The smoky brown cockroach is an outdoor roach that lives in and around wooded areas. It’s a large species that’s sensitive to changes in the environment and looks for areas of high humidity. It’s also a problem for homes in warmer climates.

In addition to their more natural habitats, “smokybrowns” infest garbage and have been found in sewers, making them potential carriers of disease. They’re unpleasant pests to find around your house and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

If you’ve seen suspiciously roach-like insects in your garden, garage or home, read on to learn what smoky brown roaches look like, how to control an infestation, and how to prevent problems in the future.

How to Identify a Smoky Brown Cockroach

The smoky brown cockroach is aptly named after its color: a dark, glossy brown or uniformly mahogany color that’s consistent on both its back and underside. It looks a lot like the American cockroach, with a similar size and shape. However, the smoky brown roach lacks the yellow accents of the American species.

Smoky brown roaches grow 1¼ to 1½ inches in length.. Both male and female smoky brown cockroaches have long wings that extend past their abdomens. They use their wings to fly in search of food or to find a mate. A smoky brown roach also has antennae that are as long as or longer than its entire body.

Habitat and Distribution of Smoky Brown Cockroaches

Smoky brown cockroaches are prevalent across the United States in places where humidity is high and temperatures are warm for at least some of the year. They’re found throughout the southeastern United States from central Texas to Florida, and have been reported in greenhouses in the Midwest.

As an outdoor cockroach species, they typically live in fallen leaves, woodpiles, planter boxes and similar habitats. You might also find them near your home, hiding in your water meter box, garage, shed, roof shingles or rain gutters.

Smoky brown cockroaches and other outdoor species sometimes struggle to survive indoors. They don’t usually come inside intentionally; instead, they might be carried in on firewood or in boxes that were stored in a garage or shed.

They’re also attracted to light and sometimes fly through open windows toward a light source. If they do come inside, they usually move into a crawl space, attic, or other upper-floor area where the temperature and humidity levels are higher.

Do Smoky Brown Cockroaches Come Into Contact with People?

To many people, seeing a big brown cockroach scurry quickly under a cabinet when they flick on a light is frightening and causes anxiety. Now imagine one suddenly flying across the room–not a pleasant surprise in the middle of the night!

Though their preferred habitat is outdoors, smokybrown cockroaches can still cause problems for homeowners. They’re an obvious aesthetic pest: no one wants to see large cockroaches crawling around their garden or flying around their patio lights.

Indoors, they search for food and water in kitchens and bathrooms. They’ll live and reproduce in poorly-ventilated areas that are warm and humid, like your attic. There, they can become a problem, hiding among cluttered boxes and laying egg cases. As detritivores and scavengers, their diets range from dead insects and dead leaves to starches–like those important documents filed away in the attic.⁶

Life Cycle of Smoky Brown Roaches

From the time it hatches, a smoky brown cockroach takes about 320 days to become an adult. The female cockroach carries its egg capsule—called an ootheca—for about a day before hiding it somewhere secluded and moist to hatch. Each tiny egg case (only about 1/2″ long) can produce as many as 30 nymphs.

Since one female can lay dozens of egg cases throughout its life, just a few adult cockroaches can create a large infestation in a relatively short amount of time and without much warning.

Nymphs (baby roaches) begin life with a much darker color than adults that also features two strips of white. The tips of their antennae are white, too. As they grow, they take on a more reddish color. You probably won’t spot nymphs, though: cockroaches are very careful about staying hidden (not to mention they’re quite small) at this vulnerable stage.

An adult smoky brown roach lives 2 to 6 months, on average.

Are Smoky Brown Cockroaches Dangerous?

Despite being categorized as an outdoor species, smokybrown cockroaches are still dangerous pests. They’re less likely than some other roach species to invade homes but can still come inside accidentally and cause problems.

Smoky brown cockroaches live in a variety of disgusting places, from piles of dead leaves and wet mulch to storm drains and sewers. They’re opportunistic feeders and have been found on roofs and in rain gutters feeding on bird droppings.

If they fly into your home, they’re going to bring lots of dangerous bacteria to your attic and, probably, your kitchen. They’ll contaminate cooking and eating surfaces as they search for food. They’ve also been found to worsen some people’s asthma.

Tips for Controlling Smoky Brown Cockroaches

Cockroaches are extremely resilient insects and can be difficult to control without professional help. Smoky brown cockroaches are a common pest that should be treated seriously. Though they’re not immediately dangerous outdoors, seeing them near your house is a sign that they’ve found habitable conditions and will probably stick around.

Be careful when watering plants, as over-watering can help the smoky brown cockroach thrive. Dispose of leaf litter. Clear gutters and drains to remove standing water and the decaying organic material that roaches eat. You should also keep your trash cans closed tightly to prevent roaches from accessing food scraps.

Don’t risk bringing them indoors accidentally.

If you store firewood, stack it neatly away from your house. This will help keep it dry and ventilated–two conditions in which smokybrown cockroaches can’t survive. Trimming shrubs and raking mulch so that it’s dry and separated from the walls of your house removes more potential habitats.

Eliminating sources of food and water is often enough to control outdoor populations. Indoors, more aggressive steps might be necessary. You can use cockroach baits, traps, and insecticide dusts in your home to combat smokybrown cockroaches. To use them effectively, focus on areas closest to suspected hiding places. Cockroaches typically live within a few feet of their food source.

If you’re worried about a large infestation putting your home in danger, contact a pest control professional. They can better identify the roaches’ entry points and target specific areas with insecticides or other treatments.

Steps to Prevent Smoky Brown Cockroaches from Invading Your Home

Preventing smoky brown cockroaches is a multi-step, ongoing project. It requires good cleaning habits and a plan for eliminating potential habitats. Start with the most important target for roaches: food.

Don’t make it easy for cockroaches to find food or water. Wash dishes and wipe kitchen counters every night to clean up crumbs and spills. Empty pet food containers at the end of the day. Sweeping and vacuuming frequently are also important.

Eliminating habitats indoors means organizing cluttered areas, such as your attic. Storing things neatly can go a long way toward eliminating places where cockroaches can lay egg cases. If conditions become very humid in your attic, it might be necessary to use a ventilation fan.

You should also take time to inspect your home or structure for cracks or holes that could let cockroaches in from outside. This includes your roof, where smoky brown roaches sometimes fly from trees to shingles. Sealing walls and using tight-fitting screens in every window will help prevent them from flying inside.

Always check firewood or items that were stored outside before you bring them in. You can deter roaches by avoiding or minimizing the use of mulch, and keeping your landscaping clear of debris.

You can also apply cockroach control products around the outside of your home. Always read the warnings carefully, especially if you have pets or children who play outside.

