American roaches are the largest of the roach species and are also known as Palmetto bugs. Adults range from 1 1/2 – 2 inches long andcockroach-american-2 reddish brown to mahogany in color with faded yellow edges on their thorax. American roaches may be found in homes but are more commonly found in larger commercial buildings such as restaurants, bakeries, food processing plants, hospitals, apartment buildings, etc. Since American roaches favor dark, warm, moist places they typically infest basements, steam tunnels, sewers and drain lines.
Oriental roaches are also known as water bugs because of their preference for dark, damp and cool areas such as crawl spaces, damporientalcockroach basements, sewers, drain lines, garbage areas and laundry facilities. Adults are 1 – 1 1/4 inch long and are shiny dark brown to black in color. The oriental roach could survive quite well outside and spends a considerable amount time there hiding under debris, leaf litter and under porches.
German roaches are the most prevalent roach in the US, as well as the prolific, producing 3 – 6 generations per yearraoch (30 – 40 roaches per one egg capsule). Adults are about 1/2 – 5/8 inches long, tan to light brown in color and most recognizable by the two dark stripes on their pronotum behind their heads. German roaches are notorious household and industrial pests infesting homes, restaurants warehouses, healthcare facilities, apartment buildings, etc. They are typically introduced into structures via paper products and packaging such as cardboard boxes and via secondhand appliances such as refrigerators, microwaves, televisions, etc.
Pennsylvania wood roaches are an outdoors roach that live in wooded areas behind loose bark on dead trees, under wood piles andWood Cockroach in tree holes. Adults are about 1/2 – 1 inch and chestnut brown to color with light bands on the edge of their bodies near the head. Males are good fliers and attract to light so they often enter indoors at night via crack and crevices where light penetrates to the outside. These roaches do not prefer the indoors as they rarely breed and survive inside. Pennsylvania Wood Roaches are present from May – October.