German Cockroaches

Description:

The German cockroach is a small cockroach and adults are approximately 5/8 inch long (15 mm). The adult cockroaches are light brown to gold in color. Immature cockroaches are dark brown to black but have a light colored band running down the middle of their backs.

Adult cockroaches have fully developed wings but rarely fly. The wings of the adult female cover the entire abdomen while the wings of the male are slightly shorter and do not cover the abdomen tip. The male cockroach has cerci, plus an additional set of appendages called styli. The styli are located between the cerci and are smaller and more delicate. The presence of styli is the easiest way to distinguish male cockroaches from females.

The German cockroach egg capsule is frequently seen attached to the adult female German cockroach. The egg case is a light tan color and less than 1 1/2 inch long. When immature cockroaches first emerge from the egg case they are extremely small and white. However, they soon darken and become small, wingless versions of the adults.

Habitat:

German cockroaches are the most common cockroach pest found in homes, restaurants, grocery stores, correctional facilities, schools, and other buildings where food is stored or prepared. German cockroaches have strict moisture requirements so infestations generally develop in kitchen and bathroom areas. Cockroaches often take up residence in warm cracks and crevices that are within five feet of a water source. German cockroaches are only active during the evening hours. During the day, the cockroaches aggregate behind refrigerators, picture frames, and clocks or in cabinets, drawers, stoves, and dishwashers.

Life cycle:

The German female carries the egg case protruding from her abdomen until the embryos are ready to hatch. A female will produce a new egg case approximately every three weeks, with each egg case containing approximately 30 to 40 embryos. Adult female cockroaches live about 150 days and will produce four to eight egg cases during that time. Immature German cockroaches also develop very rapidly, usually becoming reproductive within 40 days.

American Cockroach

Description:

The American cockroach is a large cockroach; adults are approximately 1-1/2 inches long (38 mm). The adult is a shiny reddish brown to dark brown and has a yellow margin on the pronotum (region directly behind the head). Immature American cockroaches are also reddish brown to dark brown in color and often have yellow markings on the abdomen.

Adult American cockroaches have wings and will occasionally fly. They are awkward fliers and prefer to fun when disturbed. Male and female American cockroaches are about the same size and look very similar. Both have a pair of cerci, finger like appendages, at the tips of their abdomens. The cerci are used to detect air currents in the cockroache's surroundings. Male cockroaches have an additional set of appendages called styli on their abdomens. The American cockroach egg capsules are mahogany brown and about 1/3 inch long.

Habitat:

American cockroaches generally live outdoors. American cockroaches usually live in moist, humid environments but can survive in dry areas if they have access to water. In structures, American cockroaches are common in areas where food is prepared or stored and moisture is plentiful. They are frequently found in restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries. They are also commonly associated with boiler rooms, sewers, steam tunnels, and other warm, moist locations. In residential and commercial buildings, American cockroaches usually infest basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms, and decorative landscaping. Indoor populations tend to forage outdoors during warm weather. Likewise, during the winter months, populations established outdoors will venture inside seeking moisture and warmth.

Life cycle:

After mating, the female American cockroach will produce an egg case in three to seven days. She will then carry the egg protruding from the tip of her abdomen for another two days. The egg case is then deposited in a hidden location and glued to a surface with the female’s saliva. Each egg case contains an average of 15 embryos. The immature cockroaches will emerge in 24 to 38 days under warm conditions. They will complete their development and become reproductive in six to twelve months. Adult American cockroaches can live approximately a year to a year and a half and produce between six to 14 egg cases during her lifetime.

Brownbanded Cockroaches

Description:

Brownbanded cockroaches are approximately 5/8 inch long (17 mm). They are light brown to glossy dark brown in color. The adult brownbanded cockroaches have wings, and the males are capable of flight. The male’s wings cover the abdomen, whereas the female’s wings are short, exposing the abdomen. Most cockroaches have a flattened, oval shape, spiny legs, and long, filamentous antennae. These insects feed on starchy materials and even non-food materials such as nylon stockings. These roaches are active at night, and nymphs and adults jump rapidly when disturbed. These pests do not require as much moisture as German Cockroaches and tend to avoid light.

Habitat:

Brownbanded cockroaches prefer to hide in warm, elevated areas near the ceiling, behind wall decorations and loose wallpaper, in closets, beneath or inside upholstered furniture, and in electrical appliances such as TV sets and stereos. Brownbanded cockroaches leave behind tiny, dark droppings and cast skins on cabinets and shelves under warm, humid conditions.

Life cycle:

Brownbanded cockroach egg capsules are about ¼ inch long and reddish-brown. The females deposit egg cases in clusters on furniture, draperies, wall decorations, shelving and ceilings. The egg capsule contains 14 to 16 eggs; a female produces 10 to 20 cases in her lifetime. Eggs hatch in about 50 to 75 days and nymphs develop in 90 to 270 days, with adults living 150 to 200 days.

Oriental Cockroach

Description:

Oriental cockroaches are about 1 to 1-1/4 inches long and are shiny, dark brown or black in color. Females are about 1-'¼ inches long, broad and have little pads for wings. Males are about one inch long, more slender and have wings not reaching the tip of the abdomen. The wings of the oriental cockroach are nonfunctional which makes them incapable of flight. Immature roaches 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.

Habitat:

The oriental cockroach is usually found in damp basements, cellers, crawl spaces, near drains, leaky water pipes and beneath refrigerators, sinks and washing machines, under floors, and inside walls. Outdoors, they are found beneath decomposing leaves or stones in mulching materials, in trash and at municipal sewer plants. They have a preference to high-moisture conditions and can live without food for a month if water is present, but die in two weeks without food and water.

Life Cycle:

Oriental cockroach females carry the egg capsule 12 hours to 5 days and deposit them in a sheltered location near or within a food supply at a warm, sheltered spot. Females produce 1 to 18 capsules, each containing up to 16 eggs. Eggs hatch in about 60 days and nymphs develop in about one year. Adult females live 1 to 6 months.