Conclusion

If you live in an area that stays warm and humid for at least part of the year, there’s a chance smoky brown cockroaches will move into your garage, garden or even your attic. Don’t risk letting these pests spread bacteria around your home; start taking steps to prevent them today.

If you’ve seen smoky brown cockroaches around your home–inside or outside–it’s time to use the control tips above before they can reproduce and spread. Or, call a professional to begin targeted treatments and keep your home free from cockroaches and other pests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by Rae Osborn, PhD.

Andrew Martin

Writer/Publisher

Andrew writes for, and along with his daughter, publishes Cockroach Facts. You can read more about him here.

Rae Osborn, PhD.

Science Editor

Dr. Rae Osborn holds Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Zoology and Entomology, and a Master of Science in Entomology from the University of Natal in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Quantitative Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington, where her research was in Entomology. You can learn more about our contributors here.

Sources:

1. Smokybrown Cockroach, Periplaneta fuliginosa. Oklahoma State University: Entomology & Plant Pathology. Retrieved from http://entoplp.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/smokybrownroach.htm
2. Brown, Wizzie, et al. Cockroach Biology and Management. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Retrieved from https://citybugs.tamu.edu/files/2016/07/E-359-Cockroach-biology-and-management-2012.pdf
3. Koehler, P.G., et al. (2011) Cockroaches and Their Management. University of Florida IFAS Extension. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IG/IG08200.pdf
4. Sutherland, Andrew M., et al. (2019) Cockroaches. Pest Notes: Cockroaches. Retrieved from http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7467.html
5. 5. Hopkins, John D. Cockroach Identification and Management for the Homeowner. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/pest-management/docs/Cockroach%20ID%20and%20Management%20for%20the%20Homeowner.pdf

Cockroaches are resilient, problematic pests. The Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, is an outdoor species that’s no stranger to venturing indoors for food. These insects are also commonly called “water bugs” and thrive in cool, humid locations.

Unfortunately, Oriental cockroaches are a dangerous, disgusting pest that you definitely don’t want around your home and family. They commonly carry diseases that they pick up from their unpleasant diet of garbage and decaying material. And it only takes a few roaches to spread bacteria all over your home.

The information below will help you to identify an Oriental cockroach problem, eliminate the roaches, and prevent infestations in the future.

Read on to learn about these unwelcome pests. And what you can do to keep them out.

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How to Identify an Oriental Cockroach

Oriental cockroaches have several distinguishing characteristics. They grow to about an inch in length and are dark brown or black in color. They’re smaller than American cockroaches but larger than German cockroaches. Their bodies appear glossy and their legs feature tiny hairs.

Cockroaches have a reputation for being quick, agile insects, but Oriental cockroaches are noticeably slower than other species. Male Oriental cockroaches have wings that cover about 3/4 the length of their bodies, while females have much shorter wings. Despite their wings, neither gender of Oriental cockroach can fly.

Where Do Oriental Cockroaches Live?

Oriental roaches are found around the world and are especially problematic in the Northwest, Midwest and Southern U.S. These cockroaches live primarily outdoors. They will enter homes looking for food but prefer to hide in woodpiles, clutter and debris.

Like many other cockroach species, the Oriental cockroach likes to live in humid places. Cockroaches need easy access to water to survive, so they’re attracted to areas that are humid or wet. However, Oriental cockroaches can live in cooler habitats than those of other roach species. This leads them into sewers, piping and any other damp, cool area in the house.

Oriental cockroaches thrive on a diet high in starch but they’ll scavenge for almost anything edible. This includes trash and sewage, making their presence in or around your home extremely unpleasant.

Places You Might Come into Contact with Oriental Cockroaches

Since these cockroaches look for warm, moist areas to live, you might find them in your garage, basement or crawl space. They also congregate in water meter boxes, around floor drains, and in other damp, shady areas near the ground, particularly those that contain organic debris.

Though they mostly live outdoors, Oriental cockroaches sometimes enter homes through drain pipes or spaces in window frames and vents. Once inside, they can move from room to room on piping in the walls, emerging in bathrooms or kitchens. They can’t climb smooth, steep surfaces, so you might find them trapped in a bathtub or deep sink.²

Signs of an Oriental cockroach infestation include egg cases, dead roaches, and droppings.

If you see a living cockroach, there are probably more hiding somewhere nearby. If the population becomes large enough, you might notice a strange odor near the area they’ve infested. Contaminated food might also give off this odor, signaling that Oriental roaches have touched it.

Life Cycle of Oriental Cockroaches

Female Oriental cockroaches carry egg capsules anywhere between 12 hours to five days before hiding them. The average female produces 8 egg capsules during her lifetime, called oothecae, that contain as many as 16 eggs each. The egg cases are a little less than 1/2 inch long and dark red or brown.

Populations can increase rapidly–a single female cockroach typically lays enough eggs to produce 115 roaches in a year. After hatching, the nymphs (baby cockroaches) mature slowly for cockroaches (around 185 days for males and 216 days for females), with 89% surviving to adulthood.

Adult Oriental cockroaches typically live between 1 to 6 months, mating at any time during that period. However, Oriental cockroach populations are seasonal, usually peaking in the spring and early summer. The largest number of nymphs tend to hatch later in the year.

These cockroaches depend on accessible water for survival but they can live up to a month without eating.

Are Oriental Cockroaches Dangerous?

Oriental cockroaches are problematic pests to find in your home. Their diet of garbage, sewage, and decaying matter makes them prime carriers of bacteria.

Once cockroaches have found a way into your home, they can quickly contaminate cooking surfaces and any food that’s left unsealed. They feed on crumbs, spills, and tiny scraps of food, and sometimes hide their eggs in unsealed food or pantry products.

In the process, they can contaminate utensils, cooking supplies, countertops, bathroom supplies and other household items. Floor drains and under-sink spaces are particularly attractive to cockroaches, as they frequently contain food waste.

Some of the most common illnesses that result from Oriental cockroach infestations are food poisoning and diarrhea from the Salmonella and E. coli they can carry and transmit. Dead roaches, old egg cases and droppings can also trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks in people sensitive to allergens.

How to Get Rid of Oriental Cockroaches

Controlling an Oriental cockroach infestation begins with discovering how they made their way in. It’s important to carefully inspect your home, inside and outside, to find their entry points. Look for gaps in siding, cracks leading into your basement, spaces where pipes enter the walls, and any other holes near the ground.

Oriental cockroaches are most active at night, so it’s difficult to spot them in action. You’ll do better looking for signs (such as droppings), and noting areas they’re likely to gather (for example, holes in walls and cracks along the floor).

Sometimes, it’s necessary to place sticky traps in areas you suspect cockroaches are hiding to better pinpoint their habitats. Insect “bombs” or foggers are not usually effective because Oriental cockroaches tend to hide in crevices and holes that are difficult to reach.

