When dealing with a cockroach infestation, one of the many things you will want to consider is what main types of roaches there are.
Once you have discovered what species you might be dealing with and their behavior, you can approach things differently. However, what main types of cockroaches are there?
The five main types of cockroaches that are most commonly found are:
- American roach
- German roach
- Brown-banded roach
- Oriental roach
- Smokybrown roach
However, there are other species we will briefly discuss below, like the Australian cockroach, Asian cockroach, and more.
In this article, we will discuss what these cockroaches look like and what different traits each one has. We will also discuss how to eliminate each one and briefly discuss different types of cockroaches. Continue reading for more information.
What Do Cockroaches Look Like?
Many cockroaches have oval-shaped, flat bodies with two long antennas and spiny legs. Many roaches are reddish-brown, light brown, or black. Size, color, and markings will all vary between species.
American Cockroach
American cockroaches are roughly 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length. These roaches fly short distances from high elevations to lower levels.
They have a unique yellow band on the back of their heads and are a dark reddish-brown.
Read More: How to Get Rid of American Cockroaches
Brown-Banded Cockroach
Brown-banded roaches are tiny at about 1/2 inch long. The female brown-banded cockroach has underdeveloped wings, meaning they do not fly. On the other hand, males have whole wings and can fly.
Read More: How to Get Rid of Brown-Banded Cockroaches
German Cockroach
German roaches are small, ranging from 1/2 to 5/8 inch long. These insects’ colors are light brown or tan, with two dark brown stripes on their backs.
Read More: How to Get Rid of German Cockroaches
Oriental Cockroach
Oriental cockroaches are 1 to 1 1/4 inches long. These insects have wings but do not fly.
Oriental roaches have dark brown to black colored bodies with a glossy appearance.
Read More: I Found an Oriental Cockroach In My House: How to Get Rid of Them
Smokybrown Cockroach
Smokybrown cockroaches are small, ranging from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches in size. Their coats are shiny brownish-black and contain wings that allow them to fly very well.
What Reproduction Does Each Roach Have?
Each cockroach species has a different reproduction. However, many are relatively similar.
American Cockroach
On average, American cockroaches produce roughly one egg case called an ootheca each month for ten months.
The female cockroaches lay roughly 16 eggs per case, totaling about 160 offspring.
Brown-Banded Cockroach
Female brown-banded cockroaches lay roughly 14 egg cases which contain 10 to 18 eggs per ootheca.
Given that information, you can expect them to lay 140 to 252 offspring in their lifetime!
German Cockroach
German cockroaches also have an extremely high reproduction rate, producing 4 or 5 oothecae in their lifetime.
Still, these egg cases contain roughly 20 to 40 eggs per case, making that 80 to 200 offspring. Unfortunately, their quick reproduction makes it quite likely that you would come across baby German cockroach nymphs if you have an infestation.
Oriental Cockroach
Oriental roaches will produce eight egg cases in their lifetime, laying about 16 eggs each time. This leads the oriental cockroach to have about 128 offspring.
Smokybrown Cockroach
Lastly, the smokybrown cockroach produces six egg cases before they die, with 40 to 45 eggs per case. The number of offspring they contain is anywhere between 240 and 270.
The Differences in Location & Climate
Most cockroach species live under large appliances, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and other damp or warm and cool areas. However, their ranges can be quite different.
American Cockroach
American roaches live in shady, moist areas like hollow trees, mulch, and wood piles. You can also find these creatures in attics and under roof shingles.
The American cockroach lives in basements, kitchens, laundry rooms, storage areas, and behind appliances and cabinets.
These insects are well-known in North America, Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands.
Read More: How to Get Rid of Cockroaches in the Kitchen
Brown-Banded Cockroach
Brown-banded roaches are extremely good at hiding and prefer warm, dry places. They will often be hiding inside your pantry, closet, and cabinets and might be inside electronics or around your fridge’s motor.
These insects originated in Africa, but you can also find them in Europe and America.
Read More: How to Get Roaches Out of Your Electronics and Small Appliances
German Cockroach
German cockroaches live in warm, moist areas with food and water available. However, you’ll often find them in kitchens and bathrooms, where an infestation would occur the most.
These cockroaches were initially found in Africa but made their way around worldwide.
Read More: Bathroom Cockroaches
Oriental Cockroach
Oriental cockroaches like cold and damp areas and will go into your basement and crawl space. However, oriental cockroaches prefer to live outside in the hotter months. Oriental roaches are commonly found in the United States.
Read More: Seeing Cockroaches in Your Basement?
Smokybrown Cockroaches
Smokybrown cockroaches live under leaf litter, planter boxes, wood piles, and similar places.
These insects typically hide under roof shingles, near your meter box, in the garage, in the shed, and in other places.
Smokybrown insects are found in central Texas to Florida but can also be found in other states like Illinois, North Carolina, California, and Indiana.
