Know what you’re up against
We can all agree that cockroaches are entirely unwelcome guests in the home—and for good reason. Due to their diets, they can trigger allergies and contaminate areas with illness-causing bacteria, such as salmonella and streptococcus.
But knowing which ones are the most common in your area and their unique characteristics can help with prevention. Removing food sources, hiding spots, and anything else that might tempt them to make themselves cozy inside your house is your first line of defense.
The most common cockroach in the United States is the German cockroach. You’ll most likely find these pests in the kitchen, pantry, or bathroom because they are drawn to moisture, humidity, dirty dishes, open containers, and paper supplies.
In her lifetime, a single female can lay around five egg sacks, each sack containing 30 to 40 eggs. This is more than any other cockroach species.
German cockroach characteristics:
Color: Light brown or tan
Distinct feature: Two dark brown stripes near the head
Size: 1/2 inch in length
Wings: Yes, but rarely flies
The American cockroach is the largest of all the most common roaches in the country. This type of roach prefers fermented food and water, so the most common areas to invade are kitchens, bathrooms, basements, drains, and laundry rooms.
American cockroach characteristics:
Color: Reddish-brown or brown
Distinct feature: Light yellow bands behind the head
Size: 30–40 mm, but can grow up to 53 mm long (1–3 inches)
Wings: Yes
Brown-banded cockroaches prefer warmer climates in the country. They get their name due to the yellow bands that wrap around their bodies and wings. While males are only capable of flight, both males and females are known to jump if they are disturbed.
Since these roaches prefer warmer climates, that means you’ll most likely find them hiding out in warm, dry, and dark areas, such as behind photo frames, in furniture, under chairs and tables, and on upper pantry shelves.
Brown-banded cockroach characteristics:
Color: Male wings are dark brown at the base and transition to light brown at the tip, while females have reddish-brown or dark-brown wings
Distinct feature: Male and females have two yellow bands around their bodies
Size: Up to 13 mm (1/2 inch)
Wings: Yes, but only males can fly
Unlike its roach relatives, the Oriental cockroach prefers cool environments. They can survive freezing temperatures and love feeding on garbage.
All cockroaches are known for spreading diseases, but due to their diets and tendency to thrive in sewage pipes, the Oriental cockroach is most notorious for carrying and spreading bacteria, such as E. coli, staphylococcus, and salmonella, that can cause food poisoning, dysentery, and diarrhea.
Oriental cockroach characteristics:
Color: Shiny black or dark brown
Distinct feature: Male and females have two yellow bands around their bodies
Size: 20–25 mm (around 1 inch)
Wings: Yes, but can’t fly
While there are several types of wood cockroaches, one of the most common is the Pennsylvania wood cockroach. They are mostly found in the eastern, southern, and midwestern states and prefer to stay outside and feed on wood. So most often, homeowners unintentionally bring these pests inside with their firewood.
Pennsylvania wood cockroach characteristics:
Color: Dark brown
Distinct feature: Thorax sides and front half of wings are rimmed with yellow for males
Size: Males are 1 inch long, females 1/2 inch long
Wings: Males have wings and fly in bursts, females have wings but are unable to fly
You will probably recognize the Madagascar “hissing” cockroach from movies and TV shows because they are the go-to cockroach when directors need big, skin-crawling pests.
These large, oval-shaped cockroaches are also known for their distinct hissing sound. After a fight, the winning male will hiss to solidify his dominance. Additionally, these roaches use hissing during their mating ritual and also to alarm others to danger.
Madagascar cockroach characteristics:
Color: Shiny brown
Distinct feature: Males have large horns they use for fighting
Size: Up to 2–3 inches long
Wings: No
The smokybrown cockroach loves high humidity areas, so they mostly stay outside and reside in states like Texas, Florida, and other subtropical environments. But every once in a while they will find their way inside homes when they’re looking for moisture and food. They are one of the strongest fliers among cockroach species.
Smokybrown cockroach characteristics:
Color: Reddish-brown or mahogany brown
Distinct feature: Similar to the American cockroach, but smaller with wings that are longer than their bodies
Size: 25–38 mm long
Wings: Yes, and commonly found flying around lights, trees, and roofs
Another popular species of roaches that love wood is the Florida woods cockroach. Just like their name indicates, you will most likely find these pests in Florida and in the southeast region of the country.
These pests are also known as the Florida stink roach due to the foul odor they spread to keep predators away. While other species tend to scatter quickly, this cockroach is slow.
Florida wood cockroach characteristics:
Color: Reddish-brown or black
Distinct feature: Cerci, or a pair of appendages, at the end of their bodies
Size: 1–1.5 inches long
Wings: Yes, but not able to fly
The Asian cockroach is relatively new to the United States and predominantly found in the south and southeastern parts of the country. They prefer to stay outdoors and feed on leaves and mulch, but may find their way inside if they detect food. They pretty much eat anything, including pet food, waste, flowers, and plants.
But they are often mistaken for German cockroaches because of their similar features. While German cockroaches very rarely fly, Asian cockroaches are one of the strongest species of fliers.
Asian cockroach characteristics:
Color: Light brown
Distinct feature: Two parallel brown bands on its head
Size: 1/2 inch long
Wings: Yes, and are one of the best fliers
Don’t be fooled by its name—you can find the Australian cockroach all over the world, including the United States. Known for surviving both extremely wet and dry environments, they are some of the most difficult species of cockroach to exterminate.
The Australian cockroach looks similar to the American species; however, they are smaller and much faster on the ground and in the air. This makes them incredibly versatile and able to hide away in the smallest of cracks and holes.
Australian cockroach characteristics:
Color: Brownish-red
Distinct feature: Yellow color near thorax and on sides of wings
Size: 3/4–1 1/4 inches long
Wings: Yes and strong fliers
If you fear you already have a cockroach problem, or you tried some natural, at-home remedies that didn’t seem to help, don’t hesitate any longer to contact a local cockroach exterminator.
Cockroach extermination costs vary based on location and the severity of the issue, but you can expect costs to be around $300 for a couple of treatments. If you need to have your entire home fumigated, it could cost anywhere up to $6,000.