Professional treatment might be the only option for a large infestation. Professional pest controllers might use a perimeter spray to deter them from your house.

Tips for Preventing Future Cockroach Infestations

Oriental cockroaches are resilient pests that are dangerous to your home and can be difficult to control on your own. It’s much easier to take measures to prevent an infestation than it is to control one.

Here are some tips to help you protect your home from Oriental cockroaches:

1. Prevent clutter in storage areas
2. Seal holes and cracks around your home
3. Clean up landscaping, stack woodpiles, and clear leaves and debris around windows and doors
4. Sweep for crumbs and wipe counters frequently

1. Prevent clutter in storage areas

Oriental cockroaches’ favorite locations are cluttered, humid, dark spaces. Unfortunately, basements and crawl spaces are often exactly that: poorly ventilated and full of boxes and clutter. This makes them ideal habitats for cockroaches and other insects.

Tidy up these and other storage areas–your garage or shed, for example–to make them less attractive to pests. If you live in a particularly humid environment, it might be necessary to repair or install better ventilation.

2. Seal holes and cracks around your home

Over time, holes and crevices develop around the outside of your home. Weathering can create spaces around piping and utility boxes, making it easy for pests to come inside. Taking time to properly seal the exterior and interior walls of your home can make a big difference in your fight against pests. Use caulking in and around high-risk areas, such as closets, cabinets, doors, windows, and walls, to prevent cockroaches entering.

3. Clean up landscaping and woodpiles

As primarily outdoor creatures that tend to gather in warm, moist, shady areas that provide them food, hydration and protection, your goal is to deprive Oriental roaches of the spaces and material they find attractive around your home.

If the plants around your home have become overgrown or cluttered, spend some time clearing out the debris to remove potential cockroach habitats. In addition, you should stack woodpiles neatly (and away from your home, if possible) to keep them dry and organized.

4. Sweep for crumbs and wipe counters frequently

The primary reason an Oriental cockroach (or just about any other pest) enters your home is to find food. Leaving dirty dishes in the sink or crumbs on the carpet makes it easy for insects to thrive on your leftovers. To prevent dangerous pests from making your home their home, turn cleaning into a nightly habit.

Always sweep and vacuum floors for crumbs. Clean dishes after you’ve used them and wipe counters every night. We know that nobody wants more chores, but you’ll thank yourself every day that you don’t find roaches or other bugs scurrying across your floor.

Conclusion

You can’t cut corners when it comes to defending your home against pests. Oriental cockroaches are an especially resilient and dangerous pest. It’s important to do everything you can to keep them out.

If you’ve already seen a cockroach or found evidence that they might be present, don’t take any risks. Start planning your cockroach control solution today.

If you’re worried you won’t be able to stop them on your own, call a professional pest control service. Cockroaches can spread disease and multiply quickly. Implementing effective pest control as quickly as possible is key to eliminating the problem.

You can do this! Take action today to live pest-free tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by Rae Osborn, PhD.

Andrew Martin

Writer/Publisher

Andrew writes for, and along with his daughter, publishes Cockroach Facts. You can read more about him here.

Rae Osborn, PhD.

Science Editor

Dr. Rae Osborn holds Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Zoology and Entomology, and a Master of Science in Entomology from the University of Natal in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Quantitative Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington, where her research was in Entomology. You can learn more about our contributors here.

Sources:

1. McCanless, Kim (2014) Oriental Cockroach. Featured Creatures. Retrieved from http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/roaches/oriental_cockroach.htm
2. Sutherland, Andrew M. (2019) Pests of Homes, Structures, People, and Pets. How to Manage Pests. Retrieved from http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7467.html
3. Jacobs, Steve (2017) Oriental Cockroaches. PennState Extension. Retrieved from https://extension.psu.edu/oriental-cockroaches

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Introduction

Listen closely on an early summer evening and you may hear a tiny thud of impact that continues well into the night. It’s a familiar sound across much of the United States and Canada – the sound of the Pennsylvania wood cockroach hurling itself against your window screens in attraction to the light.

And sometimes, though you may not even notice it at first, those tiny impacts begin to grow in number. Until to your amusement (or horror), you realize that a whole horde of flying roaches is trying to bash its way inside.

Sound like an exaggeration? Not for many homeowners in wooded areas. And not for the Pennsylvania wood roach, for whom this assault is serious business.

Let’s take a look at this unrelenting little bug, find out if we should be afraid of it, and see what we can do to keep the flying hordes at bay.

Identification

The Pennsylvania wood roach looks like a lot of other cockroaches.

It’s similar in shape to the American cockroach (but smaller), similar in color and markings to the German cockroach (but much bigger), and nearly identical in every way to the Southern wood cockroach (you have to poke around its body to be absolutely sure).

Catch one and you’ll discover a flat body, long antennae, and six spiny legs used to climb and otherwise scramble around. It will be dark brown to tan in color, have mottled markings on the cowl behind its head, and creamy white edging along the front portion of its wings.

The sexes are strikingly easy to tell apart, as well as strikingly different in behavior. Males are larger, about an inch long or so in length with fully developed wings. While females are slightly smaller, with shorter, less-developed wings.

The wings not only help you tell what sex you’re looking at, but which one is to blame for banging at your screens: The female’s shorter wings render her flightless, leaving all the airborne acrobatics to the males.

Where and How They Live

Range & Habitat

The Pennsylvania wood cockroach is an abundant, widely dispersed insect with a range that extends from the East Coast to the Midwest, and into southeastern Canada.

It’s found in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. As well as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

You’re unlikely to find this roach in cities, but in rural timbered areas where it lives and feeds on decaying plant material, especially inside woodpiles, bark, stumps, and hollow trees.

Reproduction

If you were to go out searching for them in the wooded or semi-wooded areas around your house, you’d find Pennsylvania wood roaches in three distinct stages of development: Egg sacs (known as oothecae), immature roaches (known as nymphs), and the adults you’re most familiar with.

The egg sacs are deceptive in that they hold not just a single egg, but up to 32 eggs, which take about a month to hatch. Females are prolific in their egg-laying, and can produce nearly a thousand eggs a year.

The nymphal stage typically lasts 10 to 12 months, after which the life of a Pennsylvania wood cockroach is short, lasting only several months. The insects mate from late spring to early summer, their eggs hatch in the summertime, and they reach adulthood in the following spring.

How You’re Likely to Come into Contact with Them

Though you’re most likely to encounter them late spring to early summer (their mating season), Pennsylvania wood roaches are active all year and can find their way inside your home at any time.

