In this article, you will learn about the top 5 most common cockroaches found on the east coast, how to treat them yourself and what behaviors they have.
I have spent many years in the pest industry and I wanted to share with you this information so that if you desire to tackle the treatment on your own, after reading this you will be able to do that.
German Cockroach
These roaches are the most common species and are very good at infesting housing, offices and other places that people occupy. They are also very good at withstanding pest control so they need to be very carefully dealt with and they likely need more than one type of treatment to kill them off completely.
German cockroaches are ½ inch or longer in size as adults. The Male is a grey-tan color with dark stripes on their backs (pronotum) and has a tapered abdomen. The Female is darker and has a rounded abdomen. Babies (nymphs) are ivory in color within hours of its birth; people usually think that it is an albino cockroach or not a cockroach at all. This color just means that it hasn’t molted yet, but once it does it will be very dark in color and will develop tan lines down their pronotum and then the body covered in tan wings.
Nymphs will molt in secluded places that have not been occupied by the other roaches which means that when you see them at this stage, it usually indicates a large cockroach population that has a few unoccupied places to go. I know you are probably cringing by now, but don’t worry I’ll tell you how to get rid of them soon.
Eggs
They are in a capsule that is ¼ inch long and I know what you are thinking; If a cockroach is ½ inch long as an adult how does it fit? Simple answer, It doesn’t! it hangs out of the body and is carried around until the day before it hatches and if it drops before that time the eggs will die.
The Female will drop the capsule in a vacant space within the infestation habitat and when it hatches there will be 30-40 eggs! The Female will create 4 to 8 in a lifetime.
Even if the cockroach population is exterminated, there can still be 1 in every 20 eggs that still hatch. These things are truly repulsive and are very difficult to get rid of.
The eggs will hatch when the nymphs create pressure and crack the capsule leading to an escape. They usually stay near the capsule after they have arrived, then they will molt 6 or 7 times before they reach adulthood, the female will molt one more time than males do.
German Cockroach Behavior
Clusters of cockroaches will live in areas with food or high humidity. They will hide out in small spaces to seek shelter when those areas start to fill up they will seek a new place to find harborage that is less desirable around dusk and dawn
Foraging for German Cockroaches is not random, they will find an area between 2 surfaces like a floor and a wall, corners, stoves, and counters wherever they can find spills and crumbs.
Inspection
First, you can begin by doing what a pest control technician is trained to do and that is to conduct Flashlight Inspection. Search the dark inaccessible areas that are undisturbed. You can use Demand CS in this area as a flushing agent. Once the cockroaches have been in contact with the spray they will emerge further indicating an active harborage.
Traps
Placing sticky traps is a way to find out if you’ve got cockroaches and should be placed where there is a good chance of getting activity, knowing where to find them (as noted above) is helpful, for further help you can do a quick check with a hand mirror.
Treatment and Pest Control
- Start off by trying to restrict access to food, water, and their habitat anything that supports their daily living.
- Vacuuming up cockroaches is also an option for places that you cannot use chemicals.
Chemicals to Use and Where to Apply
Baits
- Advion Gel Bait should be placed in the hinges of the dishwasher door and the latch area. You should also pull your stove out from the wall and squirt the bait in between the back of the cabinets and the wall. Pull the refrigerator out and put bait near the condenser vents at the bottom of the back of that area.
- Catchmaster Glue Boards have pheromones on it and will help stop the traffic of roaches in highly infested areas. Place glue boards under the stove near the back walls behind refrigerators, and behind washer dryer areas. You can place glue boards under sinks near pipe areas and under the backs of toilets.
Liquid Chemical-
- Demand CS This is the primary chemical you will use in your treatment. If you have a large infestation you will want to use a growth inhibitor.
- Nygard IGR is a growth inhibitor that you use along with Demand CS
Growth inhibitors help slow down the mating process on these fast producing pests.
Using a growth inhibitor causes birth defects to infected pests and may retard the next generation.
