A weird bug...anyone know what it is?

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kinghippy Victorville, CA Oct 13, 2013

To me it kind of looks like a roach. It has killed one apple tree and almost killed two others. I think it killed my cherry tree, and it is making home at the base of my roses too.

It likes to live at the base of the tree. And, when I water my trees, dozens of them come running out, scattering. It looks like they have been burrowing, because there are dark circles and cracks in the bark at the base of the trees. When I touch the area, it is dry, and there is some sort of sawdust like substance underneath the bark where they have been eating away. Can anyone help me identify it, and I would also like to know how to kill it. I sprayed, but the bugs don't seem affected. All the spray did was kill my beneficial preying mantises. :(

Here's the best pic I have of the nasty little critter. Thanks in advance for your help.

Thumbnail by kinghippy
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kinghippy Victorville, CA Oct 13, 2013

By the way, I live in Southern California, High Desert area, if the location matters

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kittriana Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a) Oct 13, 2013

It probably is a wood cockroach, they eat decaying things

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Oct 14, 2013

I wonder if a poisoned bait would get them? That way you could confine the poison to the areas where they hang out the most (base of the woody plants). It seems they are eating the wood or something, so a plant-based bait would be most appropriate.

Here is an interesting site with info about what to put in the bait to attract different pests. You would have to add poison (perhaps boric acid) to any of these recipes.
http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/collecting.preparation.methods/Baiting.htm

There are many commercial products available at gardening or hardware stores that are clean and easy to use. They will be well labeled as to which groups of insects they will attract and kill. Most of them will kill all sorts of what I call "Ground type creepy crawlies".

If there is a lot of damage being done to the plants you may want to have a professional assess the damage. If the bugs are eating the layer that the tree uses to transfer water and nutrients up and down this can easily kill the tree. If they are eating the interior wood the tree is depending on for support, this can make it a hazardous tree- it could blow over or fall when someone is under it.

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kittriana Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a) Oct 14, 2013

I dont think it is eating the tree, more as if the tree were already damaged somehow - if there are roaches, there arent ants, and that is a good thing. Check the tree for damages from another source like oak rot, or water standing around the tree isnt used to.

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