Mating Season

Mating season is when the insects become most obvious, with groups of determined male wood roaches flying in search of females throughout the night. Though it’s not known why exactly, they’re attracted to artificial lights at night, and so begin to swarm the attractive glow around your home.

They’ll head toward your well-lit windows, to windowed doors, to porch and patio lights, lighted pools, landscape lighting, and car headlights. And every chance they get, they’ll try to fly, crawl, or squeeze their way closer toward whatever source of light they find.

For many folks, this is a ritual of summer. For others, something closer to an onslaught.

If you’re of the onslaught opinion, it doesn’t help matters that a sex-crazed Pennsylvania wood cockroach doesn’t care much about the surface on which it lands – for instance, right on you. Or that you live a little horror story every time you grab a flashlight for a simple nighttime stroll.

Other Times of Year

Other times of year, your encounters are likely to include as many nymphs and adult females as with the now less-aggressive males.

You’ll find them in your gutters and potted plants. Under your wood siding, your wooden porch, inside tree stumps, and beneath your cedar shake. And if they’re anywhere around your house at all, you’ll find them in your wood piles, sometimes living in high numbers.

One of their favorite spots, due to the moisture and its delicious decaying bark, is your firewood. They’ll feed and breed underneath the bark and in the decaying organic matter between the wood. Then when you bring the wood inside, you’ll bring in some roaches, too. This is such a common occurrence, it’s the reason most people get them in their homes.

Those roaches that do make their way in on purpose have probably mistaken your house for a fallen tree and an opportunity to nest. To their loss however, the inside of your house is much too dry for them and they rarely breed there, or even live for very long.

Are They Dangerous?

You may know about the many health hazards surrounding certain cockroach species. Cockroaches are capable of carrying infectious diseases, triggering allergies, and even causing asthma.

But the Pennsylvania wood cockroach is more of an occasional nuisance than a threat. Since they feed on decaying plant material, and not the trash, rot, and bacteria-infested remains that roaches like the German or American cockroach do, casual contact with them is not likely to make you ill.

And though their diet includes among other things, decaying wood- they’re not a threat to your wooden structures, siding, or furniture the way that termites are.

Pennsylvania wood roaches are more like unwanted house guests. Who came in without an invitation. And have no idea how to leave.

How to Get Rid of Them

Before heading for the pest control chemicals, keep in mind that the Pennsylvania wood roach is actually a beneficial insect. It breaks down dead and decaying plants and turns them into fertilizer, which is good for the environment—including the one around your home.

Cockroaches are also a source of food for other animals.

So when you find a loner that’s somehow made its way inside, you may want to simply catch it and usher it into the woods where it belongs. Likewise, if the ones outside aren’t a major problem, there are some simple preventative steps that can reduce the nuisance that they pose.

If you find them ruining your summer however, or terrifying your kids, there are more aggressive ways to get rid of them.

Suggested Products

To Kill Wood Roaches Quickly When They Come Inside

BASF PT P.I. Contact Insecticide

P.I. is a pyrethrin-based spray insecticide that kills roaches fast. Best when used as a supplement to other treatments, it’s not inexpensive, but far more effective than off-the-shelf sprays.

Check Price on Amazon

To Kill Them Outdoors

Bayer Polyzone Suspend Insecticide

When used on exterior foundations, entries, and walls, Suspend insecticidal liquid stops outdoor roaches before they get in. It requires a separate sprayer (see below), and works best alongside a granular outdoor bait like Intice and an outdoor crack and crevice treatment like Delta Dust.

Check Price on Amazon

Chapin 1 Gallon Multi-Purpose Sprayer

Liquid pesticides require a separate sprayer. This inexpensive pump sprayer works fine for smaller jobs.

Check Price on Amazon

InTice Perimeter Insect Control Bait Granules

InTice is a granular bait that kills roaches outdoors and in spaces like your garage or attic. Used alongside a spray treatment like Bayer Suspend and a crack and crevice treatment like Delta Dust, it can protect the entire perimeter of your home.

Check Price on Amazon

Delta Dust Insecticide Dust

Waterproof and long-lasting, Delta Dust is a crack and crevice treatment effective in high-moisture areas such as attics, exterior walls, and plumbing lines. Delta Dust is regulated and unavailable in some areas.

Check Price on Amazon

HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster

Insecticidal dusts like CimeXa work best when applied with a duster tool. This inexpensive diatomaceous earth duster works fine with CimeXa, Delta Dust, and other recommended dusts.

Check Price on Amazon

A typical strategy begins with the use of liquid pesticides in what’s known as a perimeter or barrier treatment. In this type of treatment, chemicals are applied outside – beneath siding, along foundations and moldings, under eaves and soffits, and sometimes along roof lines. Chemicals may also be applied to areas of your porch or patio that fall under the glow of outdoor lights, the spots insects collect and cause the most trouble.

Granular baits are also effective, especially in combination with sprays. Baits are left in areas like mulch piles where roaches gather, then kill them after being ingested.

The third solution is insecticidal dust, which works best in combination with the two methods above. Applied to cracks and crevices around your home’s foundation and potential entry points, it damages the insects’ exoskeletons, eventually killing them through dehydration. The product Delta Dust is the one you’ll need (it’s the only insecticidal dust that’s waterproof), and you’ll need a duster tool to apply it properly.

When indoor treatments become necessary (far less common since indoor infestations are rare), the same baits and dusts are useful, especially when applied at indoor points of entry like attached garages, and areas that can actually harbor infestations, such as sheds. Areas such as crawl spaces and attics can be “fogged” with an aerosol insecticide when necessary.

If you plan to spray yourself, don’t apply pesticides anywhere near firewood, which can give off toxic fumes when burned. Don’t spray sensitive vegetation, don’t use chemicals in areas where pets and children may come into contact with them, and only use products approved for the purpose at hand.

How to Prevent a Future Infestation

Since it doesn’t really want to infest your home, the Pennsylvania wood cockroach is easier to prevent than the much more dangerous roaches that do. You can usually keep them out and away with some simple precautions:

• Seal Your Home. Seal cracks and crevices in exterior walls with a weather-resistant silicone caulk. For large gaps, holes and exposed voids in walls or siding, use wads of steel or (preferably) copper mesh, then seal them with a layer of caulk. Repair or replace damaged window screens, place screens over exposed vents, replace worn weatherstripping, and fit doors with thresholds or sweeps.
• Make Your Home Less Hospitable to Roaches. Store firewood piles away from the house and avoid carrying firewood over from season to season, which reduces the opportunity for annual breeding. Remove decaying leaves from window wells, from underneath porches, from around bulkheads, and from other areas they collect. If you store garbage cans outside, move them to a dry location, or place a dry barrier like gravel underneath them. Look for outdoor water leaks that create artificially moist environments, and repair them. Cap drain traps, and direct overflow water away from your home. Also keep in mind the next time you build or landscape that a wide lawn presents a barrier to roaches that might crawl in from nearby woods.
• Make Your Home Less Attractive to Mating Males. Dim or reduce the number of outdoor lights, especially around points of entry like windows and doors. Pull shades and curtains at night if you can, and consider replacing white bulbs with yellow ones or LED’s that reduce light’s visibility to insects.
• Stop Carrying Roaches In. Avoid storing firewood indoors, including the garage. Examine the firewood you bring in. And if practical, bring in only enough for a day or two, limiting the numbers of roaches that can make their way in at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by Rae Osborn, PhD.

