American Cockroach (1 _”- 2″ long ) Sometimes referred to as a waterbug or a Palmetto bug, this is the largest common household cockroach. It has reddish brown wings, a light brown body, and a yellow margin around the shield on its back. Found nearly anywhere in a house, American cockroaches may contaminate food, carry disease organisms, and can damage bookbindings, fabrics, wallpaper and many other products containing starch. They are active at night. Egg capsules contain 12-16 eggs.
Oriental Cockroach (1″- 1/2″ long) This uniformly black cockroach is also called a sewer cockroach, and seeks dark, damp places such as basements. The female is nearly wingless and the male only has short wings. Oriental cockroaches are more common in northern areas and California where they are found in sod, leaves, vegetation and in crawlspaces and basements. They enter the house or structure from outside or through drains and are similar to American cockroaches in foods eaten and items damaged. Oriental cockroaches create an odor that is very persistent.
Smoky Brown Cockroach (1″ – 1/2″ long) This cockroach has no special marks for identification but is a mahogany brown color with an oily sheen. It can fly and may be found anywhere – trees, grass, attic, crawlspace, eaves and kitchen. The smoky brown cockroach has the reputation of being one of the most difficult cockroach to control because it is so active and varied in its habitat. Damage is similar to American cockroaches. Thorough exterior efforts are required for long term control.
German Cockroach (1/2″ long) Found throughout the world, this cockroach is often called a waterbug because it locates very close to sources of moisture (especially sinks). It is most commonly found in restaurants, kitchens and stores. The German cockroach has two dark stripes down its back. The egg capsule contains 36-48 eggs that can become adults in 3 months. German cockroaches pollute foods, cause stains, create foul odors, are capable of carrying disease organisms and produce allergens. They hide during the day, often closely packed in small cracks and crevices in kitchens, bathrooms or other places near sources of moisture.
Brown Banded Cockroach (1/2″ long) Also known as the furniture cockroach, it is recognized by the alternating light and dark bands running across its back. It is about the same size as the German cockroach, but tolerates a drier habitat, and may be scattered through the entire building. Brown banded cockroaches do not multiply as fast as German cockroaches, but because of their scattered habitats are often difficult to control. They can damage fabrics, books, wallpaper and often get inside motors, electric clocks and light switches.
German Cockroach
- This small, brown cockroach is about 1/2-inch in length. It is recognized by the two dark, longitudinal stripes on the “shield” at the front of the body under which the head is located.
- The German cockroach is the most prolific breeder among all cockroaches. Each egg capsule can contain up to 40 eggs and development from egg to adult can occur in as little as 45 days.
- In homes, this pest will first locate itself in bathrooms and the kitchen as close as possible to food and moisture sources. It spends 75% to 80% of its time resting in cracks and voids.
- Like all cockroaches, it is omnivorous and will eat virtually anything people will and many things we won’t.
- Control of German cockroaches takes persistence and experience. An infestation can be controlled using over-the-counter products, but homeowners often meet with frustration and call a professional like Terminix. Some opt to call in a professional right away.
American Cockroach
- The American cockroach is the largest cockroach that infests buildings in the United States. This reddish brown insect may be up to 2 inches long and has a yellow “figure-8” pattern on its “shield” at the front of its body.
- This cockroach thrives in warm, damp environments, such as sewers, steam tunnels, basements, crawlspaces, and boiler rooms. In southern states, it will be found living and breeding outdoors. In Florida, the American cockroach is called the “palmetto bug,” and it has the nickname “water bug” throughout the United States.
- When seen in the living areas of a home, it is a safe bet that the source of the cockroaches will be one of the harborage sites, such as the basement, listed earlier. The key to control is to find and treat these sources directly. In many cases, the services of a professional company, such as Terminix, are required to achieve long term relief.
- In southern states where this cockroach lives outdoors, successful control involves treating the attic, crawlspace, and exterior cracks in the home and finding and treating likely cockroach harborages over the entire property.
Smoky Brown Cockroach
- This cockroach ranges up to 1« inches in length and is colored dark, mahogany brown all over.
- The smoky brown is a common pest of homes along the Gulf Coast from central Florida to eastern Texas. It is also found in a few areas of Southern California, especially in the Los Angeles area.
- This pest lives primarily outdoors preferring to harbor in tree holes, firewood piles, and in other piles of items, such as lumber.
- It usually invades the attic or crawlspace where it finds conditions similar to that found within a tree hole. Once populations grow large inside these areas, the cockroaches regularly venture down into the home. The occasional cockroach may wander into a home from harborage outside but chronic infestations are most always associated with attic or crawlspace populations.
- Research has shown that attics and crawlspaces that have good ventilation are less likely to have these cockroaches living within them.
- A number of other cockroach species that live outdoors have similar habits to the smoky brown cockroach. These include the Australian, brown, Florida woods, and Surinam cockroaches. In southern states, the American cockroach will also be found living outdoors.
- The key to keeping these cockroaches out of homes is
(1) treating the attic, crawlspace, and exterior cracks in the home and
(2) finding and treating likely cockroach harborages over the entire property. In areas where these cockroaches are well established, regular services provided by a professional, like Terminix, are the best option for long term relief.
Woods Cockroach
- A number of different species of cockroaches go by the name “woods cockroach.” These cockroaches are typically light to reddish brown insects with few markings except possibly a pale border along the edges of the wings.
- Woods cockroaches live and breed outdoors and are only occasional invaders of buildings.
- During June and July in most areas of the country, the male woods cockroaches fly to lights on buildings and then wander inside. Often, homeowners are shocked to see a cockroach fly to a lamp inside or even to the television screen. Young cockroaches and the females, which cannot fly, can wander inside under doors and around windows.
- Control is achieved by changing exterior lights to the yellow “bug” lights to attract as few insects, including cockroaches, as possible. Sealing exterior cracks in the home and installing good weather-strips on the bottom of doors is also helpful.
- In situations where a home is continually plagued by these insects, it may be advisable to seek help from a professional like Terminix.
- Cockroach Control requires finding and treating all active harborages where they are hiding. determining these harborages requires knowledge and experience. Successful control is rarely achieved without treatments applied to cracks and voids. The patented Terminix Insider Wall Injection system is an integral part of controlling cockroaches inside buildings.
Many species of cockroaches live outside the home as a natural part of the environment. These insects become pests when they invade a home or building. Finding and treating all the outdoor harborages on the property as well as the use of cockroach baits in the attics of homes is the cockroach species. Sealing up exits or cracks and holes, installing screens over vents, and moving firewood away from the home are also necessary for long term results.
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