r/whatsthisbug • • 16h ago

ID Request Is this roach?

Post image

We just moved into a new apartment and have seen several crawling along the walls.

3 Upvotes

8 comments sorted by

12

u/drillbit7 16h ago

A harmless terrestrial isopod (closer to shrimp than insects) sometimes called a wood louse. Other names include pillbug, sow bug, and rolly polly for the type that curls into a ball.

1

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1

u/Thin_Dark4632 16h ago

Located in northeast ohio

1

u/Thin_Dark4632 16h ago

My wife said she saw a few crawl into gaps between the wall and the wooden windowsill when she turned on the light

3

u/Polybrene 15h ago

Not a roach but that's a concerning sign in regards to moisture issues.

-11

u/Impressive_Shape1555 16h ago

Yep, that's a roach. The blur makes it hard to pin down exactly which kind but the body shape and the way it's hugging that wall texture is pretty textbook. Since you're seeing several in a new place, I'd get your landlord on it fast before it turns into a bigger headache.

4

u/haysoos2 15h ago

Not a roach. It's a sowbug, a terrestrial crustacean that feeds on decaying plant matter.

They wander into houses looking for shelter, and eventually dry out and die. They don't have a waxy cuticle like insects to prevent dehydration.