into a home from harborage outside, but chronic infestations are most always associated with attic or crawl space populations. Research has shown that attics and crawl spaces that have good ventilation are less likely to have these cockroaches living within them. The smokey brown is a common pest of homes along the Gulf Coast from central Florida to eastern Texas. It is also found in a few areas of Southern California, especially in the Los Angeles area.

Blatta orientalis – Oriental Cockroach

Characteristics

Size: About ½ inch in length

Color: The female is all black, while the male has two brown wings.

The female oriental cockroach differs in appearance from the male which often leads homeowners to believe they have two types of cockroaches. The female is black, oval in shape, and has no wings, only two small wing pads just behind the thoracic “shield.” The male is thinner in shape, about the same length, and has two brown wings that extend partway down the abdomen.

Behavior

The oriental cockroach is a pest in homes throughout much of the United States. It is rarely seen in southeastern states, however. During the summer, oriental cockroaches move outdoors where they may venture into neighboring buildings. During the colder months, they reinvade homes, establishing themselves in basements and crawl spaces.

Habitat

This cockroach commonly inhabits sewers and storm culverts and will enter buildings through floor drains. It will also live outdoors in firewood, leaf litter, sheds, dog houses, and similar locations. Indoors, the basement, crawl space, and occasionally the attic will be the primary harborage for this pest.