Research Information — Cockroaches
Many species of cockroaches can become a serious problem in structures. While cockroaches are not native to our state, many homes, businesses, and restaurants can become infested very quickly when they are accidentally introduced through things as food products or poor sanitation practices.
Cockroaches can hide in very small cracks and live and breed in such varying environments, making them one of the most difficult insects to manage. The gestation period of most cockroaches is 10-14 days and each female has the ability to lay 50-200 eggs during each cycle. You can imagine how quickly their numbers will grow if left untreated for too long!
Warning! Cockroaches are known to be a public health concern. Their shedding skin and habits cause SEVERE ALLERGIC reactions and even asthma.
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Quick Facts
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American Cockroaches
Brown Banded Cockroaches
German Cockroaches
(most common)
Oriental
Cockroaches
American Cockroaches
Color: Reddish brown, with a yellowish figure 8 pattern on the back of the head
Size: .5-2” depending on the life cycle they are in.
Feeding & Habits: favors dark sites with high humidity, sewers, steam tunnels, boiler rooms, and basements, especially around pipes and drains. All stages require harborage sites where they hide during the day, com¬ing out to forage for food and water at night. They are scavengers that feed on decaying organic matter and a variety of other foods. They are particularly fond of fermenting foods.
Brown Banded Cockroach
Color: light brown to glossy dark brown, male's wings cover the abdomen, whereas the female's wings are short, exposing the abdomen.
Size: about 5/8-inch long
Feeding & Habits: These insects feed on starch materials (book sizing and wallpaper paste) and even nonfood materials such as nylon stockings. They prefer to hide in warm, elevated areas near the ceiling, behind wall decorations, pictures, loose wallpaper, in shower stalls, underneath chairs and tables, in closets, beneath or inside upholstered furniture, and in electrical appliances such as TV sets, stereos, radios and toasters.
German Cockroaches (most common)
Color: light tan to medium brown except for the shield behind the head marked with two dark stripes (separated by a lighter stripe)
Size: Adults are about 1/2 to 5/8-inch long and have wings, but rarely fly
Feeding & Habits: They eat food of all kinds and may hitchhike into the home on egg cartons, soft drink cartons, sacks of potatoes or onions, used furniture, beer cases, etc. During the day, these roaches may be found hiding, clustered behind baseboard molding, in cracks around cabinets, closets or pantries, and in and under stoves, refrigerators and dish washers. If clusters of roaches are seen during the day, the population is large. They can contaminate food with certain bacterial diseases that result in food poisoning, dysentery, or diarrhea.
Oriental Cockroach
Color: Both male and female adults are very dark brown, nearly black; their bodies usually have a somewhat greasy sheen
Size: about one inch in length
Feeding & Habits: prefer dark, moist areas such as under porches, sewers, drains, crawl spaces, dark, damp basements, and floor drains.
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