Cockroach nymph

5823   I live in Montreal, Quebec, in a basement apartment. It was raining when this thing appeared in my living room. It’s about the size of my fingernail (about 1-2 cm) I trapped it in a small mason jar until I could identify it. I really hope it’s not a cockroach because my place is meticulously clean and I’ve never had to deal with that before. Thanks,  Jennifer

This is indeed a nymph of a cockroach, but I cannot say exactly which species. At least it is not a German cockroach, which is both a very common and somewhat difficult to control species. Cockroaches are very adaptable creatures, and their presence is no indicator of any lack of cleanliness. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.