Facts About American Cockroaches

The American cockroach is the largest cockroach found in the Mid-Atlantic region and the most common cockroach in sewers in the US. The adults can grow to between 1.5 and 2 inches in length. American cockroaches are large insects with flattened, reddish-brown bodies and matching wings and have unique, yellow-colored “halos” on their backs behind their heads. From the side, you can see that cockroaches have exposed wings rather than wings covered by a hard outer casing. This trait helps to separate them from beetles that may look like cockroaches. They are pretty hideous which is why you will want a cockroach exterminator immediately.

Wing length varies between male and female American cockroaches. Males have long wings that extend past the tips of their abdomens, while females’ wings are about the same length as their abdomens. The largest home-infesting species in the area, American cockroach adults grow to between one and a half inches and two inches in length. Pests in the early stages of the cockroach life cycle are often different sizes. Nymphs may only measure a few millimeters after they hatch.

Cockroaches scurry away from light so they may be difficult to not only identify, but to see at all. There are telltale signs, though. Cockroaches produce a large number of feces. They can poop anywhere they go, but their droppings tend to remain close to their nesting or feeding areas. Roach poop looks like specks of pepper, coffee grounds, or dark grains of rice. The size of the feces is directly related to the size of the cockroach. Another sign of cockroach activity in your home are castaway shells. Roaches multiply very quickly. In the reproductive process, female roaches will create a protective shell for eggs. This shell eventually falls away. Their size and color depends on the species of cockroach, but most shells are 10mm in length or shorter and darker in color. They also have a very distinct smell. Chances are good that you’ll smell a roach infestation before you see one. The trademark musty, oily roach smell comes from pheromones secreted to attract mates. They may be small but they are not completely silent. Keep an ear tuned to your walls for chirping, hissing, and scratching. Remember, roaches are nocturnal, so such noises are most likely to happen at night.

Female American cockroaches produce egg capsules inside their bodies and deposit them from the ends of their abdomens. They then use secretions from their mouths to glue down their egg cases. American cockroaches lay around 14 to 16 eggs inside that protective case. These purse-shaped egg capsules are around five-sixteenths of an inch long and reddish-brown. Dark brown capsules stuck to walls or the undersides of objects in hidden areas around your home or business.