Meet The Enemy!

Common pests around San Antonio, TX, 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: Sewers, 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 southern 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.

Brown-banded cockroach

Size10–14 mm long

WarmthThrives at about 25–33°C (77–91°F)

MoistureNeeds less moisture than the German roach

Hiding spotsLiving rooms and bedrooms, not just kitchens

Where found: Warm, dry indoor spots: behind pictures, inside furniture, electronics and upper cabinets.

A small roach with two light bands across the wings. Because it is less dependent on water than the German cockroach, it can turn up away from kitchens and bathrooms, in bedrooms and living areas, which makes it a good fit for drier South Texas homes.

What it means for your home: Small roaches in bedrooms or behind furniture are a breeding population; bait placement has to follow them, so call a pro.

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Sources: Wikipedia

Photo: CDC, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Striped bark scorpion

SizeAbout 60 mm (2⅜ in) long

YoungFemales usually have about 25 young

ActivityHides by day, hunts at night

RangeThe only one of 18 Texas species found statewide

Where found: Woodpiles, stored boards, fallen logs and attics; it climbs trees and the sides of homes.

The most common and widespread scorpion in Texas: yellowish-tan with two broad dark stripes. Texas A&M says its sting is painful, with swelling and itching that can last for days, but no Texas scorpion is considered lethal to people. It glows under a blacklight, which makes night checks easier.

What it means for your home: Move firewood and boards away from the house, seal cracks and attic gaps, and check shoes and bedding in homes with sightings.

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Sources: Texas A&M · Texas A&M

Photo: Clinton & Charles Robertson from RAF Lakenheath, UK & San Marcos, TX, , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

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.

Eastern subterranean termite

Colony20,000 to 5 million workers

QueenLays 5,000–10,000 eggs a year

Worker sizeAbout 3 mm

Swarmers8.5–10 mm, dark bodies

Where found: Soil under and around slabs, mud tubes on foundations, and any wood touching the ground.

The most common termite in North America. It lives in the soil and builds pencil-width mud tubes to reach wood. Native subterranean swarmers are dark and fly in daylight in spring, unlike the night-flying Formosan termite.

What it means for your home: Mud tubes on the slab or daytime swarmers indoors mean it is time for a professional inspection and soil or bait treatment.

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Sources: Wikipedia · NATS termite survey

Photo: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Roof rat (black rat)

Body12.75–18.25 cm, not counting the tail

Tail15–22 cm, longer than the body

Weight75–230 g

HabitAn agile climber that nests up high

Where found: Attics, roof lines, palms, vines, fences and overhead utility lines.

A slender, long-tailed rat that climbs better than it burrows. It travels along fences, branches and wires and often nests in attics, so scratching overhead at night is a classic sign.

What it means for your home: Trim branches and vines away from the roof, seal gaps larger than 1/4 inch and set snap traps along attic runways.

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Sources: Wikipedia · UC IPM

Photo: H. Zell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

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.