Cockroach Identification & Prevention

What You Need To Know About Cockroaches

Cockroaches can infiltrate any of our Texas homes at any time. Learning about these pests is the best way to keep them out of your home, away from your family, and to learn more about our pest control solutions in Spring, TX.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cockroaches

What are cockroaches?

Cockroaches are opportunistic, scavenging insects and regular invaders of our homes. The most common types of cockroaches to invade our Texas structures are:

• German cockroaches
• American cockroaches
• Smokybrown cockroaches
• Asian cockroaches
• Cuban cockroaches

American and German cockroaches are the most common to invade our structures.

German cockroaches are pale to dark brown and have two dark parallel bars on the pronotum (the first segment of the thorax). They range in size from ½ to ? of an inch in length. These cockroaches are winged but rarely fly. Instead, they prefer to use their legs.

American cockroaches are reddish-brown. Their pronotum or shield-like place located above its head is also reddish-brown but with yellow around its edges. These are the largest house-infesting cockroaches in the United States, and adults grow to 2 ? inches in length. American cockroaches are winged and fly in a glide-like manner.

Are cockroaches dangerous?

Cockroaches, no matter the species, are dangerous and unwanted in our homes for several reasons. The biggest reason is that these insects pose significant health risks. Cockroaches spread diseases and allergens through their feces, contaminate food, produce unpleasant odors, and their presence scares people and makes them uncomfortable.

Cockroaches are prolific breeders, making it difficult to control these dangerous pests once they find their way into our Texas homes. A cockroach infestation can occur in any of our homes, and being aware of that fact is vital so you can remain vigilant and do your best to keep them out.

Why do I have a cockroach problem?

Most people associate cockroaches with dirty or cluttered homes, but the truth is that cockroaches can become a problem in any of our houses. These insects live in large populations all around us and can find their way into any home, either on their own or by hitchhiking inside.

German cockroaches are great hitchhikers and regularly are introduced into Texas homes unintentionally by homeowners. These cockroaches travel inside in grocery bags, boxes, packages, appliances, and furniture delivered from infested areas. They also have been known to ride inside purses and backpacks.

Once they enter your home, they take over quickly. Female German cockroaches produce an egg capsule (ootheca) after three months of development. Every egg capsule contains 30 to 40 baby cockroaches (nymphs). One female may produce 120 to 200 nymphs in her lifetime.

American cockroaches live quite successfully outside in Texas. However, they can wind up inside our homes, generally moving indoors through gaps in the exterior perimeter of buildings, doorways, windows, and attic spaces. In addition, American cockroaches can enter buildings through drains, especially during rain events when the sewers are full of water.

Just like German cockroaches, American cockroaches can also quickly take over homes once they find a way inside. Females can produce 21 egg capsules (ootheca) during their life, producing one egg case every six days. Each ootheca can contain as many as 16 baby cockroaches.