*Remember when you are using a bait you are trying to lure pests into those particular areas, don’t spray the contact killer in the place where you just put these treatments.
Crack and Crevice Treatment
When doing a crack and crevice treatment you will want to remove the food and dishes from all your cabinets and store them in an area that is not infested, or in sealable plastic containers.
Make sure to get in behind the molding areas of cabinets and treat all areas. Some of the areas you will treat will be in drawers, around pipes and sinks.
Be sure to get the chemical only in the crack areas as not to contaminate the food surface areas.
American Cockroach
This is also called a water bug or Palmetto bug. Its presence worldwide is due to its ability to survive aboard ships.
American Cockroaches are long in size at 1 ⅓ to 1 ½ inch. The wings are longer than the abdomen, unlike the female where theirs are cape like in size.
Both the male and the female are reddish-brown their pronotum has a lighter color that becomes more bright in the older nymphs and is very bright and wide darkening in the center. Adults can live up to 20 to 21 months.
Nymphs when first born are gray, after their first molt they will become reddish-brown and will molt up to 13 times before they become adults. Nymphs can take anywhere from 6-12 months to mature depending on the weather.
Eggs
The American cockroach capsule drops 1 day after it has formed. Capsules are 5/16th of an inch long and 3/16 inch wide. When the capsule is dropped and left behind by the female it is covered in dust and left in a secluded space. If the egg capsule is clean and black in color the area it is an indicator that the area has a heavy population of cockroaches.
American Cockroaches live outdoors in wooded areas, egg capsules can be found in moist wood. Which is why they thrive on ships. American Cockroaches even have the capability to fly briefly.
Females will produce eggs all year however, they will do more so in the summer months. An egg capsule can be produced in one week, 12 – 24 can be produced in the warm months with an average of 14 eggs per capsule will hatch in 30-50 days.
Inspection
Checking moist and humid areas (crawl space, basement, wherever your water heater is) if you live in a wooded area with large trees you may even find these guys coming in through the roof areas because they will drop from the trees to the roof.
Treatment and Pest Control
Exclusion
- Reduce humidity in indoor spaces (get a dehumidifier, make sure your vapor barrier is up to snuff)
- Caulk around plumbing and other crevices or holes in walls, screens, keep floor drains full or capped.
- Do not keep wood stored on/in porches, patios or attached garages.
Pest Control
Liquid Chemical
Demand CS should be used to treat in cracks and crevices where cockroaches are present. Create a barrier of chemical outside the home in the areas that these pests are present.
Spot treat where needed as well.
Baits- Apply granular baits in harborages outside the home in natural areas and wood piles where needed.
Use bait stations in determined areas that cockroaches are. (make sure not to allow them to get wet or sprayed with other chemicals)
Smoky Brown Cockroach
These roaches are close cousins of the American Cockroach and look very similar.
Adults are just over 1 inch long and are mahogany in color, both male and female have wings longer than their abdomen. They are more common in the South and are not found all over the U.S
Nymphs are mahogany in color and have white antennae tips and when they get older the entire antenna is white.
Eggs
The capsule is dark brown and is hidden by the female by being glued to objects in harborage to keep them safe.
The capsule will carry 17-24 eggs and will hatch within 50 days with about 24 nymphs.
Behaviors and Harborages
Smoky Browns will be found in the home, they fly on to the house on the underside of an arch, a balcony, or overhanging eaves then enter under shingles and get into attic space. They can live in the gutters as well. They are very dependent on moisture and humidity, so coastal areas are popular for his type of cockroach.
Inspection
Checking near a water source is a good way to inspect for these guys; gutters, overgrown plant areas, and roof/attic overhangs. They are most active at night but you can also find them in leaf litter and dark areas during the day. In the home, you can find them in the attic, kitchen cabinets near the exhaust fan and any lower cabinetry, check your bathrooms as well.
