Know Your Enemy
Accurate identification of pests is as important as choosing the best preventive pest management available on the market today. Preventive Pest Control has compiled a list of most common pests to help you identify the problem.
Brown Cockroach
(Periplaneta brunnea)
Characteristics
The adult brown cockroach is mostly reddish brown that has a yellow margin on its pronotum. It is 1 3/5 inch in length, and belongs to the family Blattidae that was originally from Africa. However, its distribution now is mostly widespread and can now be found pestering homes as it can only survive indoors.
The brown cockroach is sometimes mistaken for the American cockroach because of their similarities. However, the brown cockroach is reddish brown, has fully developed wings, and has a thicker, broader, triangular cerci. Its ootheca is 1/2 to 63/100 inch long that has an average of 24 eggs inside.
Habitat
Although it originally came from Africa, it has now enjoyed its wider distribution in places with cooler climates. It is a known household pest since it can only survive indoors. This cockroach has been infiltrating human dwellings and are commonly found in kitchens, bathrooms, grocery stores, restaurants, and so on.
Behavior
The brown cockroach is known to adapt to any situation, which allows this cockroach to survive in colder climates even though it came from Africa. They are nocturnal insects and may be seen searching for food at night. They prefer to stay in moist, dark places where they will not be easily disturbed.
Food
The brown cockroach can eat any organic materials. They can eat sweets, proteins, even wallpaper paste and book bindings.
Life Cycle
The life cycle of a brown cockroach begins as an egg. Once this cockroach is released from its ootheca, it will be a nymph, then finally becomes an adult. Their appearance will gradually change through molting. As a nymph, this cockroach has a body that is soft and white, but through molting, its body will become darker and the exterior body will harden. The stage from a nymph to an adult may just take six weeks, but their growth will still depend on the conditions of their environment.
Other Information and Tips
Since brown cockroaches live indoors, they are a pest. Cockroaches are not something most homeowners want to live together with because of their foul odor, appearance, behavior, and dangers of having them around. They can defile food, destroy structures, and can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
With all the negativity involving these pests, it is important for most homeowners to get rid of them as effective as they can. Common cockroach control that can be done with these pests are dusts, baits, and insecticides. However, cockroaches are persistent creatures. They will continue to come back and even live in the same habitat even if they have been eliminated there. For serious infestations, or if you feel that these pests are too much to handle, better consult a pest control company that will help you deal with these cockroaches.
Photo by Caroline Harding, MAF Plant Health & Environment Laboratory [CC BY 3.0 au], via Wikimedia Commons / resized from original
