Are Those Roaches? Part One

All bugs can seem a little creepy at times. It’s just part of our human nature. Even the insects that are beneficial to us may trigger our desire to squash. You may have even noticed we don’t call butterflies or bumble bees bugs. 

In fact, technically, not all insects are bugs. If they’re not in the order Hemiptera, like bed bugs and stink bugs, they’re not “really bugs.” Bugs originated in the 13th century as an old English slang term for ghosts and hobgoblins, and over a few hundred years shifted to describe the scariest insects. Few bugs fit that description better than cockroaches.

Creepy Crawlies

Around the same time as we started calling them bugs, the British were introduced to an insect the Spanish called La Cucaracha - a crawling insect who shuns the light. In the developing English tongue, that transformed into the cockroach. 

Today we know roaches are bad because they spread disease, trigger allergies and asthma attacks, and contaminate food and surfaces. Cockroaches carry salmonella and E. coli and can cause dysentery and gastroenteritis. What’s more, if they linger on food, they can vomit and defecate on it, spreading even more sickness and disease. 

If there’s a bug you don’t want around, it’s the cockroach. But there are also a few creatures in the insect world who resemble roaches but aren't ones. Some of them you even want around.

June Bugs

Despite their name, June Bugs are not “true” bugs as entomologists define them. Rather, they are scarab beetles - much like what you would see in a classic Mummy movie. Unlike cockroaches' desire for dark corners, June Bugs are attracted to the light. We usually see them in spring and summer littered across our front porches if they’re dead, and digging in the soil and eating plant matter if they’re still alive. 

June bugs are sometimes mistaken for roaches because they share the reddish brown to black outer shell. In general, June Bugs are larger than most cockroaches, have rounder, more oval shaped bodies, a single pair of wings and a hairy underbelly. Roaches sport smaller, cigar-shaped bodies.

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles are one of the most varied insect families. There are 40,000 species of ground beetles; thankfully only 2000 are common to the United States. They are low to the ground - hence the name, but like to hang out in the daytime, albeit under rocks and branches. They are beneficial, feeding on other insects who threaten farmer’s crops. They only have one set of wings, unlike roaches’ double pair, and they don’t fly. 

They come in several different shapes, sizes and colors (did we mention 40,000 species?), but the most common types are black or dark brown, therefore sometimes mistaken for cockroaches. The way a beetle’s body is segmented is one difference to look for. If you don’t want to get too close, beetles also tend to have shinier exoskeletons, whereas cockroaches are duller.

Crickets

We know, this one sounds odd, but if you just catch a glance at an insect, a cricket can look like a small cockroach. Take a second gander, though, and you’ll see the cricket has a cylindrical body and their legs are much closer in, especially their hind jumping legs. 

While not all roaches fly, all crickets jump. You might say it’s their defining characteristic when they’re not acting as Pinocchio’s conscience. While you may sometimes find crickets indoors, they prefer to leap about grasslands and forests. Crickets are also known for their distinctive chirping sounds made by rubbing their wings together.

Bug Out

Next week, we’ll look at a few more insects that are sometimes mistaken, even for a moment, to be cockroaches. But now that you know what to look for, if you have spotted real roaches in your house, you’ll want professional help. 

Our popular Go Green Perimeter Plus is the perfect starting point for your pest control plan. Our green treatment is safe for the family and pets while eliminating cockroaches, along with silverfish, ants, spiders and more. It’s affordable to get started and you can always upgrade to add termite, bed bug, or mosquito solutions. For more details or to get started today, please give us a call!