Did You Know There Are Cockroaches In The Magic Valley?

I had no idea that there were cockroaches in Idaho. I always considered that more of an east coast problem. As of yesterday, it became my problem. I have cockroaches at my home in Buhl.

The three that I've seen--one of which was dead--were big, black, scary nasty mama-jammas that looked more at home in this summer's sci-fi horror film 'Prometheus' than my back yard. Each was about an inch long and really intimidating. When I tried to hit them with the roach spray one shot off like greased lightning.

I wanted to get a picture of the offending bug, but my kids felt it was their duty to pummel the cockroach into oblivion (I didn't argue).

I did some research and I think they were Oriental Cockroaches, which are one of three species of cockroaches common in America, but I could be mistaken. The description and the images certainly sound like the ones I encountered. However Cook Pest Control lists three species of cockroaches in the Magic Valley: The German Brown, the Brown Banded, and the American Cockroach--none of which look a lot like the ones I encountered.

Either way, it was a cockroach. At my house. This is very bad news.