1. Prepared by: Jack Launius

2. Cockroaches and
What You Need To
Know
This course covers identification and biology of
German, Brown banded, Oriental, American
cockroaches and includes detection, sanitation
and control strategies. You'll also learn the
harborage habits and most common areas of
harborage.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.

3. COCKROACHES What You Need To Know
• Cockroaches are oval, flattened,
fast-moving insects. They have long, hair
like antennae and a broad saddle like
plate (pronotum) that covers the head.
Adult stages of most species have wings,
with the front pair being thickened and
leathery.
• Cockroaches go through gradual
metamorphosis, with three basic stages
in their life cycle: egg, nymph and adult.
• The eggs are laid in bean like egg
capsules, called ootheca, which may
contain several dozen eggs or more.
Ootheca

4. COCKROACHES What You Need To Know
• Cockroaches go through
gradual metamorphosis,
with three basic stages in
their life cycle: egg, nymph
and adult.

5. COCKROACHES
What
You
Need
To
Know
These egg capsules are often dropped around food
sources or glued to surfaces,
Although some cockroaches carry the capsule
during its development. The immature stages are
called nymphs.
Several nymphal stages occur, each separated by a
molt. The nymphs generally appear similar to the
adult stage, but
They lack wings and are smaller. Typically, two to
three months pass while they complete their life
cycle.

6. COCKROACHES
What You Need
To Know
• Cockroaches hide in dark, warm areas, especially narrow
spaces where surfaces touch them on both sides. Adult
German cockroaches can hide in a crack 1/16 inch wide.
• Immature cockroaches tend to stay in even smaller
cracks where they are well protected. Cockroaches tend
to congregate in corners while foraging and generally
travel along the edges of walls or other surfaces.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

7. Cockroaches are among the oldest group of insects known, with fossils
dating back 200 million years. As a group, the cockroaches have shown
exceptional ability to adapt to and survive in a wide range of
environments, including human dwellings.
• Most cockroaches are
capable of developing
on a wide range of food,
and their flattened body
form allows them to
move into tight areas.
Cockroaches have also
developed a high level
of resistance to many
commonly used
insecticides.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

8. • Cockroaches can enter
buildings and containers of
all kinds. They also may
enter around loose-fitting
doors and windows and
through utility lines, and
they may travel through
sewers.
• Once within a home,
Cockroaches tend to prefer
warm, dark, moist shelters
and are often found near
kitchens and food-handling
areas. Since cockroaches
are nocturnal, they are
rarely seen during the day
unless overcrowding of the
population is occurring.

9. •Aside from their importance as a household nuisance, they may
contaminate areas with their salivary secretions and excrement
leaving an unpleasant odor.
•Cockroaches and cockroach parts also produce allergic reactions
in some humans.
•Cockroaches haven’t been found to be direct carriers of human
disease. However, their habits of feeding on filth or disease
organisms make them well suited to mechanically contaminate
food or utensils.
• They are suspected of helping to spread diseases such as
dysentery, diarrhea, and food poisoning.

10. German Cockroach (Blatella germanica)
•*Adults are pale brown to tan and about
one-half inch long.
•* Adults have wings and are distinguished
by having two dark stripes that run
lengthwise along the pronotum, behind the
head.
•*This species has the highest reproductive
potential (number of eggs laid and shortest
life cycle) of the house-infesting
cockroaches.

11. German Cockroach
(Blatella
germanica)
• *Females carry their egg capsule, protruding from
their abdomen, until the eggs are ready to hatch.
Females produce about four to eight capsules in their
lifetime. Each capsule contains about 30 eggs, Which
hatch in about 28 days at room temperature.
• *The eggs usually die if the mother is killed.
• * Females live an average of 250 days.
NOT THESE

12. Brownbanded Cockroach (Supella
longipalpis)
•* Brownbanded cockroaches are the
smallest of the more common cockroach,
slightly smaller than the German
cockroach. * Brownbanded cockroaches
vary from light tan to glossy dark brown in
color. The adult stages are marked with two
light-colored bands at the base of the
wings.

13. Brownbanded Cockroach (Supella
longipalpis)
* Brownbanded cockroaches usually glue their egg capsules to surfaces in dark
areas such as cabinets, chairs, boxes, drawers, and high areas of a building.
Because of this habit, they are easily transported to new buildings.
*Females produce about 14 capsules during their lifetime, averaging 18 eggs in
each capsule. Eggs hatch in about 50 to 75 days.
* The adult female may typically live about 200 days.

14. Brownbanded Cockroach (Supella
longipalpis)
* Brownbanded cockroaches tend to scatter
thoroughly through a building. They prefer areas of
higher temperature (80 degrees F. or higher).
Brownbanded cockroaches tend to occur more often
in homes, apartments, hotels and hospitals than in
stores or restaurants.
*Brownbanded cockroaches prefer starchy foods,
such as the glue on stamps and envelopes.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.

