ROACHES

German Cockroach

Length: 1/2 - 5/8 inch

Color:  pale brown

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German cockroaches are found primarily in kitchens and bathrooms, but they can be found in other areas of the structure, especially when there is a severe infestation.  

Roach infestations  can cause health problems, people can experience allergy and asthma symptoms from breathing in cockroach skin and waste. 

German cockroaches can be brought into your home by visitor’s luggage, purses, and backpacks. They can also be brought in by bringing used items into the home such as furniture, clothing, and appliances. It is also possible for roaches in neighborhoods to travel from house to house. 

German cockroaches favor greasy foods, starches and sweets, but they will also eat hair, dead skin, dead animals or insects. They usually stay in their harborage area during the day and come out at night to forage for food

 

Oriental Cockroach Blatta orientalis

Length: female - 1 1/4 inches  male - 1 inch

Color:  dark brown or black

 

Oriental roaches are also called water bugs.

They are usually found outdoors, but in cooler weather they may migrate indoors. 

They tend to be found in yards, dumps, crawlspaces, mulched areas, and leaf piles.. They are also seen in areas with high moisture levels such as sewers, drains, and damp basements.

They feed on rubbish and decaying organic matter.

 

American Cockroach Periplaneta americana

Length: 1 1/4 – 2 1/8 inches

Color: reddish brown with a yellowish marking on the back of head

 

The American cockroach is also known as the water bug.

They are commonly found in crawl spaces, basements, around bathtubs, clothes hampers, and floor drains.

They prefer to feed on decaying organic matter but they will feed on book bindings, clothes, or glossy paper.

 

Brown Banded Cockroach Supella longipalpa

Length: 1/2 inch

Color: light brown with two lighter bands running from side to side across the base of the wings 

 

The brown banded cockroach is generally found on ceilings, high on walls, behind picture frames, light fixtures, furniture, closets, or near refrigerator motors. They do not need high moIsture areas like the German cockroach needs

The roach prefers feeding on starchy things but will feed on most anything.

 

Pennsylvania Woods Cockroach  Parcoblatta spp.

Length: male- 1 inch, female- 3/4 inch

Color: Dark brown

 

The males are usually strong fliers, but the females do not fly.

They are usually found outdoors underneath wood piles, stumps, and in hollow trees. Sometimes they are brought indoors when firewood is brought inside. They may also enter the house at night when the lights are on, because they are attracted to light.

They feed mainly on decaying organic matter, sweets, and starchy materials.