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Finding even a single cockroach in your home can cause serious problems. Once you spot one, you should act quickly and start with that crucial first step which is identification.
Just like other bugs, different types of roaches can enter your home and which type you find will determine the best way to get rid of them.
Knowing these eight most common types of cockroaches found in the home can help you determine which control method to use.
In this short guide, you will learn how to recognize cockroaches and what you can do to get rid of them.
Types Of Cockroaches Found In The Home And How To Control Them.
We have compiled a list of eight different types of cockroaches that are commonly found in the home. Each entry explains what they look like if they can fly, and the steps to take to get rid of them.
1. Cuban Cockroach
The Scientific name is Panchlora Nivea. Cuban cockroaches are not considered pests as they live outdoors. Adult Cuban roaches are about 1 inch long and range in color from pale green to lime green.
The nymphs are dark brown. They are tropical outdoor cockroaches that live in many areas of Florida, the Gulf Coast, and Texas.
Cuban cockroaches are among the strongest flying species of cockroaches. They buzz around banana trees and fly to high branches to get the fruit.
They are most active at night and the females may fly into your porch lights. These cockroaches live in bushes, trees, plant leaves, and under logs.
To keep these roaches out, turn off outside lights and repair any openings in windows, doors, or the crawl space.
Ensure all ventilation openings in the foundation and attic are tightly meshed. Remove leaves and piles of wood.
2. Pale-Bordered Field Cockroach
The Scientific name is Pseudomonas septentrionalis. The light-edged ground cockroach and the adult German cockroach are similar in size.
Unlike German cockroaches, however, pale field cockroaches are not considered pests. Light-edged field cockroaches, also known as September cockroaches, are about half an inch long with a reddish head and yellow markings around the wings.
Their antennae have an orange band at the tip. These scavengers eat meat, fat, sweets, and sometimes each other.
Both males and females have functional wings and can fly. These cockroaches live in open or wooded areas where they can roost on foliage at night.
They prefer low-growing plants that provide a lot of ground cover, like ivy. To keep these roaches out of your home, seal or seal off any entry points they might use to get in, like under doors or through lattice holes.
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3. German Cockroach
German cockroaches are the most common cockroaches found in apartments, houses, hotels, and restaurants.
German cockroaches are about 1/2 inch long, light brown, and have two vertical black stripes on the back of the head.
German cockroach nymphs look like adults, but they are darker, smaller, and wingless. Adults have wings but rarely fly. These cockroaches thrive in warm, humid areas in the kitchen or bathroom.
They hide in cracks and crevices near cupboards and pantries, as well as under stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers.
Use a flashlight after dark to find out where German cockroaches hide and hide. Apply household insecticide sprays directly to where they are hiding. )
Light German cockroach infestations can be controlled with baits alone. However, for serious infestations, you (or a professional) should consider baiting along with residual sprays for effective control.
German cockroaches are notoriously difficult to control, especially for a do-it-yourselfer. It’s worth the expense of a professional exterminator if you notice these roaches in your home.
4. American Cockroach
The Scientific name is Periplaneta americana. The American cockroach is the second most common cockroach (after the German cockroach) and is second only to heavy in households.
The American cockroach, sometimes called the palmetto beetle, is about 1.5 to 2 inches long with antennae of equal length. They are a glossy reddish brown with a yellow band just behind the head.
Adult American cockroaches have wings and occasionally fly; however, they prefer to sneak away. American cockroaches typically live outdoors but can move indoors. These roaches prefer warm, humid, and humid environments, but will tolerate drier areas if they have access to water.
They are looking for areas where food is stored or prepared. These cockroaches are a nuisance and health problem in restaurants, supermarkets, and bakeries.
American roaches often infest kitchens, sewers, basements, or crawl spaces. Cracks and crevices inside and outside your home.
You can also install door seals to prevent those roaches from getting under your doors. Remove dead leaves and mulch from your home outside.
5. Oriental Cockroach
The Scientific name is Blatta orientalis Key Oriental cockroaches will eat almost anything but prefer a starchy diet. The oriental cockroach is dark brown to black and often has wings. It feeds on the garbage and decaying material and has a pungent odor.
Although they have wings, oriental cockroaches cannot fly. These cockroaches are often called “water bugs” because they prefer cool, damp, dark spaces.
They thrive in sewers, crawl spaces, basements, and basements. They also camp near leaky pipes and faucets, as well as under refrigerators and sinks.
Fix leaks or plumbing problems as soon as they occur and store food in pest-proof containers. Keep an eye on attractive areas like under sinks or refrigerators, and use bait to control populations of oriental cockroaches. Caulk cracks and crevices and apply door seals.
6. Brown-Banded Cockroach
The Scientific name is Supella long palps. Brown-banded cockroaches prefer warm (above 80 F), high indoors, and away from water sources. 1 inch long, light brown, and with fully developed wings.
Adult females are smaller and rounder than males, with wings that do not cover their abdomens.
If disturbed, adult males will flee. The females, on the other hand, cannot fly at all.
These roaches prefer warm, dry spaces, such as a bedroom. B. on the top walls of cupboards and in pantries, cupboards, and dressers. You can often find them behind picture frames, under tables and chairs, and in clocks, door frames, radios, and light switches.
Place sticky traps where you suspect these roaches are hiding, e.g. B. near the corner of the floor, shelf or drawer. You can also treat the areas with baits containing hydramethylnon, fipronil, sulfluramida, boric acid, or abamectin. Aim at areas where roaches have accumulated in the traps.