15. Brownbanded Cockroac
h (Supella longipalpis)
•Adult males sometimes fly when disturbed,
especially at higher temperatures (above 85°
F), but females cannot fly. Females glue light
brown egg cases, which are about 1/4 inch
long, to ceilings, beneath furniture, or in
closets or other dark places where eggs
incubate for several weeks before hatching.
•Multiple egg cases may be glued together in
large deposits. Each female and her offspring
are capable of producing over 600
cockroaches in one year.

16. Oriental
Cockroach
(Blatta
orientalis)
*Oriental cockroaches are not as common as
the Brownbanded cockroach and the German
cockroach.
* Adults are about one inch long and dark
brown or black in color.
* Wings of the oriental cockroach are short.
Females only have small wing pads, while
males have wings that only cover about
three-fourths of their abdomen.

17. Oriental
Cockroach
(Blatta
orientalis)
* Females drop egg capsules in warm,
sheltered areas near a food supply. Each
female produces an average of eight egg
capsules, each containing about160 eggs.
*Under room-temperature conditions, eggs
hatch in about 60 days. Development from a
newly emerged nymph to adult can take
from 1 to 2 years or more.
*Adult females may live about 180 days.

18. Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis)
* Oriental cockroaches are almost always found around moist, dark sites. Common habitats include floor
and storm drains, water-meter boxes, around plumbing fixtures, moist crawl spaces, sewers, and around
garbage.
*Oriental cockroaches may be found outdoors during the warmer months of the year.
* Oriental cockroaches are rather sociable, and clusters of them may be found in favorable habitats. They
are seldom found high on walls, in high cupboards, or in the upper floors of buildings.
*Oriental cockroaches do not fly and are unable to climb smooth vertical surfaces; consequently they
may be found trapped in porcelain sinks or tubs after falling in or climbing up through damaged drain
pipes

19. American
Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)
• * American Cockroaches are 1 3/8-2 1/8 inches
long at maturity, reddish -brown, and fully
developed wings that completely cover the
abdomen. The pronotum has a dirty-yellow band
around the edge.
• *The American Cockroach prefers warm and
humid environments, usually with temperatures
above 82°F. Under the right conditions, they
readily live outdoors.

20. American
Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)
*Occasionally, they forage from sewers and other areas into the ground floor
of buildings, especially if pipes are damaged, screens are missing, or water
traps in drains are faulty. They are common in sewers, water meter boxes,
storm drains, steam tunnels, decaying tree cavities and animal habitat.
*American cockroaches may come into contact with human excrement in
sewers or with pet droppings outdoors, they are capable of transmitting
bacteria that cause food poisoning.

21. American Cockroach
(Periplaneta americana
)
Adult females carry the egg cases around for about 6
days and then cement them to a protected surface
where they incubate for about 2 months or longer.
The egg cases, which are about 3/8 inch long, are
brown when laid but turn black in 1 to 2 days.
Each egg case contains about 12-16 young; a female
and her offspring can produce over 800 cockroaches
in one year.
The nymphs emerge from the egg case after about
six to eight weeks and mature in about six to twelve
months.

24. Detection
• The site should be thoroughly surveyed to determine the extent of the infestation and
to identify the type of treatments that will be required. Fundamental to this is
determining the cockroach species present.
• Since different cockroach species have differing habits, this will allow treatments to be
better targeted. A search should be made of all suspected hiding places.
• Since cockroaches are less active during the day, this can be difficult. The use of a
flashlight and inspection mirror are very important to identify hiding areas along with a
flushing agent to irritate cockroaches and cause them to move out of their hiding
areas.
• In sensitive accounts compressed air can be used and has proven to be an effective tool
for finding cockroach hiding and breeding areas.

25. Detection
• Sticky traps (monitoring boards) are a
very useful tool to detect cockroach
activity and monitor the successfulness
of a treatment. Several different types
of traps exist, and some also contain a
sex-attractant (pheromones) or food
grade attractant. These traps should be
placed in areas where cockroach activity
is suspected, common breeding
locations and food storage areas.

26. Detection
• Typically placing traps in corners of
cabinets, near hinges and room or shelf
corners will provide optimum results.
They should be checked after 24 hours or
up to a few days.
• It's always good practice to use more
traps than less when trying to find the
areas of infestation and the degree of
infestation. Traps can also be used to
help control cockroaches, but they aren’t
an effective substitute for other control
practices.

27. Sanitation
• Sanitation is fundamental to cockroach control.
Any methods that can be used to deny
cockroaches the food, water and shelter they
need will greatly aid in control.
• Cleanliness and good housekeeping are essential.
Food should be kept in tightly closed containers
and should not be left exposed. This includes
spilled materials, garbage, food scraps left in sink
areas, and pet foods.
• Water is an important need of cockroaches
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

28. Sanitation
• Dripping faucets, leaking pipes, and other
sources of moisture should be
eliminated.
• Bottles and cans to be recycled should be
stored outdoors, if possible.
• Cardboard boxes, paper bags, stacks of
newspapers and magazines should be
eliminated.
• All materials being moved into the
building should be checked for evidence
of cockroach infestation.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

29. Control
• Vacuuming is almost always the best, first
treatment option to quickly reduce the
population and prevent scattering of the
infestation.
• Exclusion is the next best long term
solution to control infestations.
• Several approaches to chemical control are
possible. Regardless of the chemical or
formulation chosen, applications made in
or near regular hiding and breeding places
will be most effective, since they allow
more contact
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.

