German

Adult German cockroaches are light brown except for a shield behind the head which is marked with two dark stripes. They are about 5/8 inch long. Young roaches are wingless and nearly black with a single light stripe running down the middle of the back. Egg capsules are light tan.

German cockroaches, are the most common roaches found in houses and restaurants. Most cockroaches have a flattened, oval shape, spiny legs, and long, filamentous antennae. Immature stages are smaller, have undeveloped wings and resemble the adults. They eat food of all kinds and may hitchhike into the house on egg cartons, soft drink cartons, sacks of potatoes or onions, used furniture, beer cases, etc.

They can develop into large populations and live throughout the house, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. 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 dishwashers. When seen during the day in clusters, the total unseen population is large.

Roaches can foul food, damage wallpaper and books, eat glue from furniture, and produce an unpleasant odor. Some homeowners are allergic to roaches. The pests can contaminate food with certain bacterial diseases that result in food poisoning, dysentery, or diarrhea.

American

American cockroaches are oak color and have a yellowish margin on the body region behind the head. They are usually around 1 and 1/2 inches long. When disturbed, they may run rapidly. Immature cockroaches resemble adults except that they are wingless.

American cockroaches generally live in moist areas like sewers, but can survive in dry areas if they have access to water. They prefer warm temperatures around 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and do not tolerate cold temperatures. In residential areas, these cockroaches live in basements and sewers, and may move outdoors into yards during warm weather. These cockroaches are common in basements, crawl spaces, cracks and crevices of porches, foundations, and walkways adjacent to buildings. They feed on a wide variety of plant and animal material.

Years ago when heat was by hot water, American roaches were found more inside buildings (hospitals, hotels, restaurants, homes) because of the moisture from the heating system. Today, most American cockroaches are found in sewers, which may exit on hot summer nights.

Oriental

The Oriental cockroach known as the "water bug," is more closely associated with damp areas than the other common roaches. These insects feed on garbage and decaying organic matter and are often considered the filthiest of the house-infesting roaches. They are found in damp basements, cellars, crawl spaces, near drains, leaky water pipes and beneath refrigerators, sinks and washing machines, under floors, and inside walls. They forage mostly on the ground floors of buildings.

Outdoors, they are found beneath decomposing leaves or stones in mulching materials, in trash and at municipal sewer plants. During the autumn, there can be a mass movement into buildings, but because of their preference for cooler temperatures, can be found outdoors and in unheated buildings during the winter.

Adult Oriental cockroaches are shiny, dark brown or black, about 1 to 1-1/4-inch long and have nonfunctional wings incapable of flight. Females are about 1-1/4-inch long, broad and have only little pads for wings. Males are about one inch long, more slender and have wings not reaching the tip of the abdomen. Immature roaches (nymphs) are darker in color than adults, similarly shaped and wingless. Egg cases are dark reddish-brown, one inch long (largest of the common roaches), and appear slightly inflated.

Brown Banded

The adults are rather small cockroaches about 5/8 inch long. The adult male is slender in appearance with its wings extending beyond the tip of the abdomen. Adult females have shorter wings that expose a considerable portion of their broad abdomens. They have two light yellow or cream-colored bands across their backs. These bands tend to be hidden by the wings in the adults. The markings of the brown-banded cockroach are roughly crosswise while those of the German cockroach are lengthwise.

Brown-banded cockroaches are generally found on ceilings, high on walls, behind picture frames, and near motors of refrigerators and other appliances. They are also found in light switches, closets and furniture. They do not require as much moisture as the German cockroach which explains why they normally are found in rooms other than the kitchen or bathroom. These cockroaches dislike light and are not normally seen during the day.

Smokeybrown Cockroach ( #1 Roach in Cumberland County)

The smokeybrown roach gets its name from the uniformly shining brownish black to dark mahogany color. This species is apparently native outside the United States. It is common in the southern states, from central Texas eastward through North Carolina and further north.

Adults are about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2" long. Color uniform and shining typically brownish black but varies from dark mahogany to black. Both sexes have wings ectending beyond their abdomens.

The smokeybrown is common outdoors in the south where it is found in habitats best described as protected, moist, dark, warm and out of air flows. They enter structures by being brought in but they usually enter at night via cracks and crevices through where light penetrates to the outside. Because they fly, they might be coming into the house anywhere from ground level, to the top of the chimney. They feed on most anything they find in a house.

Pennsylvania Cockroach

The Pennsylvania wood cockroach is found in the southern states and northward through the miswestern and northeastern states and into Canada. It is apparently a native species.

Australian Cockroach

The Australian cockroach closely resembles the American cockroach in size, apearance and general habits but it is not nearly as tolorant of cold. Although worldwide in distribution, it is found primarily in the southern United States.

Asian Cockroach

This cockroach has the common name Asiam, because it was introduced int to the U.S. via the Port of Tampa, Florida, from the Orient about 1980. It became a pest problem to residents of northcentral Florida by the spring of 1984. Although presently known only in Florida, based on its biology and hitchhiking habits, it may spread throughout the southern states and up both coasts, through New Jersey in the east and Washington in the west, including Hawaii. Because it can become established indoors, it has the potential to spread throughout the United States.