Identification
- Beetle-like insects with relatively small heads and broad, flattened bodies
- Reddish-brown to dark brown in color with large compound eyes and long, flexible antennae
- Hardy insects that can tolerate a wide range of environments
- Generalized insects, with few special adaptations
Hazards
- Breed continuously, saturating areas while spreading disease and infection
- Carry bacteria, viruses, and dangerous pathogens, which contaminates food and surfaces
- Destroy living environments
- Can trigger allergies and asthma symptoms, especially in children
- In many states, a health inspector can shut down a business for even just one cockroach sighting
Activity
- Can enter homes and businesses via cracks and crevices, basement windows, garages, drains, and sewer pipes
- Able to fly in when attracted to a light source
- Commonly brought in on infested items like cardboard
- Nocturnal creatures, performing all foraging and mating at night
- In Northern states, cockroaches are active through spring and fall
- May be active through the winter if they find a warm place to live (i.e. homes and businesses)
- In warmer states, cockroaches are active year-round
Location
- Found throughout the US
- Prefer warm, moist areas that are close to food and moisture, like bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, basements, and crawl spaces
- Specific spots include food prep areas, porous surfaces like cardboard, cabinets and cupboards, garbage cans, and especially underneath or behind appliances like stoves and refrigerators
Facts
- Cockroaches pre-date some dinosaurs, with fossils that date back 350 million years
- Cockroaches cannot survive in temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cockroaches can live for several weeks without a head
- Cockroaches will eat almost anything, including glue, soap, dead roaches, and the stains on fabric