The Cockroach Diet
Almost all cockroaches eat decaying organic matter, like plants and animals. However, they also like starchy foods, meats, sweets, and anything else they can find. If food is scarce, cockroaches will turn to paper materials, human and pet hair, dead plants, and cardboard boxes.
On top of this, these insects will eat other dead insects and feces. Because they eat poop, they carry diseases wherever they go.
Unfortunately, this means going into your home and crawling on your perfectly cleaned countertops and other food areas.
Because their diet is so vast, it is challenging to eliminate them from your home. Still, there are things you can do to ensure they go away, which is what we will discuss later.
Which Cockroaches Are Hardest to Get Rid Of?
German cockroaches are the hardest to get rid of. This is because their reproduction rate is exceptionally high, and they like living in areas that are hard to reach.
German roaches survive on very little and can infest your home anytime during the year. These insects destroy almost everything they touch, including appliances, electronics, and furniture.
You cannot use a fire-and-forget bug bomb on these critters, either. Your very best bet to eliminate these pests is through a professional exterminator.
How Many Different Cockroach Species Are There?
There are roughly 4,500+ different cockroach species out there. However, only 55 live in the United States, whereas the rest live in other parts worldwide.
In America, only a handful of cockroaches are considered beneficial, whereas 30 are pests. You can find multiple types of roaches in different regions of the United States.
For example, Tennessee is the most likely state to have cockroaches, whereas North Dakota is less likely to have them. However, this does not mean roaches are not a possibility in unlikely areas.
What Kind of Roaches Infest Your House?
The main roaches that infest your house are American roaches, German roaches, smoky brown roaches, oriental roaches, and brown-banded roaches.
However, there are more uncommon cockroaches that infest your home. Here are some of them below:
Wood Cockroach
A wood cockroach is drawn to light and enters your home mainly through the porch light is on.
Wood cockroaches are an outdoor species and live in moist areas like mulch and woodpiles. These critters are chestnut brown and are roughly an inch long. They have flat, oval-shaped bodies with six legs and long antennae.
If your home has anything that requires burning wood, like a fireplace, make sure to inspect your wood before putting it in your home.
Read More: How to Get Rid of Wood Cockroaches
Asian Cockroach
Asian cockroaches will most likely enter your home through doors and windows where the light is.
These critters look very similar to German cockroaches by being light brown with bold, dark stripes behind its head.
However, Asian female cockroaches have large wings covering the entire egg case length.
What Is the Dirtiest Cockroach?
The oriental cockroach is considered the dirtiest cockroach species because it produces a potent smell. The oriental cockroach is also called a “water bug” because you can find this roach mostly in sewers.
Read More: How Do You Get Rid of the Cockroach Smell?
However, all cockroaches carry diseases wherever they go. For example, if cockroaches live in your walls, they might poop on them, leaving marks for you to clean up.
However, another critical factor is that cockroaches transfer bacteria and other viruses on hard surfaces, dishes, food, and utensils.
Some diseases and sicknesses include but are not limited to the following:
- E. coli
- Salmonella
- Food poisoning
- Diarrhea
- Cholera
- Typhoid fever
- Leprosy
- Plague
Other Less Common Roach Species
There are quite a few less common roach species we will discuss briefly:
- Australian cockroach, which is brown with a yellow line on its head
- Cinereous cockroach, which is ashy gray
- Cuban cockroach is light green with a pale yellow color in the front of their heads
- Death head cockroach, which has jet black wings and an amber-colored head
- Florida woods cockroach, which is reddish-brown to black
Different Types of Roaches in Texas
Texas’s five roaches are the German, smokybrown, American, oriental, and brown-banded cockroaches.
These roaches are commonly found in Texas due to their preference for a dry, warm location.
Different Types of Roaches in Florida
There are quite a few more different types of roaches in Florida. These cockroaches include the following:
- German cockroach
- American cockroach
- Asian cockroach
- Florida woods cockroach
- Smokybrown cockroach
- Brown-banded cockroach
- Surinam cockroach
- Pennsylvania wood cockroach
- Australian cockroach
- Oriental cockroach
Frequently Asked Questions
What Time of Year Are Roaches the Worst?
The time of year when roaches are the worst is around spring and summertime. If temperatures are above 50 degrees in your home, they can be active all year long.
It is essential to check doorways when you enter and leave your home. You never know what small critters may sneak past you and enter your home that way.
What Kind of Roaches Infest Your House?
There are plenty of kinds of roaches that can infest your home. However, the four most common are as follows:
- American cockroaches
- German cockroaches
- Brown-banded cockroaches
- Oriental cockroaches
Given that information, it is essential to learn their behaviors, where they hide, and how these roaches enter your home to ensure you can eliminate them from the premises.
Knowing Different Roaches Helps
Knowing what different roaches you have will help you better understand their behavior and other such things.
For example, if you see a German cockroach in your home, you can know how much they reproduce and start taking immediate action. Another thing is understanding where each bug hides so you can go to those areas first.
Overall, we wish you great luck on your journey to eliminating these pests from your home!