30. Control
• Crack and crevice applications
provide better control and limit
exposure to anything other than
your target pest.
• Chemical controls usually provide
only temporary suppression,
especially when they aren’t
combined with vigorous sanitation
and exclusion efforts.
• Another serious limitation of
insecticides is the development by
many cockroaches of resistance to
the chemicals.

31. Control
• Many populations of German cockroaches are no longer susceptible to
several insecticides that formerly were effective.
• Furthermore, cockroaches are repelled by several chemicals and will avoid
treated surfaces.
• Cockroaches are rarely eliminated by a single treatment, since egg capsules
aren’t killed.
• Also, some cockroaches may remain hidden in, or migrate to untreated
areas.

32. Control
•In almost any treatment strategy baiting is an important tool in
your control arsenal. Baiting doesn't spread the infestation, it
will usually last for several weeks if it's not contaminated and
the bait will be available as juveniles emerge from the Ootheca.
•Monitoring with sticky traps (glue boards) can help determine
the success of the treatment.

33. Control
•Monitoring with sticky
traps (glue boards) can help
determine the success of
the treatment.

34. Control
Control products are oil-based sprays, water-emulsion sprays,
dusts, Insect Growth Regulators (IGR's) or baits.
Choice of the type of treatment should be matched to the
conditions of the infestation site.
Treatments may involve sprays or crack and crevice treatments in
order to provide a residual effect. These applications leave a toxic
residue on the treated surface that cockroaches pick up when
moving across it.

35. Control
• The length of time that
treatments remain
effective varies, depending
on such factors as the
concentration of chemical
applied, choice of
insecticide, and application
surface.
• Two to four weeks of
residual activity is fairly
typical with baits, dusts and
IGR's lasting longer.

36. Control
•Sprays should be applied to cockroach harborages, with thorough,
emphasis on cracks and crevices.
•Avoid runoff, and immediately wipe off excess spray.
•Oil-based sprays shouldn’t be applied near open flames, to tile floors,
or onto plants.
•Water-based sprays shouldn’t be used near electrical outlets.

37. Control
Several precautions should always be taken when making insecticide
applications for cockroach control.
Pets should be removed from the treatment area during application, and
all aquariums should be covered.
If Sprays are to be applied to areas where food, cooking utensils or dishes
are stored, these items should be covered or removed prior to treating.

38. Control
• Furthermore,
applications around
these sites must be
limited to cracks and
crevices, avoiding
exposed surfaces.
• Also, treatments made
near air ducts and
ventilation systems
should be done with
extreme care to avoid
air contamination.
B&G Crack and Crevice Tip

39. Control
Dusts are able to penetrate cockroach hiding
areas that sprays may not reach. They are
also useful on very rough surfaces or on
surfaces that would absorb liquid sprays.
They may kill the insect by having the
chemical penetrate the insect body or be
swallowed as the cockroach cleans its
antennae and legs.
When applied to dry locations, they also last
longer than residual sprays.

40. Control
• Dusts should be applied as thin films, since heavy
concentrations can repel cockroaches.
• Some dusts, such as boric acid, may be applied in
water, which quickly dries, but to be effective,
dusts must remain dry.
• Dusts are not appropriate for use in areas where
they would be unsightly or cause contamination
problems.

41. Control
• Baits are generally long-lasting and can be applied to areas that can’t be treated
with sprays or dusts. Often, baits may be placed inside small containers to help
keep them away from pets and humans.
• To be effective, baits should be used in small amounts placed in many locations.
Effectiveness of baits is greatly dependent on the amount of competing food
sources available.
• If sanitation efforts haven’t been thorough, baits perform poorly.
Competing for food sources must be eliminated for baits to work their best.

42. Control
• Sewer openings should be
screened. It’s also important to
remove or block potential breeding
sites.
• Cracks, crevices, and other
openings should be sealed.
• Pipes penetrations and any other
wall openings or gaps and cracks
should be sealed.

43. Photos courtesy of photographers published on Bugwood.org ITP Node
We want to thank,
Pest and Disease Library, Bugwood.org
Clemson University-USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org
and also, B&G Manufacturing, J.T. Eatons, Zoecon and MGK
• The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of
providing specific information. American Pest CEUS does not guarantee or
warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication do
not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable
composition. All chemicals should be used in accordance with directions on
the manufacturer's label. Use pesticides safely. Read and follow directions
on the manufacturer's label.