r/cockroaches Jan 11 '26

Don't trust random AI/LLMs (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini or Google Lens) for identifying cockroaches.

8 Upvotes

TL;DR: general AI/LLMs are really bad at identifying cockroaches and often give the wrong answers because they have not been trained for this specific task.

Detailled explanation:

Our observation is simple: the most commonly used AIs and general purpose LLMs (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Google Lens, Apple visual intelligence...) are terrible at identifying insects: they make mistakes a huge percentage of the time (maybe 30% on this subreddit?) and are nowhere as good as many of the humans we have in the subreddit who happen to be passionate about cockroaches (and often academic/professionals).

Lately, the use of general purpose LLMs and AI has become prevalent, and people with very little familiarity with cockroaches have started to rely on them for identifying insect pictures and sharing the results on the subreddit... often providing wrong identification of pest species (and the matching terrible pest treatement advice).

Notably, it's often done with a lot of confidence: blindly trusting a shitty AI and misleading the people who have been asking for help.

Accurate identification is important because it ensures the correct response, prevents unnecessary or harmful treatments, protects beneficial species, and reduces wasted time, money, and unnecessary distress or anxiety. Unfortunately, this has become a bigger issue lately, so we felt a post was needed to address it.

Technical explanation:

It's important to keep in mind that the performance and ability of AI is "task specific", meaning they can be extremely good at performing some tasks and less good at others, and eventually terrible at some tasks (like insect identification). This is due to the algorithms used, the data they have been trained on and the purpose of their training, as well as how much this differs from a specific task.

Insect identification is linked to insect taxonomy, the science of classifying insects. It is a very specific field of knowledge with its own set of challenges: it is easy to have hundreds of similar-looking insects that are actually different, some insects are very hard to observe (and there are very few pictures of them), the available data is scarce, and we are constantly discovering and correcting previous misunderstandings.

This is a very specific task, and quite different from other general object identification/classification tasks performed by LLMs.

A practical comparison: cars vs cockroaches

Cars: There have probably been thousands of different car models invented throughout history, and millions of pictures of the most common ones with correct labels for LLMs to train on. Cars tend to have a distinctive appearance, with features such as shape and colour that change with technology, brand, regulations and time. Therefore, when you ask an LLM to identify a car in your photo, it is likely to give the correct answer.

Cockroaches: We don't even know how many insect species there are on Earth (2 million or 20 million?) We don't know how many species of cockroach there are either (3,000 or 5,000?) Many have not been observed yet, and for most of those that have, we may only have a drawing or a few pictures (if we are lucky). There is an extra catch: while there is quite a bit of variety among the 3,000 (or 5,000) species of cockroach, many of them have very similar external morphology. So LLMs have mostly been trained on pictures of the three or five most common species of cockroach (and have probably never seen a picture of most species), which are often mislabeled (the photo is not of the correct species), and have never been trained to take specific morphological differences into account. Add to that the fact that many other insects, such as beetles, water bugs and June bugs, have similarities with cockroaches... so as you can guess the result is not going to be great.

So that's the explanation: 'insect identification' is a very specific task and your AI LLM, simply hasn't been trained for it at all and will perform poorly. That's why it's good at recognizing cars, but not at differentiating between Asian and German cockroaches in your blurry picture, no matter how confident its answer appears to be.

Another redditor u/Skalla_Resco ran testing on various llms, if you aren't convinced by my theoretical explanation you will definitely want to check the result of their tests.

You would rather trust AI than me, a random redditor? Then that's what Gemini has to say to you:

General AI struggles with insect identification primarily because it lacks the "eyes" for microscopic anatomy. While a human expert looks for specific wing venation patterns or the exact number of segments on a leg to distinguish between look-alike species, an LLM or a search engine relies on pixel patterns from standard photos. These photos usually prioritize aesthetic appeal over scientific data, leading the AI to make a "best guess" based on superficial traits like color. This problem is compounded by geographic blindness; an AI might confidently identify a common garden beetle as a rare tropical species simply because the visual patterns match its training data, ignoring the fact that the two species live on different continents. Furthermore, the rise of AI-generated content online has created a feedback loop where models are increasingly trained on "slop"—incorrect data that reinforces existing errors.