Andrew Martin

Writer/Publisher

Andrew writes for, and along with his daughter, publishes Cockroach Facts. You can read more about him here.

Rae Osborn, PhD.

Science Editor

Dr. Rae Osborn holds Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Zoology and Entomology, and a Master of Science in Entomology from the University of Natal in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Quantitative Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington, where her research was in Entomology. You can learn more about our contributors here.

Sources:

1. McLeod, Robin. (2005) Genus Parcoblatta – Wood Cockroaches. BugGuide. Retrieved from https://bugguide.net/node/view/31624.
2. Jacobs, Steve. (2013) Insect Advice from Extension – Pennsylvania Wood Cockroaches. Retrieved from https://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/pennsylvania-wood-cockroaches
3. Stepanek, Laurie. What’s In Your Firewood. Retrieved from https://hles.unl.edu/whats-your-firewood
4. Layton, Blake Jr.. Control of Insect Pests In and Around the Home Lawn. Retrieved from http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/publications/control-insect-pests-and-around-the-home-lawn

Introduction

You first notice them in your garden, your compost, or your wood pile. A swarm of big brown bugs that aren’t in any hurry to run away – and seem to emit a pungent and peculiar smell.

Chances are – if you live in the southeastern United States – you’ve met the Florida woods cockroach. Or possibly a whole yardful of them.

You’re bound to have some questions. So let’s look at these unusual roaches. What they are. Whether to be concerned. And what you might (and might not) want to do about them.

Identification

Florida woods roaches (Eurycotis floridana) are built and move, a little like armored tanks- the kind not made for speed. They’re squat, oval-shaped, and relatively large for roaches, growing to an inch-and-a-half long and up to an inch wide.

Reddish brown to black in color, with yellow markings sometimes at the edges, they have thin, hard shells, and lack developed wings. Adults have two small projections from the back of the body called cerci, which help them sense vibrations through the air or ground. The posterior segment of females has a v-shaped notch while that of males has small, thin, tendril-like filaments.

The Florida woods roach is actually part of the lore of Florida, and one of the few roaches known by a wide and colorful collection of nicknames.

So you might also know it as a “Florida Stink Roach,” a “Skunk Roach,” a “Stinking Roach,” or yes – the famous “Palmetto Bug.”

And while “Palmetto Bug” refers loosely to certain other roaches too (like the American cockroach and Oriental cockroach), the Florida woods cockroach is the original Palmetto Bug, named for its common habitation inside the protective fans of saw palmetto palms.

Where and How Florida Woods Cockroaches Live

Distribution

Florida woods cockroaches are primarily distributed throughout Florida, with a range that extends into southern Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Habitat

Unlike your typical pest cockroach, Florida woods cockroaches primarily live outdoors where they inhabit dark, moist environments, feeding on the decaying plants, moss, molds, and other organic material they find there.

If you were to go out looking for them, you’d find them in sheltered places: under dead logs, in tree stump cavities, piles of leaf litter, compost, and underneath dense shrubs. As peridomestic roaches, you’ll also sometimes find them in structures near your home.

Reproduction

They are fairly prolific egg layers. And multiply quickly left unchecked. Females produce oothecae, or egg cases, each about 0.5 to 0.6 inches long and containing 21 to 23 eggs.

A female lays her first ootheca after about 55 days as an adult and using a strong, glue-like saliva, often attaches it to a surface in her habitat – such as a leaf, a rock, or a piece of wood.

About 48 days after they are laid, the eggs hatch into immature cockroaches, known as nymphs. The nymphs are the same reddish brown to black color as adults, but are smaller and have underdeveloped cerci.

When you expose a colony, you’ll likely see a mix of adults, eggs, and nymphs of various size.

But unlike the roaches that typically infest a home’s interior, the Florida woods cockroach is unlikely to race away. When it moves, it moves more slowly. And if you wanted to, you might even be able to pick one up.

How You’re Likely to Come into Contact with Them

You’re most likely to encounter these roaches outdoors, particularly if you disturb their habitat. Should you roll over a fallen log, or bag up a pile of yard waste when they’re anywhere around, you’ll probably find at least a few of them.

Do they ever come inside? Sometimes. But generally not on purpose.

Since their food is outside, they tend to remain outside, too. But they can be carried indoors on firewood. Or wander in from a wood pile stacked beside the house.

When that happens, as creatures that prefer a damp environment, they’ll probably end up in a room with a sink, either the bathroom or kitchen. Sometimes, though less often, they also make their way into attics, and even less frequently, breed there.

If you do spot egg sacs (see ootheca picture above) or droppings, it’s a good sign that they’ve moved in.

An actual infestation however, is unlikely. Because Florida wood roaches don’t infest a home the way that other roaches do. As outdoor cockroaches, they don’t survive well indoors, so probably won’t linger. And if they do, they’re unlikely to reproduce.

Are They Dangerous?

Unlike many other roaches, Florida woods cockroaches don’t eat feces or rotting flesh, and won’t track viruses and bacteria all over your pantry.

So they’re far less dangerous than many other pest roaches you might encounter. They do molt and defecate, however. So if a colony somehow found their way inside your home, they could potentially trigger an allergic reaction or asthma attack.

Though not in itself terribly dangerous, you may want to be aware of a fluid the Florida woods cockroach emits from its abdomen when threatened. Described as “foul smelling” or “amaretto-like” (depending on who you talk to), it’s slightly irritating to the skin and eyes, and the reason behind the insect’s “Stinking Cockroach” nickname.

If that’s a concern, you’ll want to take care when moving things it might be hiding under. And keep in mind it can direct the spray (somewhat) to a few feet away.

How to Get Rid of Florida Woods Cockroaches

Because Florida woods cockroaches aren’t likely to infest your home, you can just take them back outside whenever you spot them in the house. They probably won’t come back and it’s a good bet they haven’t deposited an egg case under your kitchen sink.

If they truly creep you out however, you can either use methods we discuss elsewhere – the careful use of pesticides and baits. Or you can hire a pest control professional (see How to Hire a Roach Exterminator) to get rid of them for you.

