How to Identify Cockroaches

This page is a general identification guide for cockroaches. Using the products and methods suggested you can also gain control of the cockroach species infesting your property. Follow this DIY guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee accuracy in identification and elimination.

Cockroaches range over 1,000 in species types, which eliminates the question as to how homeowners mistake this invasive pest for other species of insects. Though there are several types of cockroach species the most common ones found in the inside and outside of homes are: German cockroach, brown-banded cockroach, American cockroach, smokybrown cockroach, oriental cockroach, and the wood roach. One thing these multiple roach species share is their ability to withstand various pest treatments and spread diseases throughout your property.

Although cockroaches share multiple non-ideal tendencies there are ways to differentiate each species. Their habitats, body structure, size, and mobility will help in appropriate cockroach identification. Discovering any kind of cockroach inside or outside of your home is an issue, but some species may prove to be worse or harder to remove than another.

By teaching yourself on the types of cockroaches you may encounter, you can be better prepared to avoid overpopulation and other issues these pests may cause. When conducting yourself with the techniques and products suggested in this guide you will want to use the appropriate personal protective equipment. By reading this DIY guide, you can effectively eliminate the cockroach species invading your property through proper identification, which helps to lessen unnecessary pesticide applications and cost.

German Cockroach

The German Cockroach is the most troublesome and encountered pest of all cockroach species. This pest favors places inside of homes that are usually warm, dark, and have small cracks and crevices or other small openings into dark confined areas such as within kitchens, resteraunts, hotels, bathrooms, hospitals, nursing homes, and other areas near water and food supplies. They often travel to new locations through grocery bags or cardboard boxes.

Size

• One of the smallest species of cockroaches measuring about 1/2 inches in length.

Color

• They are light brown to blackish in color, except for when they molt. A pair of parallels brown bars reside between the head and front of the wings.
• Be aware that German cockroaches look strikingly similar to another roach species, the Asian Cockroach. Asian cockroaches are about the same size as German roaches, with similar parallel markings on the pronotum. The visual difference lies in their coloration: Asian cockroaches are a lighter, more tan shade of brown. Another major difference is that Asian cockroaches are strong fliers. They have longer and more narrow wings, allowing them to fly up to 120 feet at a time, so if you see a small roach fly longer distances, it’s not a German roach, it’s an Asian roach.

Body Structure

• German cockroaches have flat oval-shaped bodies and some species have wings, but can barely fly. They would often run then fly.

Unique Fact

• These species of pest are very sensitive to the cold, and due to their small size can hide in the smallest of openings. Easy signs of infestation is black pepper-like droppings or a mild, musty odor from their waste activity.

Brown-Banded Cockroach

Brown-banded cockroaches is the next smallest roach species, which often cause homeowners to mistaken them for German cockroaches. However, brown-banded cockroaches are less dependent on moisture than German cockroaches and more focused on warm, and dry environments containing elevated heights.

These suitable habitats can be found behind wall picture frames, ceilings, light fixtures, closet and pantry shelves, furniture, electrical sockets, and other parts of homes with dark and dry spaces. Often these pests enter homes through plumbing, cracks and crevices around foundation, infested furniture, appliances, and grocery items.

Size

• Larger than German Cockroaches, measuring 1/2 inches long in length.

Color

• Can be distinguished by two or more light horizontal light bands across its dark brown wings and abdomen.

Body Structure

• Similar to German Cockroaches, these pests have oval-shaped bodies with the exception that brown-banded cockroaches wings are developed in males and not females. Female brown-banded cockroaches appear wider in body than that of males. Wings of male cockroaches cover entire abdomen whereas females do not. 

Unique Fact

• Brown-banded roaches are found in large clusters during the night since they tend to avoid bright places without sufficient covering. Male brown-banded cockroaches can fly smooth and relatively long distances whereas females cannot fly at all.

American Cockroach

American Cockroaches is the largest common roach species in this article to invade homes and other commercial structures. Though this roach species has the longest lifecycle at 700 days they are not as prolific as other roach species like the German cockroach.

While American Cockroaches can be found in homes they tend to invade areas emitting food aromas such as basements, alleys, garbage cans, yards, resteraunts, food processing plants, and areas like resteraunts or kitchen countertops. This pest is more focused on warm, moist areas such as around food storage areas or other areas like around furnaces in garages, and attics. They are more likely to enter structures through sewers, drains, pipes, air ducts, framing around doors, and other plumbing connections.

Size

• Measures 2 inches long in length or more.

Color

• Dark reddish-brown in color with a yellow outline around the head and area behind the head.

