Well, a few nights ago I had the pleasure of running into a very unique bug. And I do genuinely mean that when I say a pleasure. These insects have a fierce look and reputation, but seeing one in person was still…kind of cool, weirdly enough. Have you ever heard of the toe biter? If not, you may know it by its other name; the giant water bug.
I was leaving the Walmart around the corner from my house late one night after a rain. And low and behold, there it was. A large, beetle-like insects with two huge forelimbs and giant black eyes. It was motionless on my car windshield, dead center. Unsure of exactly how it got there, and whether or not it was alive, I grabbed a small stick and gently poked it a few times. Nothing. I moved it around a little with the stick. Still nothing.
Of course, at this point, my natural curiosity took hold of me. I put all of my grocery bags on the same arm as my car keys and used my other hand to grab and lift the bug. Still motionless, thankfully. I move it in for a slightly closer look- and wouldn’t you know who won the pony? The Bug was still very much alive. It jumped, I jumped, I dropped it. It scurried off towards the grass and I was left to pick up my keys, turn off my now blaring car alarm, and collect my fallen groceries.
And if it wasn’t obvious from my little anecdote, the Florida toe biter is the topic of discussion today, and whether or not it can infest your home- and what to do if it does!
Toe Biter- overview
I’ll go ahead and start out bluntly. It’s probably not toe biters you’re seeing scuttering around your home. The habitat of the Giant Water Bugs includes ponds, marshes, lakes, and slow moving rivers or streams. They’re distributed widely across the world, both the Americas and Southeast Asia. Most often, you’ll encounter them like I did- when they’re out of their natural habitat. The adults are strong fliers, leaving ponds to search for new water bodies to colonize or for mates.
They fly mainly at night and it’s thought that they use light sources (before humans this was the moon or stars) as beacons to orient their flight. With the advent of electric lights, Giant Water Bugs, and a lot of other insects, (moths for example) faced a hitherto unknown situation, light sources that were not at a fixed point in the sky. These light sources were close enough that they appear to move as the insect flies, unlike the distant moon or stars. The net result of trying to navigate using a point of light that you think should stay fixed, but which in fact isn’t, tends to be a flight that spirals in toward the light. Water bugs and other insects may not be “attracted” to lights as much as they are disoriented by them and once too near the light can’t find any other beacon to navigate by.
In the end, they become exhausted from aimlessly flying around the light and end up lying on the ground below street lights on roads or parking lots.
The only time you’ll encounter a toe biter is when it’s disoriented, confused, and lost. They won’t infest your home, and it’s hard for them to bite or attack you unless you come to them. In fact, seeing them inside is so rare that I’d bet you’ll never see it happen.
If not toe biters, then what?
So here’s the big question. If it isn’t a massive, venomous, ugly water bug in your home…what is it? The answer is pretty simple, honestly. It’s probably just a cockroach. A big one, maybe, but a roach none the less. In fact, many people think that “water bug” is just another name for a roach. But water bugs and cockroaches are entirely different things.
There are many different species of roaches that are familiar to homeowners across the U.S. But the most often mistaken roaches are American Cockroaches (aka the Palmetto Bug), oriental cockroaches, and Florida woods roaches.
Unlike true water bugs, cockroaches do not live in the water and are typically known to be scavengers. Also, these insects rarely bite humans, and most can’t fly, even though they do have wings. Those that do fly, or really just glide, are likely going to scatter when the lights come on rather than be drawn in like true water bugs.
So now that we’ve identified the real problem, the steps you need to take are pretty easy.
Cockroach Control
When it comes to cockroaches, they’re probably one of the most pervasive pests you can find in the home today. More the ants, more than mosquitoes, everyone has seen a roach or two in their home late at night. In a situation like that, a few weeks of dedicated cleaning and trapping will see that problem away. But you’ll know when you’ve got a real problem with a few signs.
For one, seeing roaches brazenly out during the daytime is a massive issue. It can mean anything from a food shortage for the roaches, to the nest being so full that they’re forced out of the colony. Also, finding roach corpses out on counters, in corners, or on tables is another bad sign of an infestation. When you reach this point, it usually will take more than just a few weeks of new habits.
At this point, you’ll want to contact a pest control specialist. And not just any specialist, try to go one who uses natural, non-chemical methods. Time and again chemical pesticides have proven dangerous. There’s no point in risking your family when natural methods can do just as good a job.
If you need more information, or help, with pest control. Call Earth’s Best Natural Pest Management at 1-800-634-1313. Or, if you prefer using the internet, check out their website at www.insectfree.com.