How to Prevent a Future Infestation

Florida woods cockroaches perform an important role in the ecosystem, including the one in your yard. They are detritivores, recycling decaying plant matter into fertilizer that helps plants grow.

But if you don’t want them hanging around outside your home, there are effective methods of pest control:

• Don’t leave piles of wood, leaves, or yard waste laying around.
• If you’re worried about them coming inside, be sure to stack firewood away from the house and inspect it before carrying it in.
• Don’t plant dense shrubbery around your house.
• And make sure that your doors and windows are properly weather sealed and have tightly fitting screens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by Rae Osborn, PhD.

Andrew Martin

Writer/Publisher

Andrew writes for, and along with his daughter, publishes Cockroach Facts. You can read more about him here.

Rae Osborn, PhD.

Science Editor

Dr. Rae Osborn holds Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Zoology and Entomology, and a Master of Science in Entomology from the University of Natal in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Quantitative Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington, where her research was in Entomology. You can learn more about our contributors here.

Sources

1. Florida Woods Cockroach (AKA Palmetto Bug) Eurycotis floridana. University of Florida. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/in/in91500.pdf
2. Featured Creatures: Florida woods cockroach. University of Florida. Retrieved from http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/roaches/florida_woods_cockroach.htm
3. Wikipedia. Florida Woods Cockroach. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_woods_cockroach

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There’s nothing cute about a baby cockroach. And no time to mess around. If you’ve discovered one, you’ll need to take action. Why?

Because even a single baby roach can signal a much bigger problem. One you’ll want to solve before the problem spreads. By taking certain steps now, you’ll protect not just your home, but possibly your family’s health.

Let’s look at what finding a baby cockroach means, where it came from, and if it might actually be some other kind of bug. If it is a cockroach and there are more tiny roaches about, we’ll look at how to deal with them, too. Ready? Let’s tackle this not-so-tiny problem head-on!

Remember, when using insecticides, the label is the law—read and follow the instructions carefully, not only for your own safety, but to make sure each treatment is as effective as possible.

This is the first of three resources to help you identify and deal with baby roaches. For more, also see “What Do Baby Roaches Look Like?” here. And “Baby Roach Pictures: An Easy Visual Guide,” here.

Step One: Understand What’s at Stake

Baby Roaches Can Be Harmful

Big or small, roaches are not creatures you want living in your house. Cockroaches are pretty disgusting bugs. And the babies carry the same risks as their adult counterparts. They spend their time crawling around revoltingly dirty places and eating rotten and awful things. As a result, they pick up all sorts of bacteria, viruses, mold, fungi, and worms, which they then deposit elsewhere.

If you guessed that cockroaches put your family at risk for food poisoning, you’d be right.

As the baby cockroach you spotted scuttles across your kitchen counter at night, it leaves behind a wealth of disease-causing bacteria. And when it breaks into your pantry to eat your food, it’s also… defecating. Defecating everywhere. On your shelves, on the walls, and in the food itself.

If you guessed that puts your family at risk for food poisoning, you’d be right. And frighteningly, there’s more. Its droppings and shed skin can become airborne, triggering asthma attacks and allergies. It may even cause asthma in your children.

That’s why you don’t want even a single baby cockroach in your home. But on that front there’s even more bad news. Because there’s never, ever just one baby cockroach. There are likely to be hundreds of them, along with lots of cockroach adults, hiding unseen.

And to understand why, and successfully combat them, you need to first know a little about adult cockroaches, their impressive reproductive capabilities, and how the baby roach you spotted (along with its horde of brothers and sisters) came to be.

There are Probably More Baby Roaches Than You Think

Like other insects, cockroaches are egg-laying creatures. The females lay their eggs in an egg sac called an ootheca, which contain multiple cockroach eggs – between 14 and 48, depending on the species. While some of the eggs don’t hatch, each egg produces a single baby cockroach (known as a cockroach nymph), creating a lot of tiny roaches each time the female lays.

In fact, some cockroaches are so good at reproducing, females don’t even need a mate. 

In total, she produces between 6 and 30 egg cases over a life cycle that usually lasts less than a year, and that can mean hundreds of baby roaches from just a single female. But there’s seldom just one female. There are many. All reproducing at the same remarkable rate.

That’s what makes a cockroach infestation happen so quickly. In fact, some cockroaches are so good at reproducing, females don’t even need a mate. How do cockroaches spread? They do it fast.

Step Two: Identify the Bugs

You see a bug scamper across the counter.

Though roach-like in the way it looks and moves, it’s wingless and smaller than other cockroaches you’ve seen in the past. It might also be a different color. Perhaps even a slightly different shape. Is it a baby cockroach? A beetle? Or could it be something else?

To find out, put on a pair of gloves and try to catch or kill one if you can. Examine it closely, comparing it to the common cockroach nymphs below.

For more help with roach identification, along with a special collection of baby roach pictures, see What Do Baby Roaches Look Like? and Baby Roach Pictures: An Easy Visual Guide.

Step Three: Get Rid of Your Baby Roaches and Make Sure They Don’t Come Back

Once you’ve determined that you actually do have a baby cockroach problem, you’re going to want to get rid of them quickly. Then take precautions to keep them from coming back.

Common Myths

Let’s begin by dispelling some common cockroach myths.

Myth #1: Size Matters

Some people mistakenly think that the larger the roach, the larger the problem. This is simply not true. Even the smallest baby cockroach can carry disease and shed allergens, and do it as well as the largest cockroach.

Myth #2: A Clean House Ensures That You Won’t Get Roaches

You’re also not necessarily safe just by keeping a clean home. While roaches prefer dirty homes because it’s easier to access food and hiding places, if they can get in and find food, water, and shelter, they’ll happily invade a clean home.

Myth #3: Roaches Are Invincible

No. Cockroaches aren’t invincible.

They can be killed and then controlled. They even have natural enemies like centipedes and wasps that may already be helping to keep their numbers down. And don’t believe anyone who tells you that roaches can live for decades. Even the longest-lived roaches barely reach two years.

The bottom line? You can be roach-free forever if you understand what you’re up against and take smart action now.

