The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognized by a flattened oval body, long stringlike antennae, and a shiny black or brown leathery integument. The head is aimed downward, and the mouthparts are pointed to the back instead of forward or downward as is the case of the majority of other insects. The male usually has two pairs of wings, whereas the female, who in some species, is wingless or has vestigial wings. The female generates eggs in egg cases (known as oothecae). These are on occasion held coming out from her body or could be held in protected parts. After the female deposits an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton hardens, it turns brown in hue. The form and remarkable size (certain species possess a wingspread measurement of longer than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them a particular area in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach enjoys a warm, humid, dark habitat and is more often than not found in tropical and other mild climates. Only a small number species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage upon more material than it eats and possesses a yucky odour. The food of the roach, which should be both plant and animal products, goes from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides should be used in roach removing.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and lives out of doors or in dark, heated indoor areas (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). During adult life, generally about 1.5 years, the female generates 50 or more oothecae, each containing around 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life goes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, indigenous to tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, many species are often not great at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the house and on occasion erroneously referred to as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic area. The female generates the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for generally around 20 days. Because it is tiny in size (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach generally can be taken into homes in grocery bags and boxes; it has moved across the world by boat. Three or more generations can occur yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly throughout the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is commonly labeled the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is a bit smaller. The male has wholly developed wings and is paler in hue than the female, whose wings are short and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands along the back. The adult life span is generally about 200 days, and there could be two generations in a year. Eggs can be dropped in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the introduction of heated buildings this cockroach became more common in cooler temperatures.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is held to be one of the dirtiest of household pests. It is oval, shiny black or dark brown, 25 to 30 mm (1 to 1.2 inches) long, with a life cycle like that of the American cockroach. The male has short, fully developed wings, and the female possesses vestigial wings. This cockroach has been spread by vehicles of trade from its Asiatic origins to all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are non-domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, may be found under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so differing in appearance that they were initially seen as individual species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, possesses wings that expand past the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus eats wood with the aid of some protozoans in its digestive tract.

Got a cockroach or pest problem? If you’re looking for pest control Brisbane or a pest exterminator Brisbane, contact Brislander today.