Meet The Enemy!

Common pests around Mobile, AL, with sourced facts. Bars are a relative visual guide, not measurements. Amazon links are affiliate links (we may earn from qualifying purchases); for an active infestation, call first.

American cockroach (palmetto bug)

SizeAbout 4 cm (1.6 in) long

Life cycleUp to about 700 days

Growing upNymphs take 6–12 months to mature

Cold limitAdults could not survive several days at 10°C (50°F) or below

Where found: Basements, crawl spaces, porch cracks, foundations and walkways next to buildings.

The largest cockroach routinely found in homes, often called a palmetto bug or waterbug. It is common in warm climates, and studies found adults could not survive several days at 10°C (50°F) or below, which is why mild Gulf Coast winters suit it.

What it means for your home: Big roaches inside usually came in from outdoor harborage; seal foundation and porch gaps and call a pro if you see them often.

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Sources: Wikipedia

Photo: Termiteman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

German cockroach

Size1.1–1.6 cm long

Egg case18–50 eggs (average about 32)

Egg to adultAbout 50–60 days in ideal conditions

HabitatLives near people; cannot survive severe cold

Where found: Indoors near human dwellings: kitchens and other warm, sheltered spots.

Probably the most widely troublesome domestic cockroach, and it reproduces faster than any other residential cockroach. Females carry the egg case until just before hatching, which shields eggs from many treatments. Survival of just a few eggs can rebuild a population.

What it means for your home: Control must be comprehensive and sustained; a kitchen or restaurant sighting usually needs a professional plan.

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Sources: Wikipedia

Photo: Bagous, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Oriental cockroach (waterbug)

SizeMales 18–29 mm, females 20–27 mm

Egg case16–18 eggs per case

Hatch timeAbout 42 days at 29°C; 81 days at 21°C

ColdEggs lose viability below 0°C

Where found: Damp areas, hence the nickname waterbug.

A large, glossy dark-brown to black cockroach. Females look nearly wingless and neither sex can fly. It favors damp spots, and its blackish-brown egg cases are a common sign it is present.

What it means for your home: Moisture is the draw: fix leaks and damp crawl spaces, and seal entry points.

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Sources: Wikipedia

Photo: Syrio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Red imported fire ant

Worker size2.4–6.0 mm

Queen eggsUp to 1,500 eggs per day

Queen lifespanAbout 2 to nearly 7 years

Colony500,000 to 2,000,000 ants

Where found: Soil mounds in lawns and open ground; mating flights in spring and summer, usually two days after rain.

An invasive ant named for its burning sting. Mature colonies can hold up to two million ants, and mounds can damage yard plants and pipes. Baits sprinkled on mounds are a common control method.

What it means for your home: Mounds in yards, playgrounds and around pipes are a sting risk; bait treatments work over weeks.

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Sources: Wikipedia

Photo: Stephen Ausmus, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Norway rat (brown rat)

LengthUp to about 19 in, tail included (record)

LittersUp to 5 a year; 7 pups common, up to 14

MaturityAbout 5 weeks

LifespanMax about 3 years; most about 1

Where found: Burrows along foundations, under trash or woodpiles; indoors in basements and ground floors.

A stocky burrowing rat that lives wherever people live. It can breed year-round, and rats can squeeze under a door with a 1/2-inch gap. They can contaminate food, gnaw wiring and spread disease.

What it means for your home: Seal openings larger than 1/4 inch and use snap traps; UC IPM calls snap traps the safest, most economical option.

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Sources: Wikipedia · UC IPM

Photo: National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Formosan subterranean termite

RangeReported in 11 states, including Alabama

ClimateEggs do not hatch below about 20°C (68°F)

Damage speedCan severely damage a structure in about 3 months

AppetiteLarge colonies eat about 400 g of wood a day

Where found: Southern U.S., including Alabama and the Gulf states.

An invasive subterranean termite whose range is limited to the southern U.S. because its eggs need warmth. It has been reported in Alabama, and large colonies can do serious structural damage fast.

What it means for your home: Get a termite inspection, especially in older or moisture-prone buildings, and keep wood off the soil.

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Sources: Wikipedia

Photo: Photo by Scott Bauer., Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Bed bug

Adult size5–7 mm, about an apple seed

Egg sizeAbout 1 mm, pinhead size

Nymph stages5 stages, 1.5 to 4.5 mm

FeedingBlood, usually at night

Where found: Beds and sleeping areas; they hitchhike in luggage and furniture.

Small blood-feeding insects that bite mostly at night. Bites can cause rashes, allergic symptoms and real stress, though they are not known to transmit infectious disease. They pass through five nymph stages before adulthood.

What it means for your home: Hotels, rentals and apartments should act fast; encasements help, but infestations usually need a pro.

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Sources: EPA · Wikipedia

Photo: Content Providers(s): CDC/ Harvard University, Dr. Gary Alpert; Dr. Ha, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti)

Adult lifespan2–4 weeks

Egg survivalDry eggs viable over a year

BitingMost at dusk and dawn, but can bite any time

BreedingLays eggs in water containers

Where found: Around homes: buckets, planters and any container holding water.

An invasive mosquito that can spread dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya. Only females bite. Its eggs survive dry for over a year, so they re-emerge after cold or dry spells.

What it means for your home: Dump and scrub water containers weekly; treat standing water you cannot drain.

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Sources: Wikipedia

Photo: James Gathany, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Smokybrown cockroach

Size32–35 mm long

Water lossLoses moisture about twice as fast as the American roach

WarmthActive when temperatures are above about 20°C (68°F)

Egg case11–14 mm; a female can produce 10 or more

Where found: Tree holes, mulch, woodpiles, gutters and attics; flies toward lit doors and windows at night.

A uniformly dark, shiny mahogany-to-black roach with full wings in both sexes. It dries out easily, so it lives where humidity is high, which is why it is one of the most common "palmetto bugs" in humid Gulf Coast neighborhoods.

What it means for your home: Trim branches off the roof, clean gutters and keep mulch back from the slab; frequent indoor sightings deserve a perimeter treatment by a pro.

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Sources: Wikipedia · UF/IFAS

Photo: Len Worthington, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.