Action Step 1: Sanitation and Exclusion

You’ll want to begin your action plan by making your home less attractive and hospitable to roaches, including the adults. Fewer bugs will enter, fewer will survive and breed, and some that do enter may simply leave. Don’t neglect this step or you may find yourself facing the same baby cockroach problem time and time again:

• Thoroughly clean your home. Don’t leave food lying out. Clean up your kitchen every night after dinner. If your pet doesn’t finish their food, put it away somewhere instead of leaving it out. Clean up spills and crumbs. While you’re cleaning, you can even vacuum up some cockroaches and oothecae (the egg sacs female cockroaches lay) and seal them in your outdoor trash bin.
• The same applies to water (which cockroaches need to drink). Empty standing water at night. Don’t let water pool in your sinks or on your counter tops. Fix leaky plumbing, and hunt out sources of condensation, which can otherwise provide plenty of water for cockroaches to drink.
• Don’t give them places to hide: pick up any clutter both in and outside the house. If they’re living inside your small appliances (e.g., a toaster), bag them up and put them in the freezer for five days, then bring them back inside and clean them. Cockroaches can’t withstand extreme cold.
• Don’t let them in. Seal holes or cracks where they could be getting in. Check baseboards, pipes, doors, and windows.
• And though you may have used baits in the extermination process, don’t forget to keep some around, and check them periodically to be sure they’re still fully working.

Action Step 2: Extermination

Having laid the groundwork with sanitation and exclusion work, it’s time to hit the intruders hard.

You’ll do that in one, or possibly two ways: By killing them (absolutely), and by taking away their ability to reproduce (possibly). In both cases, you’ll want to act quickly, before the problem gets worse. And you’ll want to use roach control products in the form of insecticides and baits.

Optionally, you could also hire a professional cockroach exterminator with experience and skills in using those products.

If You’re Going to DIY

If you’re going to DIY, you’ll need to honestly assess how bad your roach problem is, then educate yourself in some chemicals and their use. We’ll give you some of the basics here, then go into greater details on other pages.

Disclaimer: This page is strictly for informational use. When using insecticides, keep in mind—the label is the law. Insecticides should be applied correctly and safely when needed, and according to the laws of your state or country.

So. Two general types of insecticides are considered best for cockroach infestations, and should be employed together:

• For the nymphs, use insect growth regulators, known as IGRs. They inhibit insect growth, so if a baby cockroach eats some IGR, it won’t grow up.
• For adults, use an insecticide formulated for cockroaches, or a natural product like boric acid or diatomaceous earth. Keep in mind that even natural cockroach treatments carry risks and you should educate yourself to every product before use.
• Active ingredients to look for are abamectin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, dinotefuran, fipronil, hydramethylnon, imidacloprid, indoxycarb, and permethrin. They come in dusts, liquids, and gels and can be applied directly to surfaces (not counter tops, walls, or open floors) or placed in bait stations set along the baseboards or in cabinets or corners.

Suggested Products If You Have a Roach Problem

To Find Cockroach Hiding Spots and Kill Them Quickly When You Have Just a Few

Recommended for all cockroaches

Exterminator’s Choice Sticky Glue Traps

Used to measure and monitor a cockroach infestation and provide some supplemental control.

Check Price on Amazon

BASF PT P.I. Contact Insecticide

P.I. is a pyrethrin-based spray insecticide that kills roaches fast. Best when used as a supplement to other treatments, it’s not inexpensive, but far more effective than off-the-shelf sprays.

Check Price on Amazon

To Kill Cockroaches Inside Your Home When You Have a Serious Problem

Recommended for German cockroaches and Brown banded cockroaches, as well as American cockroaches (Palmetto bugs, Water bugs, Tree roaches, Sewer roaches), and Oriental cockroaches when they enter in large numbers.

Rockwell Labs CimeXa Dust Insecticide

CimeXa is an effective indoor crack and crevice treatment. For best results, use alongside Advion Gel Bait and Gentrol IGR.

Check Price on Amazon

HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster

Insecticidal dusts like CimeXa work best when applied with a duster tool. This inexpensive diatomaceous earth duster works fine with CimeXa, Delta Dust, and other recommended dusts.

Check Price on Amazon

Syngenta Advion Cockroach Gel Bait

Advion first poisons the roaches that eat it, then others in a secondary kill. For the most effective indoor treatment, combine with CimeXa insecticidal dust and Gentrol IGR.

Check Price on Amazon

Gentrol Point Source IGR

Gentrol is an insect growth regulator (IGR) that interferes with roach reproduction. It’s most effective used alongside Advion Gel Bait and CimeXa insecticidal dust.

Check Price on Amazon

To Kill Cockroaches Outdoors Before They Have a Chance to Get Inside

Recommended for American cockroaches (Palmetto bugs, Water bugs, Tree roaches, Sewer roaches), Oriental cockroaches, and Smokybrown cockroaches.

Bayer Polyzone Suspend Insecticide

When used on exterior foundations, entries, and walls, Suspend insecticidal liquid stops outdoor roaches before they get in. It requires a separate sprayer (see below), and works best alongside a granular outdoor bait like Intice and an outdoor crack and crevice treatment like Delta Dust.

Check Price on Amazon

Chapin 1 Gallon Multi-Purpose Sprayer

Liquid pesticides require a separate sprayer. This inexpensive pump sprayer works fine for smaller jobs.

Check Price on Amazon

InTice Perimeter Insect Control Bait Granules

InTice is a granular bait that kills roaches outdoors and in spaces like your garage or attic. Used alongside a spray treatment like Bayer Suspend and a crack and crevice treatment like Delta Dust, it can protect the entire perimeter of your home.

Check Price on Amazon

Delta Dust Insecticide Dust

Waterproof and long-lasting, Delta Dust is a crack and crevice treatment effective in high-moisture areas such as attics, exterior walls, and plumbing lines. Delta Dust is regulated and unavailable in some areas.

Check Price on Amazon

If You’re Going to Call a Pro

If you have a severe roach infestation, or think that you might have one, we recommend that you call a pest control company. Professionals come armed with special knowledge and equipment as well as years of experience. Even if you think you might want to do it yourself, a pro can do an inspection for you and let you know what you’re really dealing with.

It’s Time to Take Action!

Now you’re armed with enough knowledge to identify that tiny bug scuttling through your home. If it turns out to be a baby cockroach, you’ll know what’s at stake and what you’ll need to do. Good luck, happy bug hunting, and enjoy your pest-free home!

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by James Miksanek, PhD.

Disclaimer: This page is strictly for informational use. When using insecticides, keep in mind—the label is the law. Insecticides should be applied correctly and safely when needed, and according to the laws of your state or country.

Andrew Martin

Writer/Publisher

Andrew writes for, and along with his daughter, publishes Cockroach Facts. You can read more about him here.

James Miksanek, PhD.

Science Editor

James is an entomologist and adjunct professor of biology. His background is in biological control, and he has a passion for ecology and environmental science. His research has addressed a variety of topics including pest control and the management of invasive species. You can learn more about our contributors here.

Saw a big brown water bug crawling underneath your sink? You’ve heard of these pests but might not have cared about them before. Now you want to figure out exactly what you’ve found.

Water bug identification can be a little bit confusing. Not just because there are different types of water bugs. But because there’s conflicting information.

