Anyone else finding a lot of tiny "roach-like" bugs in and around their house? (White: new house, scorpions) - Atlanta - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

mamamarie · 06-09-2008, 08:43 AM

The past 2 or 3 days I have found several small tiny (very tiny-maybe a few mm long) in my kitchen. I can see that they are getting in somehow from the back door leading out to our porch. They are pretty much dead when I find them because we get our house sprayed every month for bugs. They appear to me to look like very tiny little roaches. They seem to fly (at least it looks like it when I see them outside on our kitchen door) I can also see several half-dead ones outside near our kitchen door. (gotta love that bug spray the pest guy uses)
I was just wondering if anyone else has these and knows what I am talking about. I live in Georgia but am fairly new to the area and not sure if this is just a regular occurance this time of year like ladybugs are a certain time of year. I found 17 of them this morning (all dead) around my door. That was a little too many for my liking. We are actually closing on our house this week so I won't have to worry about this much longer but don't want to leave a house full of tiny roaches to the new people!

wxjay · 06-09-2008, 09:05 AM

When I first moved here and saw my first American cockroach, I flipped out and thought I had an infestation. Turns out these bugs are about as common as houseflies down here, and better yet, they will die once inside your home due to lack of moisture.

From what you are recounting, it sounds like it is the American cockroach that you are having troubles with, and this is a "better" problem to have then, say, the German cockroach that invades and infests homes. All in all, I wouldn't be overly concerned about it. You will just need to factor in monthly or quarterly exterminator visits to your home, similar to having a regular oil change done to your vehicle. It's the way of life here in GA.

mamamarie · 06-09-2008, 09:06 AM

We have those already. The pest guy was actually just here I believe last week to spray around the house.

atlantagreg30127 · 06-09-2008, 09:44 AM

I've lived in my house for 14 years and never saw a roach until this year. Then over a 3 week period I found Three full-sized cockroaches (alive) in the house. NOT good.

I spray myself using gallons of off-the-shelf stuff I get at Costco, but admittedly hadn't sprayed as well as I should this year, so the whole house got a spraying after bug #3.

Another handy thing - you know those old "Roach bait" things? They now have new ones that have tainted poison water inside instead. Apparently they've just now figured out that this time of year roachs go into homes searching for water more than food - these attract them much more than those old bait things. Supposedly work very well to have around as a backup to regular spraying.

On a local message board in my area, I will point out that people have posted an increase in flies, snakes in swimming pools, and small house scorpions in some suburban areas as well, so the critters are definately in full force this year to get out of the heat and find water.

njsocks · 06-09-2008, 10:35 AM

eek! so even NEW houses? they will infest??

1. Do you spray every month in summer months? or are you talking YEAR round?
2. OMG!! so they are different cockroaches than German ones. Do they bite?

spacelord75 · 06-09-2008, 10:37 AM

We have something similar, so small that I would say only 1mm long at most. Kind of grey in color, but shaped like maybe a roach. Very very tiny. At first, b/c of the color, I thought maybe a baby silverfish, but now they appear to be more like roach, but way too small. We get them through our ancient windows that are super-drafty and some times I will see a swarm of them on the window sill outside. I was afraid they were fleas, but do not look like them up close. Still have no idea what exactly they are. At our old house, in the basement, we would have those sticky pads set up and literally catch thousands of them dead...makes you wonder how many are in the house!

mamamarie · 06-09-2008, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacelord75

We have something similar, so small that I would say only 1mm long at most. Kind of grey in color, but shaped like maybe a roach. Very very tiny. At first, b/c of the color, I thought maybe a baby silverfish, but now they appear to be more like roach, but way too small. We get them through our ancient windows that are super-drafty and some times I will see a swarm of them on the window sill outside. I was afraid they were fleas, but do not look like them up close. Still have no idea what exactly they are. At our old house, in the basement, we would have those sticky pads set up and literally catch thousands of them dead...makes you wonder how many are in the house!

On the House board someone is saying they may be springtails.
I hope yours are not matured termites though.... we had our experience with those this past spring and they are a grayish color and do swarm to window sills.

Georgia · 06-09-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamamarie

The past 2 or 3 days I have found several small tiny (very tiny-maybe a few mm long) in my kitchen. I can see that they are getting in somehow from the back door leading out to our porch. They are pretty much dead when I find them because we get our house sprayed every month for bugs. They appear to me to look like very tiny little roaches. They seem to fly (at least it looks like it when I see them outside on our kitchen door) I can also see several half-dead ones outside near our kitchen door. (gotta love that bug spray the pest guy uses)
I was just wondering if anyone else has these and knows what I am talking about. I live in Georgia but am fairly new to the area and not sure if this is just a regular occurance this time of year like ladybugs are a certain time of year. I found 17 of them this morning (all dead) around my door. That was a little too many for my liking. We are actually closing on our house this week so I won't have to worry about this much longer but don't want to leave a house full of tiny roaches to the new people!

What you are explaining is not a roach.
Check the little critter again. Look at the tail. Does it look like it has a little "c" type style hook on the back? Probably so.

If this is the case what you have is an earwig. From Virginia to Florida they are everywhere. Like moisture and the cool, dark, locations of concrete.
The old fable is when you sleep they will crawl into your ear and drive you mad.
Make sure you have a good pest service, which is one of the most important things Northern folk forget when they move here. Average cost will be $75.00 per quarter, but well worth it. I use Keystone pest service and have no issue at all. There are other good services too, just go to Kudzu.com

Another idea. Do you have that blasted pine straw against your home? Even mulch? If so, invest in lava rock, place this against your foundation with a 6" gap., then place your straw or mulch. The lava rock enables the insecticide to penetrate your foundation areas, whereas pinestraw (hate that snake house crap) or mulch will just absorb and the wigs and spiders will just evade the poison.

Hope this helps.

goozer · 06-09-2008, 12:32 PM

Hopefully, they are not termites. You may want to look up some photos on the internet. Termites can sorta look a bit like tiny cockroaches.

Georgia · 06-09-2008, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goozer

Hopefully, they are not termites. You may want to look up some photos on the internet. Termites can sorta look a bit like tiny cockroaches.

Termites are easy to recognize. White and blind as a bat.
European Earwigs are brown and look just like a roach with the little C pinchers on the back.

Gooz, you bring a good point. All homes should have Baco style termite systems. Not cheap, but a heck of a lot cheaper than the latter if you get the wood eating critters, and in Georgia you will in time if you don't monitor your home.