What is a waterbug? What is a Roach? Are they the same thing? In every region of the country there are local names for things. In the south all soft drinks are referred to as “coke” where as in the north it is “pop”. It is part of what keeps us interesting and sometimes confusing. When I was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps we were doing some training with the British Royal Marines. The BRM C.O. was talking about awareness in an urban setting and said “if you are standing there smoking a fag.” We all looked at each other trying to process what he was trying to say. Was he really advocating murdering homosexuals? In short time our C.O. stepped in and whispered in his ear to which he began to laugh and explain that a fag was a cigarette. We all had a good laugh at our vernacular difference.  The same happens for insects.

Velvet ant, cow killer

Cricket, locust

Camel Cricket, cave cricket, camel spider

Pill bugs, roly-polies, wood lice

Asian lady beetle, ladybug, luck bug

bed bugs, chinch bugs

Silverfish for earwigs

Mosquitoes for mayflies

stinkbug, shield bugs

water bugs, palmetto bugs, roaches

     How in the world am I supposed to know what you are talking about when each bugs has 40 names and that changes depending on where you are or are from?!

Here in Knoxville and Maryville I hear roaches referred to as waterbugs all the time. I have even had customers get offended when I told them they were actually German Roaches. Insisting that they were not roaches but waterbugs. Maybe the embarrassment of having roaches is just too much for them to bare, I don’t know. However it always amazes me that someone will call a professional then deny what they are told. If you knew more about it than the pro you called in then why did you call?! Rant over. IF you have “waterbugs” in your kitchen, read this. GERMAN ROACHES

THE TRUTH ABOUT WATER BUGS

Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran (half-wing)  insects that have piercing sucking mouth parts. Basically they pierce their prey or plants with their mouth which is a straw so they can suck out the food. Known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas they have large foreleg pincers used to catch fish, frogs, and snakes.  The best attribute is their love of eating mosquito larvae in the water. See, we do have other mosquito hating friends like bats. They are ambush hunters because they grab onto grass or cattails and use a snorkel like tube to breath under water as they wait for an unsuspecting victim. They grab the prey with their large foreleg claws and inject into the prey a concoction that liquifies their insides. Then they use the straw they have for a mouth and suck them dry. Yum! Spiders do the same thing. That’s why you find only dried up insects in the corners of your basement.

Like the name suggests, waterbugs are in or near water and make their home hiding in vegetation at the bottom of the pond or stream.  This is why they get the name “Toe-bitters ” when they defend themselves by nipping at your piggies when you go swimming. It is also known to play dead to avoid predators. At 2-4 inches long they can be rather intimidating with their pincers like a lobster.

To complicate the matter further water striders, or pond skippers are also sometimes referred to as water bugs. All 3 of these are very different and cannot be mistaken for the other.  Needless to say neither the Water Bug nor the Water Striders are going to be a structural pest in your home. This is true even if grandma swears she doesn’t have roaches, but water bugs. So, If you are ready to admit you have roaches, we can take care of that for you. Admitting you have a problem is the 1st step.