In this short guide, you’ll learn how to tell these insects apart, and what to do to stop them.

Let’s take a look!

Are Water Bugs and Cockroaches the Same?

Yes and no.

“Water bug” is indeed a term many people use to refer to cockroaches. But it usually doesn’t refer to all cockroaches, just the peridomestic roaches (the American, Oriental, and smokybrown roaches) that prefer to live outdoors.

These roaches don’t live in water, but in close proximity to it—in the moist trash dumps, wet sewers, and humid compost around our homes. When these harborages get disrupted or the weather gets too bad, the roaches there may go in search of better conditions, sometimes ending up inside our homes.

There’s another type of water bug however, which isn’t a cockroach—the giant water bug, and it’s not a threat inside your home. Let’s look at that outlier first then ID the cockroach/water bugs one by one.

The Giant Water Bug (Isn’t Interested in Your House)

The giant water bug (Lethocerus americanus) a member of the order Hemiptera, is altogether different from any cockroach you’ve ever seen. Also called the “toe biter” or “electric light bug,” it’s sometimes seen crawling on porch lights, but seldom makes its way inside.

Description

• Size: 2–4 inches in length
• Color: Grayish dark brown, similar to a dead leaf
• Range: Across North America, especially southern Canada and the U.S.
• Habitat: Fresh water, including ponds, streams and the edges of lakes
• Risks: A giant water bug has been known to bite humans when handled.

American Cockroaches (The American Water Bug)

American cockroaches are the insects most commonly referred to as water bugs.

They’re large—in fact the largest pest cockroach in the United States. Both males and females are capable of flight, but are not good flyers. They live in dark, damp places but like other roaches below, don’t live in water. They’re scavengers with terrible eating habits, feeding on trash, waste and other decaying organic material.

Description

• Size: 1.5–2 inches in length.
• Color: Reddish brown with yellow markings behind its head.
• Range: Across the U.S., in areas both urban and rural.
• Habitat: Outdoors in dark, warm, damp environments, such as sewers and drain pipes; indoors in kitchens and bathrooms, near food and water.
• Risks: American cockroaches are known to carry dangerous bacteria and allergens that can contaminate your home. If left unchecked, they can infest in large numbers, cause damage, and put your family’s health at risk.

The American Water Bug Nymph

American cockroach nymphs measure 1/8 inch long when born, and throughout their maturation, look like miniature adults (minus wings). They take 600 days to reach adulthood.

Oriental Cockroaches

The Oriental cockroach is found in cooler locations with lots of moisture. Unlike other pest roaches, it’s slow-moving, a poor climber, and doesn’t fly.

Its exoskeleton is dark brown to black in color, with a glossy sheen. It has a squatter shape than the American cockroach, and has significantly smaller wings (females’ are almost invisible).

Description

• Size: 1–1.5 inches
• Color: Shiny dark brown or black
• Range: Around the world, especially the northwest, midwest and southern U.S.
• Habitat: Cool, humid environments, like basements, piping, laundry rooms and dumpsters.
• Risks: An Oriental roach can lay 115 eggs per year, so the risk of infestation is high. They can survive on garbage and unsealed food, spreading widely in homes via pipes and cracks in walls. The bacteria they carry can cause stomach illnesses. They also produce a musty stench that’s difficult to eliminate.

The Oriental Water Bug Nymph

Like other roaches, Oriental cockroach nymphs look like smaller, albeit completely wingless versions of the adults. Oriental roach nymphs take about a year to reach adulthood.

Smokybrown Cockroaches

Smokybrown cockroaches are strong flyers that are attracted to lights. They sometimes follow lights into living spaces, but more frequently end up in garages, crawl spaces, and attics, where they need a humid environment to survive.

Smokybrowns have long shiny wings and bodies that are uniformly brown.

Description

• Size: 1.25–1.5 inches
• Color: Uniform dark or mahogany brown
• Range: Across the U.S., especially the Southeast
• Habitat: Warm, humid areas, like attics, water meter boxes sewer access openings and roof shingles
• Risks: Smokybrown roaches can spread if left alone, damaging photos and important documents as they feed and lay egg cases. Attics are especially problematic..

Smokybrown Cockroach Nymphs

Smokybrown nymphs are wingless and have distinctive markings—a pair of white stripes on the front half of their bodies and white-tipped antennae. Smokybrown cockroach nymphs take 320 days to reach adulthood.

Not to Be Confused with a Water Bug: The German Cockroach.

Now, a German cockroach is not a water bug by any definition. But these roaches are such widespread household pests that some people lump them all together.

The German cockroach is an indoor species, unlike all of the other bugs on this list. It’s much tinier, capable of hiding in the loose seams of wooden furniture and the electronics inside appliances. They come inside by riding in bags, boxes and clothing.

German roaches multiply extremely quickly and, because they’re so tiny, they could establish a colony before you’ve even seen a roach. They’re considered by many pest control professionals to be the most difficult species to control.

Description

• Size: 0.5 inches
• Color: Light brown, tan or golden with a pair of dark, vertical stripes on its back
• Range: Across the U.S., in close proximity to people
• Habitat: Warm, humid areas of homes, businesses and shared living complexes
• Risks: High risk of infestation. German cockroaches can hide and breed in countless places, allowing them to multiply quickly and spread dangerous bacteria around your home. German roach skins and droppings can trigger allergies and asthma, too.

If you think that you’re dealing with these pests, jump over to our step-by-step guide to getting rid of German roaches.

German Cockroach Nymphs

Baby German cockroaches look like miniature versions of the adults but lack wings.

You’ll notice the pair of dark stripes running from head to rear cerci. A German roach nymph that’s just hatched or molted might appear gray or white. When it’s born, it’s only about the size of a grain of rice. It takes a mere 60 days to reach adulthood, increasing the risk of a cockroach infestation.

Conclusion

While roaches aren’t the only kind of water bug, they’re usually the ones that cause problems. They’re also (for most folks) not just any kind of roach, but one of several outdoor species. Each with unique risks and challenges.

Water bug identification is an important first step. You’ll want the next to be about action.

Head over to our water bug control guide to learn how to get rid of different types of water bugs permanently. There, we’ll show you how to create a roach-free home in four simple steps. To help you say—

Goodbye, water bugs!

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Gray, Betty. Giant Water Bug. Texas A&M: Beneficials in the Garden & Landscape. Retrieved from https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-55_giant_water_bug.htm
2. Choate, Paul M. (2019) Giant water bugs, electric light bugs. University of Florida Entomology. Retrieved from http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/bugs/giant_water_bugs.htm
3. 2019 State of the Cockroach Control Market (2019) Zoecon/Central Life Sciences.
4. Giant Water Bug. (2020) U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/articles/giant-water-bug.htm