Treatment and Pest Control
Exclusion
- Cut Down Overhanging Tree Limbs
- Tighten doors and window wells
- Keep gutters free from debris
- Close all entry points at the roof to the edge of all the eaves and the walls
- Do not obstruct ventilation areas to soffits or attics (reduce humidity)
- Keep pet food areas clean from spills and general mess
- Repair any leaks
Pest Control
Liquid Chemical
Demand CS should be used on the edge of the roof, soffits, eaves and between the gutter and soffits.
Dust
- Tempo Dust 1% in the attic when infestations are present
- Delta Dust in the attic when infestations are present
Either of these dusts will get the desired result.
Bait
- Advion Cockroach Gel Bait in tight molding under counters and in areas where there are active infestations.
Granules
- Talstar LP is a granular bait that can be spread outside in harborage areas around the base of trees firewood piles rotting wood areas and in natural areas around the foundation of the home.
*Using both of these methods listed above is called integrated pest management and when you do it properly it will defend your home from cockroaches very well.
Oriental Cockroaches
The oriental cockroach a.k.a water bug (like the American Cockroach) is about 1 inch long and really dark brown almost black. Males have wings covering most of their bodies, stopping in the middle of their backs like a cape, and the female has really short wings at the top of her back that looks like the size of a bee’s wings. Neither the male or female can fly with their wings. An Adult can live anywhere between 1-6 months
Nymphs are caramel brown in color and as they grow their bottoms get a dark brown color, they can molt up to 7 times before becoming an adult.
Eggs
The capsule is black and the female will carry it for a little over 1 day then drops the capsule in a secluded place within the harborage. The female does not glue the egg capsule to the surface.
Each capsule can hold about 16 eggs and will hatch in 60 days with around 14 nymphs.
Behaviors and Harborages
Oriental Cockroaches are commonly found outdoors near moist gutters sewers, storm drains and around plant beds. Indoors they are in damp areas like basements but also known to climb up water pipes to upper floors in apartment buildings they can enter the home in the laundry, food packages, air-ducts or under the door.
These cockroaches don’t really care about hiding out, they are lazy until found, they travel through pipes and survive on filth. They are found in the warmer months of the year like May-July but they do populate year round.
These water bugs prefer cool and damp hideouts, you can find them in cellars, basements and will be lurking where there are water pipes, like bathtubs, sinks, and radiators.
Treatment and Pest Control
Exclusion
- Remove rotting leaves from the exterior of the home
- Caulk and close off entry points
- Keep gutters free from debris
- Do not obstruct ventilation (reduce humidity)
- Keep pet food areas clean from spills and general mess
- Repair all leaks (eliminate water source)
Pest Control
Dusts- Use Delta Dust in wall voids, behind electric sockets, underneath appliances like refrigerators and stoves with a bellows duster. Dust freely in areas that roaches are present. Make sure to read the label completely so that you apply it properly.
Liquid Chemical- Use Demand CS (a microencapsulated chemical) for a barrier spray, this is a contact killer and will have an immediate knockdown. Spray Demand CS on all baseboards, window frames, under furniture, pull large appliances out and spray where you were not able to treat with Delta Dust. Spray in every room inside the home, avoid pet dishes and kids toys.
Baits- Advion Cockroach Gel Bait comes in a syringe tube and can be applied under counters, in the molding of cabinets, between the backsplash and the wall or counter, and any crack and crevice where harborages are found.
Granules- Talstar LP is an amazing resource that can be used when treating for Oriental roaches this is a water soluble granule which means when the granule comes in contact with water it activates the chemical. You can spread Talstar LP as a barrier around the exterior of the home and in natural areas. Talstar LP can also be used in any natural area and liberally used to treat harborages outdoors, best of all it works in the rain.
Wood Cockroaches
The wood Cockroach is around 1 inch to ¾ inch long. The females are dark brown in color and have short wings where the Male is Light brown with a yellowish color around his body, he has long wings and will fly around. An adult can live
The males are able to fly and they can actually travel long distances, however, the female has non-functioning wings and is unable to fly.