7. Wood Cockroach
The Scientific name is Parcoblatta sp. The key to this cockroach is that it is attracted to light. These cockroaches enter houses after reaching the porch light and passing under the door.
Wood cockroaches are about 2.5 cm long, maroon, flattened, and oval-shaped with long antennae, tan wings, and spiny legs. The females have short wings and rarely go indoors.
Male wood cockroaches have wings and can fly long distances. The females have wings, but they don’t fly.
Wood Roaches live outdoors in moist, woody areas, like firewood and piles of mulch, or under loose tree bark and rotting logs. They need constant moisture to survive, so they don’t live long indoors.
Because wood roaches have difficulty living indoors, they rarely need to be treated in your home. Simply remove these roaches with a vacuum or dustpan and dispose of them.
You can keep them away by only bringing firewood when you’re ready to burn it and by keeping piles of wood off your house and the ground.
Seal cracks and openings, and check window and door grilles for good condition.
8. Asiatic Cockroach
The Scientific name is Blattella Asahina. The Asiatic cockroach is a free-range cockroach that probably entered the United States in 1986 from the Port of Tampa.
Adult females live twice as long as males, averaging 104 days (adult males live an average of 49 days) The Asiatic cockroach resembles its closest relative, the German cockroach.
Both are light brown and have distinctive dark stripes on the back of their heads. However, the female Asiatic cockroach’s wings are spread and cover the entire length of her egg case, while her cousin’s wings cover only half the length of the egg case.
If the throw is disrupted, they take flight. Asian cockroaches are high flyers and can fly up to 120 feet high.
Asian cockroaches prefer to live outdoors in moist, shady areas like piles of leaves, mulch, compost, and grass.
These cockroaches are attracted to light and can enter the home through openings in doors and windows. Inside the home, these cockroaches fly into bright lights such as TV screens and lamps.
Reduce the amount of mulch or plant debris in your garden. Outdoor pesticides can help reduce the population. Replacing the mulch with inorganic materials such as gravel or pebbles also helps.
Why You Should Get Rid of Cockroaches
Most cockroach species feed on waste and decaying matter, thus carrying foodborne pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella.
Roach feces and dander can cause allergic reactions including skin rashes, watery eyes, sneezing, constipation, and asthma. Some produce odorous secretions that can affect the taste of food.
Cockroaches are more of a nuisance than a health issue as they generally feed on organic material such as rotting logs or leaves rather than garbage or debris. As a result, they are not known to transmit diseases like other cockroaches.
Several factors attract roaches to clean homes. Elements such as piles of wood and palm trees provide roaches with shelter and water. Once they get close to your home, they are more likely to intrude.
Roaches can get into your home in several ways, including through loose window seals and holes around the ventilation openings of dryers.
Because roaches need water, they look for easy sources of moisture. Roaches are not choosy about the food you put out. They are omnivores like humans, eating everything including meat, sweets, and starches. enter houses in hopes of finding food.
There are some simple tips to keep roaches out of your home. If your kitchen sink is gleaming, your floors are free of dust and dirt, and food is stored in sealed, airtight containers, roaches won’t tell your space the time of day.
Roaches don’t need a red door to feel welcome, cracks and crevices will work just fine. Conduct an inspection to look for openings on the outside of your home.
Caulk dryer vents, windows, foundation vents, and pipes. Replace old weather strips around doors, and make sure window and door screens are in good condition.
A tidy garden, like a tidy house, is less prone to roaches. Keep piles of firewood, leaves, mulch, and plants away from your home’s foundation. away from home and trim branches away from the outside walls of your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many different types of cockroaches are there?
There are more than 4,500 different species of cockroaches. Of these, only 69 species are found in the United States (10 in Canada), and only 30 are considered pests.
What Kind Of Cockroaches Fly?
Some cockroaches fly. Others don’t. From those that do, there is a huge difference in flight ability. Asiatic, smoky, Australian, and wood cockroaches fly very well, while American cockroaches only use their wings for gliding.
What Cockroaches Come Into Your House?
Only a handful of cockroach species end up in our homes, and an even smaller number actively try. While wood roaches usually enter randomly, and American and Oriental cockroaches usually enter when the external environment changes, German cockroaches and brown-banded cockroaches will actively try to infest your home.
What Is The Worst Type Of Cockroach?
Of the dozens of cockroaches that live in North America, few are considered dangerous due to the dirt they live in and the pollution hazard they pose. The cockroaches that pose the greatest risk to human health are the German, American, Oriental, and Brownbanded species.
What Are The Most Common Cockroaches?
German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) are one of the most common species. They are 13 to 16 mm long and light brown with two dark brown stripes behind the head. These insects typically live up to 12 months and produce more eggs than other species.
How Do I Know What Kind Of Cockroaches I Have?
For example, American cockroaches are reddish-brown with a yellowish figure-eight pattern on the back of the head, while brown-banded cockroaches are brown with pronounced wing bands. German cockroaches have tan or brown bodies with two dark stripes. Oriental cockroaches are glossy black.
Which Cockroaches Are The Hardest To Get Rid Of?
German cockroaches are the worst cockroaches when it comes to home burglaries and getting rid of them is no easy task. From their rapid reproduction to their ability to burrow into almost any food source, German cockroaches are incredible survivors.
What Cockroach Lives Only Indoors?
German and brown-banded cockroaches. They only rely on human scraps of food and cunning to survive.
Final Thoughts
A single roach does not mean you have an infestation, as not all roaches can live indoors for long. You may want to call a pest control company and request an inspection.
If you think you may be infested with roaches, consult a pest control expert in your area. The professional will treat roaches with commercial products not available online or at your local home supply store.