Body Structure

• Bodies are broad oval-shaped with long wings that extends a bit past its abdomen whereas females are slightly shorter. Despites their wings length it is unable to support their bodies for long flight distances. For this reason, American cockroaches tend to run extremely fast from one destination to another. If started from high distances, this pest may glide a short length.

Unique Fact

• Prefer to live in groups and leave behind odorous musty secretions' to draw other members of its species to the area it is infesting.

Smokybrown Cockroach

The smokybrown cockroach is somewhat similar to the American Cockroach in shape and size with the difference that it is smaller. This large species of cockroach is primarily an outdoor pest, but can invade homes when temperatures become cool. They can find their way inside through crack and crevices around homes foundation, roof, around door and window frames, and sometimes around plumbing, air conditions vents, or through drains.

The smokybrown cockroach prefers a warm, dry environments near sources of moisture. In outdoor sites this pest can be found in piles of leaves, trees, under roof shingles, siding of home, tree, shrubs, stones, plant boxes, woodpiles, garages, within drains and sewers, and occasionally around water meter boxes. Once inside, they invade areas with heights such as attics, cracks and crevices in ceilings, cabinet shelves, and other elevated areas where moisture builds.

Size

• Large cockroach species with a measurement of 1.5 inches long in length.

Color

• Unlike the American cockroach, the smokybrown cockroach has a uniform reddish-mahogany brown color.

Body Structure

• Bodies are long and thin with an broad-oval shape when compared to American cockroach. However, compared to other cockroach species on this list they are the best fliers with wings that extend past their abdomen. Both males and female smokybrown cockroaches use their wings more than other cockroach species in search of food or suitable habitats.

Unique Fact

• Smokybrown cockroaches are prone to becoming more dehydrated than other cockroach species and must ingest water every 2 to 3 days to survive. Since this pest easily can become dehydrated they prefer to travel during night when heat is not high and moisture is more gathered in areas of property.

Oriental Cockroach

Oriental cockroaches is one of the most hardiest cockroaches equipped to survive multiple outdoor weather conditions, including freezing. Other names this pest is known by is the water bug due to its preference to invade cool, dark moist areas.

Common areas this pest infests is damp crawl spaces, basements, around plumbing drains and toilets, sewers, underneath porches and leaf piles, and around garbage cans. This pest can come inside around areas that creates moisture like sinks, plumbing, cracks and crevices within kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. These pests find their way inside of homes by traveling through sewers, pipes, drains, and underneath doors and windows.

Size

• This pest is halfway between the size of the German and American cockroach at 1.25 inches with males slighly larger at 1 inch.

Color

• Much darker in color than that of oriental cockroaches with their brown and black body coloration.

Body Structure

• Female oriental cockroaches are different than males with their bodies being more wide and wingless. Male oriental cockroaches do possess short wings, but like the female members of its species cannot fly.

Unique Fact

• Like American and German cockroaches, this pest does secrets a more stronger unpleasant musty odor. They are more debris feeders than other cockroach species making them more likely to transmit harmful diseases to homeowners.

Wood Roach

Wood roaches are one of the least encountered pests in homes since they mainly infest outdoor settings. Unlike other cockroach species this pest is attracted to light since it is most active during the day and not night. They are usually found in environments with consistent moisture and cover to shield themselves from predators such as underneath wood piles, dead trees, or rotting logs.

Though rare, this pest can travel into your home by following cracks and crevices and other gaps near outdoor light sources. Once inside this pest cannot survive very long due to the lack of moisture and coolness in air humidity.

Size

•  Compared to German Cockroaches, the wood roach is somewhat larger at three-quarters of an inch long to almost an inch and a half.

Color

• Has brown colored bodies with transparent white band that runs along the head and outer margin of abdomen.

Body Structure

• Similar to the American cockroach, this pest body is flat and oval shaped with wings extending past their abdomen. Compared to American Cockroaches, the wood roach can fly longer and smoother distances.

Unique Fact

• Wood roaches are not known to carry any diseases or invade indoors. Typically, this pest may come inside in search of moisture during periods of drought.

Key Takeaways

Which Cockroach Species Invade The Inside of Homes

• Cockroaches that come inside of homes is the German cockroach, brown-banded cockroaches, and American cockroach.

What Products to Use for Indoor Cockroach Infestations

• To eliminate indoor cockroach infestations, we recommend using Ficam Insect Bait, Apex Cockroach Gel Bait, D-Fense Dust, and Novacide Aerosol.

How to Eliminate Outdoor Cockroach Infestations

• Depending on the cockroach species, you are going to perform an outdoor perimeter treatment with Supreme IT. Then apply Ficam Insect Bait in both outdoor and indoor sites, and an indoor application with Apex Cockroach Gel Bait.