What is an oriental cockroach?
Often referred to as a water bug or black beetle, oriental cockroaches are dark black in appearance and thrive in or around damp, wet areas. These roaches are about an inch in length and dark brown to black with a leathery looking skin. Males have larger wings measuring about half the length of their body, and the female has small wings. Neither can fly!
These roaches are unique in that they cannot climb yet prefer to run on smooth floors and other surfaces.
What is their habitat?
Oriental cockroaches love damp and wet areas preferably with temperatures in the mid 60’s to high 70’s. Their favorite places are:
- Inactive sinks, shower drains, toilets, pipes, and plumbing
- Wet and damp basements
- Rotting organic materials found in drains
- Dark spaces such as under a deck or porch, under sinks, crawl spaces
- Your yard is a harbor! Wet areas under landscaping, around foundations, and in piles of decaying yard waste/grass clippings or mulch
- Garbage bins, open garbage cans in garages
What do oriental cockroaches eat?
These cockroaches thrive on eating garbage, raw sewage, decaying matter and will eat just about anything. Who knew that oriental cockroaches are starch fanatics! They absolutely need water but can go weeks without any food.
Are oriental cockroaches dangerous?
These roaches carry bacteria and viruses based on the sheer fact that they live and breed in predominately sewers, drains, sewage, and dirty, standing water. The bacteria are then transported on their bodies, legs and wings to your counters, floors, and all around your home. Dirty dishes in the sink or left on the table or picnic areas outside are breeding grounds for e. coli, salmonella and forms of food poisoning and illness.
How can you stop them from entering your home?
It sounds so simple but keep your home clean and dry. Frequently check out your basement, the corners of your garage, the landscaping and foundation areas of your home. They are creatures of the night. Look for droppings and if you see these roaches in the daytime, you could have an infestation.
- Seal up and caulk windows, doorways, garage door gaps and other entry points.
- Check your garbage can lids to make sure they close tightly. Replace them if they do not.
- Check under sinks for water leaks. If you have a drop ceiling in your basement, heed any water marks and inspect the area thoroughly. Replace any wet or damaged ceiling tiles.
- Keep your home clean. Vacuum areas where your family meets and eats, especially bedrooms and basements.
Dead cockroach in an apartment on the kitchen counter.
How do you get rid of oriental cockroaches?
It takes more than a spray to thoroughly remove oriental cockroaches or any other type of cockroach. Before you can treat, you need to locate all areas of access and address the damages. This can only be accomplished by contacting a trained professional.
At Accurate Pest Control, we offer free inspections of your home and surrounding outdoor areas. Our technicians are licensed and educated by the State of New York. They will review their findings and present a plan of action to you. The treatments are safe for your family and pets.
If damage has occurred, we offer a complete clean up including external structural damage to soffits, gutters, siding, roofing as well as interior damage to the insulation and dry wall.
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