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.
Japanese Cockroach
(Periplaneta japonica)
Characteristics
The adult Japanese cockroach are 1 to 1 3/5 inch in length. They have a glossy, black or blackish-brown body. The male’s wings are longer than females. The males have wingspans that are longer than their body. The females have wings that are just half their body length.
Habitat
The Japanese cockroach is common in parts of Asia. However, their existence has recently been discovered in the United States, specifically in New York. In Japan, these cockroaches can be found in decayed woods specifically in oak trees.
Behavior
Unlike other cockroaches, the Periplaneta japonica can survive in the freezing cold outdoors. Even nymphs can hibernate for two months at sub-freezing temperatures. They are nocturnal creatures that will stay hidden during the day. At night, this cockroach may be seen in the bark of oak trees.
Food
The Japanese cockroach can feed on a variety of food. They will consume on decayed plant matter, dead insects and fecal matter.
Life Cycle
The life cycle of the Periplaneta japonica is just like any other cockroaches. They produce eggs that may consist of 20 eggs in an ootheca. Once the nymphs emerge, they will need to complete instar stages. They can live for two years. With the first instar in winter, and the second stage as an adult.
Other Information and Tips
Although the Japanese cockroach may have already surfaced in the United States, this should not be a cause for alarm. Further studies are still being conducted in the appearance of the Japanese cockroach in an elevated walking park in High Line, Manhattan. The small population of this cockroach in New York still live outdoors and no reports yet have claimed that they have seen this cockroach indoors.
However, for New Yorkers who want to make certain that this cockroach will not try to get indoors, make certain to always conduct proper sanitation inside and outside the home. Food debris from floors and other surfaces should be avoided. Since this cockroach can live in cold weather, place a dehumidifier to help the home create dry air that may eliminate egg cases.