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Is this a foe?
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Is this a foe?


Hi everyone, I’d been dealing with a lot of earwigs eating my Lucky ducky dahlias. And I finally got them under control (not fully) by daily spraying pyrethrum , Neem oil, and garlic spray alternatively. And now I have this new cockroach on the plant when I visit them in the middle of the night. I killed one or two during the last few days but wanted to make sure if it’s a foe eating my dahlias. Thank you🙏🏼

by DueTravel3600

3 Comments

  2. theblueberryfarmer

    Native shining cockroach. Tend to hang around mulchy areas. Not foe.

  3. poppacapnurass

    I would give the “*daily spraying pyrethrum*” a miss. I’m going to be kind and tell you that’s the most inconsiderate and ignorant gardening behaviour possible … in my mind.

    You will kill any insect with *pyrethrum*. It’s a insect neurotoxin. You might not be aware that there is a world decline in insect population and use of *Pyrethrum* is a candidate compound for that cause. It’s not all about climate change and land clearing.

    *”****Pyrethrum*** *acts as a* ***potent neurotoxin*** *that attacks the nervous systems of insects, causing rapid* ***knockdown*** *(paralysis) and death upon contact or ingestion.  It works by* ***inhibiting the inactivation and deactivation*** *of voltage-gated sodium channels, which disrupts nerve impulse transmission and leads to uncontrolled nerve firing”*

    This (if your query is about the insect in your image) it is just a regular *Periplaneta australasiae,* an Australian Native Cockroach. It has different morphs, so the white ring will have different configurations, placement and width etc.

    They eat decaying plant matter and may be attracted inside if there are nice damp conditions inside or it’s just bloody hot outside.

    When I find them inside, I move them into a southern side of the house or a place I know is frequently shaded and moist/damp as that’s where they love to live.

    [https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/8568](https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/8568)

    [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cockroach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cockroach)

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