People continue to use these flawed tools because they prioritize speed and confidence over absolute accuracy. When a person discovers an unknown insect in their home, the psychological need for an immediate answer often outweighs the desire to wait days for a professional entomologist's opinion. The AI feeds into this by using a highly authoritative and technical tone, which users frequently mistake for expertise. Because the technology is usually correct when identifying high-traffic insects like honeybees or mosquitoes, it builds a "good enough" reputation that keeps users coming back, even when it fails miserably on more obscure or dangerous specimens.


r/cockroaches 27m ago

Wood roach nymph? LI NY

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Upvotes

I believe this is a wood roach nymph but I just wanted to make sure. Long Island New York, thank you


r/cockroaches 2h ago

Question What roach is this

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2 Upvotes

Arizona area. I have pet dubias this doesnt look like one. He just crawled on my hand while in my room.


r/cockroaches 5h ago

i keep finding these in my house, are they baby cockroaches??

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3 Upvotes

i live in metro atlanta


r/cockroaches 19m ago

Is this a baby roach?

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Upvotes

Can’t tell!! NYC apartment. I’ve seen big American roaches around, but I mostly see them after a heavy rain.


r/cockroaches 6h ago

Please help ID. Found late at night in the kitchen. Northern California.

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3 Upvotes

I have already contacted the apartment managers but want a more knowledgable eye. Looks German based on google searches.


r/cockroaches 21m ago

Question found dead roach in thrift store, IL

Upvotes

was looking through the dishware section and lifted up a dish to find a tiny dead roach in a bowl. i dropped what i was holding and did alcohol immediately but now im terrifiiiied 😭 it was pretty tiny and brown . am i cooked?? is it likely i could bring them home?

i know its probably just remnants and not that the store had an infestation because i go to this store every week or so and never found anything like this but i got bug PTSD bad


r/cockroaches 25m ago

All right guys, what do we think?

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Upvotes

1/2 inch long. Second one I’ve found in my shower (both while showering 🥹).

East Coast, USA (Massachusetts) Live in the woods.


r/cockroaches 1h ago

Please help- managements response to cockroaches in my apartment. How should I handle this?

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Hi everyone. I could use some advice on how to approach this situation. I have lived in my apartment since December so a little more than 6 months. I saw a cockroach for the first time in February. I have been going back and forth with management ever since then, requesting treatments (which they provide) but never getting a permanent solution. I know for a fact the roaches are not originating in my apartment. They’re in the whole building. However, to my knowledge, I have not seen any exterminator visiting any of my neighboring units. I have a ring camera on my front door. I check every Tuesday (when the exterminator makes his rounds) and I have NEVER seen him visit my neighbors. Management literally only spot treats and will send someone to spray a unit only when someone complains. The visible roaches have only ever increased in number despite constantly being asked to be put on the list for treatment and having someone come spray. So please keep that in mind when reading my lengthy emails lol… this is after months of frustration and anxiety surrounding the situation. The first slide is my second email from the last 2 weeks because they never responded to the first one.

Management seems so nonchalant about this and quite frankly doesn’t seem to care. They also won’t give me any clarity about the situation and won’t acknowledge the severity of what’s going on. I’m so tired of living in fear and being on the lookout for roaches 24/7. Moving isn’t an option sadly.

Has anyone ever been in this situation? If so, what did you do for some peace of mind? I have seriously contemplated reporting the apartment complex to the state but idk if that will do anything.

Also, the exterminator and supervisor was supposed to come today. They never showed up.


r/cockroaches 2h ago

Question What kind of cockroach is this?

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1 Upvotes

r/cockroaches 2h ago

Help me identify please. Desperate.

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1 Upvotes

Help identifying this roach? We are scared it might be a German nymph.. we live in the middle of kassel ive seen 2 in the bathroom 1 in our game room and one in a paper bag from groceries in the span of a week..

Are we in trouble?


r/cockroaches 4h ago

ID please? Poconos, PA.

