HEALTH THREAT: Discarded skin and dropping can cause severe allergice reations and asthma attacks. The German Cockroach is also known for biting humans and attacking open wounds.

PROPERTY THREAT: Roaches contaminate food sources, gnaw on curtains, walls and furniture causing hundreds of dollars in property damage.  

Common Types of Cockroaches

American Cockroach

ALSO KNOWN AS: Flying Water Bug or Palmetto Bug

            American cockroaches thrive in warm, moist areas ranging between 70 to 80 degrees farenheit. In homes you may find them in your kitchen or inside your pantry snacking on sugar. In businesses, American cockroaches are often found lurking in boiler rooms, steam tunnels and basements. The American cockroach is more aggresive than other common species of cockroaches. American cockroaches are extremely good flyers, large in size and will openly gather together in the middle of your kitchen floor during daylight hours.

            Traits of an American Cockroach

            Length: 1/2 - 2 inches

            Wings: Reddish-brown

            Markings: Light markings on thorax

            Commonly seen during the day-time

Brown-Banded Cockroach

          Brown-Banded Cockroaches are usually found inside furniture where it is dry, warm, and high off the ground. This small cockroach can make its home practically anywhere in your home or office. They are commonly found in living rooms, pantries, bathrooms, bedrooms and in office furniture late at night, as they are nocturnal creatures.

          Traits of a Brown-Banded Cockroach

          Length: 5/8-inch

          Color: Reddish-brown

          Markings: Two brownish-yellow bands on wings

          Commonly seen during the night-time

          Can fly

German Cockroach

ALSO KNOWN AS: Croton bug, steam fly or steam bug

          German Cockroaches are common in homes, offices and restaurants. Due to their small size, the German cockroach has been transported all over the world in products and packages. While the German cockroach is unable to fly, it can reproduce rapidly, meaning a fast, widespread infestation in your home or business.  Known for its desire to survive, the German cockroach can thrive in temperature controlled buildings and cold harsh climates such as the Canadian High Arctic. When foods they prefer such as sugar, grease and meat are scarce, they will eat household items such as soap, glue and toothpaste. In extreme cases they will even go so far as to bite off the wings and legs of their fellow cockroaches or attach open wounds, sores and eybrows of humans.

          Traits of a German Cockroach

          Length: ½ inch

          Color: Pale yellow-brown or brown to almost black

          Markings: Two dark streaks starting from the head ending at the base of its wings

          Nocturnal

          Can glide from high places to low ones

Oriental Cockroach

ALSO KNOWN AS: Water bug, shade roach, or black beetle

          Oriental Cockroach infestations are usually found wherever there is water. They prefer cool areas, forcing them indoors during summer. Areas Oriental cockroaches are most likely to infest first are basements, service ducts, bathtubs, sinks, pipes and radiators.

          Traits of an Oriental cockroach

          Length: As long as one-inch in length

          Color: shiny, blackish-brown

          Does not fly

Smokeybrown Cockroach

          Smokeybrown cockroaches prefer lush areas such as greenhouses, nurseries and gardens. However, if their numbers grow large enough they infest homes, starting in your attic. Attics are perfect breeding grounds for smokeybrown cockroach, they are damp, dark and poorly ventilated, allowing your smokeybrown cockroach to breed and grow in numbers for months before you become aware.  

          Traits of a Smokeybrown Cockroach

          Length: At most 1.5 inches

          Color: Deep brown

          Markings: White antennal tips

          Can fly

          Attracted to light