If you are reading up on this, you might be concerned about a potential Oriental cockroach infestation. On the other hand, one might need some intricate details about this glossy bug that can crop up anywhere and everywhere throughout a home! In that case, what are Oriental cockroaches?
These one-inch pesky bugs are reddish-brown in color. Their carapace appears very shiny, which can cause quite a stir if you have an infestation and turn the lights on quickly. Overall, if you have an infestation, turning the lights on at night can cause multiple Oriental roaches to run away fast!
This article discusses where these insects live, their habits, and the life cycle of an Oriental cockroach. If you have an infestation, you will want to learn all there is to know about these pests!
Where Do Oriental Cockroaches Live?
Oriental cockroaches (Blatta orientalis) live in damp, moist places like gutters and under vast amounts of decaying organic matter. Occasionally, these roaches live in a pile of mulch should the mood strike them. The biggest takeaway to expect would be if the area is moist year-round, you can expect these bugs to crop up in one way or another.
This glossy roach can often be found in sewer pipes and garbage cans. Still, they can nestle comfortably in damp basements or right outside your home in clumps of leaf litter that you may or may still need to remember to get around to this year.
What Are Oriental Cockroaches’ Habits?
The Oriental cockroach’s habits are to seek shelter, moisture, and food, like all roaches. However, these giant cockroaches can easily be mistaken for other bugs, such as black beetles, due to them having overlapping areas they inhabit.
Like most roaches, Oriental cockroaches are nocturnal. They spend most of their time scavenging for water and food to sustain them and retreating to their hiding spots when the day approaches. They often remain alongside hundreds of their brethren, awaiting to repeat this cycle.
After mating, the females of this cockroach species will search for a safe place to deposit their oothecae or egg cases for those of us who do not want to get too scientific. These egg cases mature quickly in about 42 days, resulting in a new brood of these detestable insects.
Oriental Cockroach Life Cycle
Oriental cockroaches live anywhere between 6 to 12 months from birth to adulthood. It is difficult to get rid of Oriental cockroaches due to how fast they reproduce and how well they are at hiding their egg sacs.
Only one day after mating, the females are ready to produce an egg. The egg sac can be deposited into an area they deem safe two days after production.
Assuming conditions are met temperature-wise and no other harm befalls the dark brown oothecae, the egg capsules will hatch in just 42 days. This yields nymphs ready to inspect and infest an area with vigor. This is needed because it takes 300 to 800 days to reach sexual maturity when the process can begin anew.
Are Oriental Cockroaches Harmful?
Yes, Oriental cockroaches can be harmful. The Oriental cockroaches’ dangerous origins do not come from a bug that can bite or attack. On the contrary, these roaches spread diseases and bacteria across any surfaces they walk upon.
Adult Oriental cockroaches will skitter along kitchen countertops, inside food crates, and pantries in their search. In that case, they give rise to E. coli, dysentery, and other disgusting ailments that might occur from someone touching them. Even worse than that, people might get these sicknesses by ingesting something one of these cretins has walked upon.
The withering steps of Oriental cockroaches can cause food poisoning due to cross-contamination. They can spread germs across food preparation surfaces, making them particularly nasty in kitchens. For these reasons and more, you do not want to have any interactions with these bugs and should try to eliminate them from your kitchen and other areas as soon as possible.
Why Do I Have Oriental Cockroaches in My House?
You have Oriental cockroaches in your home because they seek their essentials: food, shelter, and water. Female Oriental cockroaches tend to be even more active in some cases than their male counterparts. This is especially true when looking for new food sources and moisture areas.
To that end, these pests will infiltrate through crawl spaces, floor drains, sewer pipes, and any damp locations you might have cropped up in your home that have a way to get inside. Once the initial damp areas have been found, the infestation can begin in earnest within a few months, with other roach species turning up as well, like German cockroaches.
Carefully inspecting your home’s storm drains, garbage disposals, and any openings beneath porches can help answer how the roaches got in. Still, more importantly, you should concern yourself with how to get them out.
Are Oriental Roaches Hard to Get Rid Of?
Yes, Oriental cockroaches are hard to get rid of, especially in your home. They will infiltrate your home in many ways, resorting to climbing stone walls, wading through flower beds, or even getting in through gaps beneath siding that has been exposed. Regardless, these bugs can be slain as adults, but the difficulties begin when you need to eradicate the nymphs and eggs.
Oriental roaches’ eggs can slip and slide along a sewer pipe or into hard-to-reach areas. This makes treating them with pesticides problematic, as an Oriental cockroach problem is only remedied when you eliminate the next rising generation, not the one currently inhabiting the area. As such, it’s common to use a pest control company to combat an infestation instead of fighting it alone.
How to Prevent a Cockroach Infestation
The best way to prevent a cockroach infestation would be to inspect your home for any holes both inside and outside and seal them up immediately. Make sure to prioritize areas that have access to moist areas.
For example, some places in your home might have created damp spots, like under a washer that leaks. In that case, removing moisture from your home is the most significant way to control Oriental cockroaches. This is both an active defense and a strategy to help turn the tide of an active infestation.
Final Takeaway
Oriental cockroaches are disgusting, but with proper preparation, you can keep them from becoming an issue on your property or home. Remove leaf clutter, keep your home dry, and do clean frequently.
If you need more than these steps, you can contact a licensed exterminator for more in-depth plans that will prove effective in your area and your home’s location.