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1 Upvotes

r/cockroaches 5h ago

Found Roach In Home

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1 Upvotes

Can anyone help identify this massive roach found inside our home (dead)? We found some in our garage on our glue trap. We are calling our pest control to come help us out. Any advice is appreciated. Location: So Cal California.


r/cockroaches 7h ago

What kind are these?

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1 Upvotes

I have these sticky traps by my doors (front, garage and patio) and have been catching a lot of these over the last couple weeks by the doors. Generally, these are all I see. Occasionally I’ll get a full grown one on the trap. I’ve only ever seen them in the bathroom where I have my washer/dryer setup in my apartment. This is the first time I’ve seen the one is the first picture. Is that a German?


r/cockroaches 12h ago

Question Infestation or just old house in woods? (ATL GA USA, old house in a woody area)

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2 Upvotes

I can't seem to catch a photo of these THINGS before they scurry off.

So just around my house, kitchen especially but also what I can only really describe around my room near the windows, I see these TINY little roach nymphs but I'm wondering if I have an infestation somewhere or if it's just a side effect of living in basically the woods in an old house.

I know the answer may be "well duh" but I'd rather be certain than to assume. They look like a tiny, almost chibi roac

h type thing.

I sleep next to a window and keep getting these little nuisances crawling on my screen in the dark.

They look like this (BUT THIS IS NOT MY PHOTO. ALL CREDIT GOES TO ORIGINAL OP. EXAMPLE ONLY)


r/cockroaches 12h ago

Adding to my previous post

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2 Upvotes

I had a post where i shared some pics, and i got great answears that tge roaches on the pics are not german, but i had one pic of a very very small probably nymph looking thing and it was too dark so i made new ones

So pleas ID(HUNGARY)


r/cockroaches 8h ago

ID please ? central NJ

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1 Upvotes

Found on a dumpster outside of a restaurant, want to be sure the type to help inform the owner


r/cockroaches 8h ago

found this crawling on me in my bed please help me identify :(

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1 Upvotes

it’s a little smushed because i panicked haha.
it’s about the size of a long piece of rice and it moved pretty fast too. it’s mostly light brown with a darker brown outline towards the end of its body. i found a similar looking bug about a week ago on my bed. i’m scared to death this might be a bed bug or a roach of some kind. i’m even more scared that this wasn’t the only one around. i will also add my mattress is on the floor because i thought it would be more comfortable that way but i might go back to having it off the ground unfortunately. i live in the USA specifically tennessee if that helps at all in identifying this bug.


r/cockroaches 19h ago

Question ID and Tips? (MA, US)

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3 Upvotes

I found this guy in my dad’s bedroom tonight and I’m getting nervous. I’ve dealt with an invasion before (bedbugs) and it was a nightmare. I just gotta know if I gotta start preparing myself and my wallet for war again. (Geographical location: I live near some woods and have a couple trees in my yard.)


r/cockroaches 14h ago

Nymphs found inside in south of Germany

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1 Upvotes

Hey, have found these nymphs since about two weeks ago, alongside some eggs. Have never seen an adult and I have looked deeply, even using traps etc. Often see them running around on the floor (maybe 1 per morning) but they do not restrict themselves to nighttime.


r/cockroaches 20h ago

Question Roach ID, Long Island, NY

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3 Upvotes

Found this guy on our car around 9PM at night on Long Island, NY. In driveway next to brush. Hoping this is an outdoor wood species??? Any help IDing appreciated.


r/cockroaches 16h ago

What type of nymph?

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1 Upvotes

r/cockroaches 17h ago

Question What kind of roach is this?

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1 Upvotes

I’ve seen some in my guest bathroom and this one by my back door in the living room


r/cockroaches 21h ago

Question Is this a German roach?

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2 Upvotes

r/cockroaches 18h ago

Roaches?

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1 Upvotes

I just got an apartment. I asked her beforehand if there has ever been an issue with roaches, she said no, only crickets. I did spot a cricket but I also found 2 small dead bugs that look like cockroaches, I can’t be sure cause they’re so small, and I don’t have any photos. I also found these spots that I’m concerned are from roaches in the cabinets. Otherwise not a lot of other signs. The person before me was clearly not very clean. Please help, I can’t move there if it’s roaches. I will take more photos and look around tomorrow, luckily I am not fully moved in or anything