Adult wood roaches can live up to 2 years however, the normal life span of the female adult is several months.
Nymphs
Are reddish brown and small they look more like the female whereas other indoor cockroaches are usually light in color. Wood nymphs will molt up to 7 times before becoming mature.
Eggs
Egg capsules are yellowish brown and dropped behind loose tree bark, stumps, fallen logs or mulch areas.
Each capsule contains up to 32 eggs they will hatch in about 30 days with about 28 nymphs.
Behaviors and Harborages
Wood cockroaches are outdoor pests if you see them inside it is usually by accident and they will not live long. They can be brought in the home with firewood or anything that has been in contact with moist or decaying plant matter.
Wood cockroach habitat is the great outdoors in heavily wooded areas that have decaying organic material. You’ll see them in or around stumps, wood piles, and mulch.
The male is attracted to lights and will fly around in them at night where the female likes to hide in den areas, garages, basements, and storage shed areas.
They are most commonly seen May-October
Wood Roaches rarely make a harborage inside a home. Outside Treatment is recommended to get rid of these pests.
Treatment and Pest Control
Exclusion
- Remove leaf clutter
- Remove brush piles
- Remove old logs and stumps
- Move woodpiles
- Seal gaps around doors and windows
- Caulk foundation cracks
- Repair/Remove moisture-damaged wood inside and outside
- Repair foundation vents screens
- Clean debris from gutters
- Repair all leaks
- Replace torn screens
- Seal holes in pipe areas with steel wool or copper mesh
Pest Control
Granules- Talstar LP should be spread around all hot spots dead tree trunks and around the base of any tree you see an infestation. You can use this around wood piles and the perimeter of your home.
Liquid Chemical- Use Demand CS to create a barrier around the outside of your home. Spray the foundation, around window frames, eaves, soffits, downspouts, and window wells.
Demand CS is a microencapsulated chemical which means it has a long lasting lingering barrier that safely and effectively keeps pests back for 30-50 days depending on weather breakdown. i.e. sun, snow, rain etc.
Cockroach Facts:
- Have 33 Types of Bacteria
- 7 Human Pathogens
- 6 Parasitic Worms
- Can Hold Their Breath for up to 30 Minutes Underwater
- Can Live a Week Without a Head
- Male Cockroaches Can Squeeze Into a Hole The Width Size of a Quarter
*Tips*
If you have leaky pipes or bad moisture under your home a cockroach infestation is waiting to happen to you.
These are issues that should be addressed when considering to treat them. Using prevention tools like dehumidifiers and vapor barriers can protect your home from infestations occurring.
Make sure to read all product labels of pesticides you will use so you can know what safety equipment you will need to treat your home.
Most of the time you will want to wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, closed toed shoes, socks, gloves, and eye safety wear. If you are in a situation where it would be hard to breathe some companies recommend that you wear a mask or a respirator. This is referred to in the industry as PPE or Personal Protective Equipment
Summary
Now that you have read this article you can see that not all cockroaches are created equal and their behaviors and places they harborage are not exactly the same, however, they do all need water for survival, it is imperative to make sure that your home has all leaks repaired and all moist areas dried to keep these pests from invading your home space and creating an infestation.
Places that have humidity are already at risk, so if you live in a humid area be sure to keep your home inside dry, your pet areas clean and outside free from debris andwood etc.. and you know that if you live in high humidity you may also be surrounded by trees that can create a great harborage area for some of these wood cockroaches..
Since cockroaches have different habitats and thrive on similar needs (water) and foods, some treatments will work for any kind while other pesticides are specific to the type of cockroach you are dealing with.
If you ever do get roaches and I hope that you don’t! But, if you do please use this page and my insider advice as a resource to help you control and treat the unwanted guests and go back to life as usual.
Thank You for reading my post if it was helpful feel free to share or leave a reply below.
