Brown Banded Cockroaches

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The brownbanded cockroach is more gregarious and more likely to be found in homes, hotels or apartments rather than commercial stores, restaurants or kitchens. These insects feed on starch materials such as wallpaper paste, and even nonfood materials such as nylon stockings. They prefer to hide in warm, elevated areas near the ceiling, behind wall decorations, pictures, loose wallpaper, in shower stalls, underneath chairs and tables, in closets, beneath or inside upholstered furniture, and in electrical appliances such as TV sets, stereos, radios and toasters. Roaches can foul food, damage wallpaper and books, eat glue from furniture and produce an unpleasant odor. Some homeowners are allergic to roaches, and the pests can contaminate food with certain bacterial diseases that result in food poisoning, dysentery or diarrhea.

Most cockroaches have a flattened oval shape, spiny legs, and grow long, filamentous antennae. Adult brownbanded cockroaches are light brown to glossy dark brown, are about 5/8-inch long and have wings. Males are capable of flight. Nymphs and females are broad when viewed from above, while the male is slender. The male's wings cover the abdomen, whereas the female's wings are short, exposing the abdomen. These roaches have two light yellow or cream transverse bands across the base of the wings and abdomen (twice banded). These bands may appear irregular or broken, but are usually quite apparent on the nymphs and females. Immature stages are smaller, have undeveloped wings and resemble adults. Egg capsules are about 3/16" long, crescent or purse-shaped, and yellowish or reddish-brown.

Brownbanded cockroach females deposit egg cases in clusters inside furniture, undersides of tables, draperies, wall decorations, shelving and ceilings. The egg capsule contains 14 to 16 eggs; a female produces 10 to 20 cases in her lifetime. Eggs hatch in 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 months, and nymphs develop in 3 to 9 months, with adults living 5 to 6-1/2 months. Females carry the egg capsule for 1 to 2 days, and then glues it to some object. These roaches are active at night, and nymphs and adults jump rapidly when disturbed. Adults are fair flyers. These pests do not require as much moisture as German roaches and tend to avoid light. The roaches are commonly transported in furniture, luggage and other items into homes and soon develop into annoying infestations under warm, humid conditions (80 deg F temperatures preferred). Control is difficult since they live widely dispersed as individuals scattered all over the premises. Treatments must be extensive or directed at population sources determined by bait trapping. Traps can determine infestation severity and monitor chemical controls, especially with brownbanded and German roaches. Adults die within two weeks without food and water.

The following links will take you to pages with information on other common types of cockroaches found in Georgia.

Getting rid of Brown Banded Cockroaches usually requires the use of baits however it is important to get the right concentration of the poison. Our roach control specialists can eliminate your Brown Banded Cockroach problem, and give you ideas on how to roach-proof your property.