Pest Library

Characteristics

The oriental cockroach is a large cockroach that is about one inch in length. Both the male and female roaches have a rotten, greasy, dark brown coloration. The male cockroach can fly at least 10 feet while the female cockroach cannot fly. The female also has a wider body than the male. They are slow and can barely climb because their feet do not have sticky pads.

Habitat

Migration happens during the cold weather and they may stay in basements, crawl spaces, in sinks, under refrigerators, washing machines, etc. These roaches will find their way inside your home through sewer pipes, cracks in the foundation, and the likes. Once they enter your home, they will leave a scent trail so that the other roaches can get in. When these roaches are outdoors, they can be found living in sewers, utility pipes, sidewalks, mulches, and in moist places.

Behavior

The oriental cockroach is also known as water bugs because they like to stay in cool, dark and damp places. Both the nymphs and the adults prefer to stay in decaying organic matter, in garbage cans, sewers, kitchens, bathrooms, and the likes. The filth that they will get from these areas can easily be transferred to food tables, dishes, food and food supplies, and more.

Food

Oriental cockroaches are one of the filthiest creatures around because they love to feed on any form of rubbish. They can eat anything that includes animals, plants, and any other food that is available to them. They can drink any type of liquid and mostly prefer to feed on garbage. When these roaches invade homes, they will feed on anything that is left out. Although they like sugary and starchy products, they can still eat anything your kitchen offers.

Life Cycle

The life cycle of an oriental cockroach starts with the female creating an egg capsule that contains 16 eggs during the spring or early summer. In her lifetime this female can create an average of eight ootheca. The female will carry her capsule or ootheca for at least 30 hours, and then will drop it in an area where food is available for the nymphs. The nymphs will not receive any assistance from their mother once they come out of their eggs. Nymphal stages will take 24 to 130 weeks to complete. Once the nymph becomes an adult during the fall, it will only have at least 5 to 26 weeks to live. During that time, they will be able to create their own eggs and the cycle will continue.

Other Information and Tips

The oriental cockroach is considered house pests because of their filthy habits. They are known to transmit different bacteria and parasitic worms. These cockroaches can easily pick up germs once their legs and bodies passed on decaying matter or sewage, and then passed it to the surfaces of food.

Since these roaches can pose a threat to people, eliminating them is just natural. However, this cockroach has created a resistance to certain insecticides so it is important to find the right cockroach in order to eliminate them.

Some ways to control them:
• Repair cracks in the house foundation
• Repair leaky pipes in the basement, kitchen and bathroom
• Run a dehumidifier to control moisture
• Seal food in tight containers
• Vacuum the floors regularly