When dealing with a cockroach infestation, you might want to consider what type of roaches you have in your household. Two very common species you may face are the oriental cockroach and the American cockroach.
American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) are giant compared to oriental cockroaches (Blatta orientalis). However, oriental cockroaches are drawn to water, whereas American cockroaches love food and water. Still, both types breed rather quickly, which causes issues if they come into your home.
This article will discuss what the oriental cockroach vs American cockroach looks like. We will also discuss multiple differences between the two insects and will help you recognize both.
If you want to know what the main differences are, continue reading.
1. The Difference in Size
American cockroaches are much larger than oriental cockroaches. Therefore, if you see a rather large insect, it might be an American cockroach.
American cockroaches are anywhere between 1.4 to 1.6 inches (35 to 41 mm). However, some of these insects have been known to grow up to 2 inches long (50.8 mm).
However, oriental cockroaches are roughly 1 to 1.25 inches long (22 to 27 mm).
2. Difference in Appearance
The American roach is reddish-brown, whereas oriental cockroaches are between dark brown and black.
American Roaches
American cockroaches have a light brown or light yellow band that outlines the area behind their head.
Their body shape is oval, with six legs and long antennae stretching roughly 4 centimeters.
These insects have wings and can fly short distances, but this is more like a gliding technique than anything else.
Oriental Roaches
On the other hand, oriental cockroaches have a glossy appearance. Their body shape is oval and contains six legs with a long antenna.
Male oriental cockroaches have wingspan covering 3/4ths of their body, whereas females have tiny wings. Unlike American roaches, an oriental bug cannot fly.
3. Habitat and Location
The American cockroach likes climates in warm and damp areas, whereas oriental roaches like cool and humid areas the most.
American Roaches
These insects love to live in warm weather, especially in areas between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, where there is food and water. Most are found in alleys, yards, mulch, and flower beds.
However, if there is a shortage of food in the area American roaches will attempt to invade your home .
These critters are common in commercial buildings, food preparation areas, grocery stores, and other areas. You will also find them in crawl spaces, sidewalks, porches, and other places.
They are well-known in North America, Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands.
Oriental Roaches
Oriental cockroaches are typically found outside. These roaches live in decaying organic matter under dead trees, debris, stones, and firewood.
However, oriental cockroaches travel through sewer pipes and may come up through your drains, especially during the summertime.
If things get too out of hand, it might become a roach problem in bathrooms, your basement, crawl space, etc.
In terms of the oriental roaches’ location, they live in many places worldwide, including the United States, South America, Europe, Australia, and Israel.
On the other hand, because of international trade through planes and boats, you will find these cockroaches worldwide.
4. Dietary Needs
American and oriental cockroaches have the exact same dietary needs and food preferences.
These roaches like sugary and starchy foods, greasy foods, and meats, especially out of the garbage.
On the other hand, they will also eat organic materials like skin flakes, hair, furniture, and more.
You will quickly find that both insects are not picky eaters at all. As long as there is food in the area, they will eat it.
5. Different Types of Predators
Some cockroach predators are humans, birds, lizards, salamanders, toads, geckos, and fish.
Humans are their worst predators because we have declared war on eliminating them from our homes. People will use anything from natural remedies to pesticides to control and eliminate the population.
If you have a roach infestation, we have many topics on how to get rid of them.
6. Different Conservation Status
Oriental and American cockroaches are not in trouble in terms of conservation. If anything, people are trying to depopulate their existence due to how many homes get infested with roaches.
However, roaches play an important part in the ecosystem by breaking down decaying organic matter and feces from within an area.
On the other hand, roaches spread bacteria and cause health threats to our society due to touching things and areas humans should not consume.
7. Reproduction Rate
Female American cockroaches lay roughly one case of eggs (or oothecae) per month for ten months. They will lay 16 eggs per case with an average of 160 offspring.
On the other hand, female oriental cockroaches lay about 16 eggs at a time but only produce eight oothecae with an average of 128 offspring.
If you have a couple of these roaches enter your home, you can see how easy it is to have a roach infestation. However, if you catch it early enough, they would not be much of an issue.
Read More: How Fast Do Roaches Multiply & Reproduce?
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Worry About Oriental Cockroaches?
Yes, you should worry about oriental cockroaches, especially if they are inside your home. Oriental roaches transfer bacteria and other diseases like salmonella, food poisoning, E. coli, and more.
These transfers can happen from stuff in the kitchen they crawl on, like dishes, food, countertops, and utensils.
Oriental and other roaches can make the people in your household sick this way.
Are American Cockroaches Harmful?
No, American cockroaches are not harmful because they will not hurt you physically.
However, like oriental roaches, they will spread germs and contaminate food by eating feces and other materials that might cause you to get sick.
On top of this, American roaches may trigger allergies and cause other issues to human health.
How Many Different Types of Cockroaches Are in the World?
There are over 4,000+ different types of cockroach species in the world. However, here are some of the most common species you will see:
- German cockroaches (Blattella germanica)
- Brown-banded cockroaches (Supella longipalpa)
- Australian cockroaches (Periplaneta australasiae)
- Asian cockroaches (Blattella asahinai)
