Having a roach infestation in your home can be a nightmare regardless of where you are, but Alabama has four specific roach species that will give you more than a headache if you need to deal with them.
We will discuss cockroaches in Alabama, so continue reading for more.
What Roaches Live in Alabama?
Technically speaking, roughly 30 different species of roaches live in Alabama. Thankfully, though only four of them actively threaten most people’s homes or businesses, those four would be the American, German, Asian, and Oriental cockroach.
1. American Cockroaches
We can quickly note American cockroaches as one of the most common roaches that find residency in Alabama. Still, they also claim another title, which just so happens to be the largest of all roach species in Alabama.
These roaches can measure from 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and are mostly brown. American cockroaches also contain two semi-circles on their back, which are traced in a light tan color. You can also tell what they are by a figure-eight yellow band on top of their heads.
Like most roaches, contrary to their names, they came from the Middle East and arrived via cargo ships bound here several hundred years ago. However, the insects didn’t make it here by accident because their rich diet of everything ensured their survival on the long trip.
Read More: How to Get Rid of and Kill the American Cockroach
2. German Cockroaches
German cockroaches tend to trigger allergic reactions among everyone who comes across them. These roaches will get into anything, including feces or other contaminated objects, causing potential illnesses.
In terms of their looks, German cockroaches contain two distinct black lines that run across their head and can make them appear to have even larger eyes.
Females and males can easily be distinguished from one another by the coloring, with males being tan and females being a darker shade of brown and featuring a larger abdomen, fit for the ootheca she will lay throughout her lifetime.
Another uncomfortable thought would be that the German cockroach does not technically go dormant throughout the year thanks to Alabama’s favorable climate and temperature for them to thrive year-round.
German cockroaches like to keep their pale brown bottoms hidden throughout the day, being extremely active at night when they prowl for food and moisture.
If you are on the hunt for them, though, crawl spaces, door frames, and air ducts are locations you’d want to double-check when attempting to eradicate German cockroaches.
3. Asian Cockroaches
Asian and American roaches are commonly mistaken for one another, especially since most of their physiology is identical. The most significant difference is that Asian cockroaches are a light brown color. While sporting the same bands, theirs are two light-colored bands, or at least a shade or two more delicate than the American.
As you would expect from a roach that is almost an exact copy of another, it mimics the same characteristics as the former. In this case, the most significant claim the two share would be the ability to fly, which is both disgusting and fascinating depending on your standing of them.
That is where similarities end because Asian roaches aren’t weak fliers. Even more astonishingly, they seek light and are attracted to it, so stepping outside for a midnight stroll might unknowingly invite a few of these into your home.
Between flying and being attracted to light, these might easily be the creepiest cockroach on this list. Still, the ride doesn’t end there because these bugs will infest any suitable location in the thousands, and the number ramps up to 250,000 per acre, assuming there is enough food to support them.
Read More: Key Tips on How to Get Rid of Asian Cockroaches
4. Oriental Cockroaches
Oriental cockroaches are dark brown, with reddish brown wings that are smaller on females and a bit larger on males. These bugs have another nickname, water bugs (see water bug versus cockroach), due to their preference for damp environments and the outside.
Bearing that in mind, these roaches have no problem running across your dirty dishes in pursuit of their next free meal and do so with frightening purpose, the cockroach waste created by these pests smells foul and can pose a serious health problem for pets and humans alike.
Suppose you happen to be unlucky enough for these to root around your pet food. In that case, your animal could become very ill, and potentially need to be taken to the vet, so its best to double down on your cockroach identification when admitting your furry friend to the doctor, so they can advise the best course of treatment.
Read More: How To Kill Oriental Cockroaches
Are Roaches in Alabama Dangerous?
Yes, roaches in Alabama can be dangerous due to the disgusting waste they leave, which harbors disease and bacteria. The possible cross-contamination from them skittering across surfaces should be cause for concern.
Handling any cockroach problem with finesse is imperative because spotting one roach can quickly spiral into a full-scale infestation. Checking to ensure your home is free of clutter, has no standing water sources, and clean are your best bet for staying safe.
Why Do I Have Roaches in My Home?
You may have roaches in your home for several reasons, like holes in the wall you aren’t aware of or not having the best cleaning habits, which invites these pests in for a meal on dirty silverware. If the common cockroach species find food, water, and shelter, they will essentially make it their home.
A cockroach problem doesn’t necessarily mean your home isn’t clean, as you can take note of discarded shells decorating the lining of your doorframe or windows, meaning they were waiting for any opportunity to sneak in.
Preventative Ways to Keep Roaches Out
You can handle cockroaches in Alabama by ensuring your home is nice and clean. Make sure to do the dirty dishes, vacuum, and declutter your home.
Ensure cockroaches do not have access to hydration and food, so placing your food in airtight sealed containers and fixing leaky faucets is also a must.
Fix holes and cracks in the walls, under your doors, and where your windows are to ensure these roaches do not enter your home.
Ways to Get Rid of Roaches in Alabama
These methods are some of the best ways to eliminate cockroaches from your home.
Boric Acid
Boric acid is an effortless way to get rid of roaches, and when paired with a solid bait, the musty odor from having roach droppings all over your home will be a thing of the past, as when roaches ingest boric acid, they die extremely quickly.
Glue Traps
Glue traps are an easy fire-and-forget solution to tackle anything with spiny legs that thinks they’ll be able to creep past this ingenious device, as once they step in the adhesive surface, there is no escape for them.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth kills roaches on contact, which can serve as a method to prevent infestations from occurring in the first place. Sprinkle the substance around any cracks, ridges, windows, or holes you find in your home and allow nature to run its course.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a fantastic roach extermination method. Still, it requires the insects to ingest the substance, so you must pair it with something like sugar to achieve the desired results. The baking soda causes a chemical reaction in their stomachs, making them explode.
Common Roaches in the Neighboring States
Since state borders are not barriers to pests, the cockroaches you’ll find in other states can easily make their way into Alabama. Because of this, you’ll want to know which ones you may also see.
In Georgia, you may come across German, American, Oriental, Asian, and smoky brown cockroaches. Meanwhile, in Florida, you’ll see those, plus brown-banded, Surinam, Pennsylvania wood roaches, and Australian roaches.
Contacting Pest Control
Tackling a roach infestation is only for some, as seeing something with six legs might cause you to flee the room instead of planning an attack. Therefore, reaching out to a professional exterminator might be your best action.
Enlisting the help of a professional will allow you to handle all pests with oval-shaped bodies and anything that might also prey upon them. Even better, though, a professional can diagnose what roach you are dealing with and help formulate a plan to get things back under control, which is welcome news when dealing with a bad infestation.
Overall, we hope you have learned something new. If you wish to learn more about controlling cockroaches, please check out the rest of our articles!
