There are over 4,000 cockroach species around the world and roughly 400 of those cockroaches are native to Australia.
Fortunately, very few of these cockroach types are considered a pest. So it’s very unlikely that you’ll ever see more than a handful of these cockroaches in your lifetime. However, it’s still important to keep an eye out for the cockroaches that do pose a threat.
Why? Because, by knowing the species of cockroach, this can give you a major advantage in the fight against these pests.
Different cockroaches have different behaviours. Some roaches prefer warm, dry, and high locations, while other roaches prefer to dwell in damp and moist areas. Without this information, trying to get rid of cockroaches can turn into a long, drawn out guessing game – wasting your time, money, and effort.
To help you prevent the risk of invasion, and get rid of an existing roach infestation, here are the most common types of cockroach species.
Australian Cockroach
The Australian cockroach is one of the most common cockroach species. Generally speaking, they are a light brown colour, sometimes with a distinctive pale stripe, and a sharply contrasting pale or yellow margin on their head. The Australian cockroach measures at an average of 23 to 35mm long, which is slightly smaller than an American cockroach.
Behaviour: Australian cockroaches are notorious for their fast travel speed. If you’ve ever switched the light on in the kitchen, only to see a brown cockroach scurry under the nearest cupboard, it may very well have been an Australian cockroach. On top of this, they also have wings, making it even easier to carry out a swift escape.
Appetite: Plants, leftover food, and organic matter are the usual meals of the day for Australian cockroaches. During colder weather, these cockroaches may come inside to search for food and live permanently. But, in warmer weather, often they only come inside to search for food before going back outside.
Lifecycle: Female Australian cockroaches deposit their egg case (the oothecal), usually containing up to 24 eggs, a day after production. Once hatched, the nymphs take around 6 to 12 months to develop into adults.
Got a cockroach infestation on your hands? Contact the experts today for safe, fast, and effective relief.
German Cockroach
The German cockroach is typically smaller than their Australian counterpart, measuring at 13 to 16mm long. While the German cockroach also has a light tan to brown colour, they have two distinct dark stripes going down the pronotum from behind their head to the base of their wings.
Behaviour: The German cockroach prefers to dwell in warm, humid, dark, and well-hidden environments. For instance, good living spaces would be the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry rooms. The German cockroach is also incredibly fast due to its small size and lightweight properties – making it hard to detect their presence early.
Appetite: Leftover food, surface stains, and organic material are common food sources for the German cockroach.
Lifecycle: With the ability to carry up to 35 to 40 eggs in an egg case, the German cockroach can multiply rapidly. This is further aided by the fact that nymphs only need 6 weeks to 6 months to develop into full grown adults. Furthermore, one female cockroach can produce up to 20,000 young each year.
Oriental Cockroach
Unlike other cockroach species, the oriental cockroach has a very dark and shiny body. They also usually have no light stripes either. The oriental cockroach is also one of the few cockroach species that produce a distinctive smell. This is due to the fact that they prefer to reside in moist areas like sewer drains and general plumbing infrastructure.
Behaviour: Despite being unable to fly, the oriental cockroach can still run incredibly quick in order to escape. Aside from sewer pipes, they also like to dwell in other moist areas like the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry rooms.
Appetite: Because of their preference for garbage and decay, once inside, the oriental cockroach will often head straight for nearby garbage bins. That’s why, it’s a good idea to empty your trash every night before going to bed.
Lifecycle: With the ability to deposit up to 16 eggs into an egg case, the oriental cockroach is one of the slowest in terms of reproduction. Also, the eggs take around 2 months to hatch, while the nymphs take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to develop into an adult.
Do you have any of these cockroach species in your premise? Contact All Bugs today, and our expert team will provide a custom treatment plan for you.
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