What Are The Different Types of Roaches in Texas?
Texas is a roach land for several reasons. The varying degrees of humidity and warmth make it the ideal climate for these roaches to breed.
Although roaches share several common characteristics, not all bugs are the same. There are many different types, and several are found in Texas. These are American, German, Oriental, Brown-banded, Asian, and Smokey Brown roach.
If you’re wondering what kinds of roaches you’ll find in Texas, this article may give you the answer you’re looking for. So read on and find out!
The Different Types of Texas Roaches
Identifying the roach infestation in your home is the first step to termination. This section will cover basic information about the six types of cockroaches found in Texas to help you detect which pest you’re dealing with.
American Cockroach
All cockroaches make you cringe, but this one will make your skin crawl. Approximately three inches long, the American cockroach is the largest cockroach in Texas. It is known by several names, including tree roach, palmetto bug, cockroach rex, water bug, and wood roach.
In addition to being big, these roaches are reddish-brown with a yellow band behind their head. They’ve got long legs and giant wings (wingspan of four inches) to fly short distances. These roaches also have long antennae.
American roaches are present outdoors and indoors. They are typically attracted to moist areas, which means you’ll most likely find them in drains, sewers, and other damp areas, including basements and kitchens.
These are nocturnal creatures attracted to light and moisture, causing them to enter your home to look for food. These roaches feed on decaying organic matter, plants, and small insects.
The life span of the American cockroach is about a year. The female can lay about 50 eggs at once, which take two months to hatch. Once hatched, the nymphs take six to twelve months to turn into adults.
German Cockroaches
We’ve already introduced you to the massive American cockroach, it only seems fitting to talk about the much smaller German cockroach next.
While large cockroaches like the American roaches may make you more nervous, it’s the smaller ones you have to be wary of. Adult German cockroaches are only ½ to 5/8 inches long, which means they often go unseen until the infestation is out of control.
In addition, they reproduce fast, causing the infestation to become more serious. The female can lay up to 40 eggs at a time every six weeks. The eggs take 60 days to hatch. The adult lifespan is one year.
Furthermore, their tiny size enables them to crawl into small crevices leaving behind dozens of eggs.
Besides its small size, you’ll recognize this Texas roach by the two dark stripes behind its head and its tan or light brown color. Although they can fly, you won’t see them do it often.
German cockroaches live exclusively indoors and therefore are common in houses and apartments. They prefer to hide in small, confined places, out of sight but close to food and water. They feed on various items, including soap, grease, and food crumbs.
Although they’re bad, the worst part about German cockroaches is they carry and spread diseases. Organisms responsible for causing dysentery, food poisoning, and other illnesses can be found on their legs and bodies, transmitting when foraging for food.
Oriental Cockroach
You can quickly identify an oriental cockroach by its dark brown or shiny black shell. In addition, these roaches are notorious for leaving behind a potent stink wherever they have been. The musty smell is one way you can tell whether you have an infestation.
Oriental cockroaches are mid-size pests measuring around 1.25 inches. They appear rounder than German cockroaches and have short wings, which means they cannot fly.
These insects are attracted to damp areas and are typically found outdoors. However, they can also invade your homes and other human structures via sewer systems. Indoors, you’ll find them near water sources such as bathtubs, sinks, and laundry appliances.
Of all the species, these roaches are the least agile. They neither don’t fly nor climb and prefer damp, ground-level areas. They feed on garbage and rotting organic matter.
Females lay their eggs in capsules, and each capsule has around 16 eggs. They can lay up to 20 capsules in their lifetime. The nymphs go through seven molts before reading maturity. It takes 12 weeks for the egg to hatch and turn into a mature adult.
The lifespan of these roaches can last anywhere from 34 to 180 days.
Although these roaches reproduce all year, they’re more active during spring and summer when the weather gets warmer.
Brown-banded Roaches
As the name suggests, brown-banded roaches have two deep brown bands that span across their wings. They are otherwise light brown and, although they are found in Texas, are not as common as the other types we’ve talked about.
Brown-banded roaches are about ½ inch long. The males are slightly bigger than the females and have fully developed larger wings. On the other hand, females have shorter wings covering two-thirds of the abdomen.
What’s interesting about brown-banded roaches is their behavior. Unlike other cockroach species, which are attracted to moisture and are found at ground level, these roaches stay away from moisture and are usually present in high places such as the ceilings, high shelves, and attics, particularly the males.
They may even lay their eggs behind your wall décor. Each egg capsule contains about 18 eggs, and a female can lay about 12 to 16 capsules in a lifetime. Nymphs may molt up to 8 times before reaching adulthood, taking 276 days to reach maturity.
Adult roaches can live eight to ten months.
Because they don’t like moisture, you’ll typically find these roaches in the dry areas of Texas. They are omnivorous and, therefore, will feed on anything. However, they prefer sweets and starchy foods the most.
Asian Cockroach
The Asian cockroach did not originate in the US but was brought from Asia (hence the name). This roach (originally from Japan) came to the US via imports from Japan and is now found in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina.
These roaches look very similar to German cockroaches. However, Asian bugs have longer and narrower wings than German insects. In addition, Asian roaches are slightly larger.
Asian roaches are light tan and have two black stripes. They’re half an inch long and are mainly found outdoors. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t stop them from entering your home looking for food and water.
They’re stronger fliers as compared to their German counterparts. They are primarily active at night and like lights causing them to fly towards any light source. As a result, they may fly into your home, which is well-lit at night, attracting these insects towards it.
Female Asian roaches produce about four egg capsules in her lifetime, with each capsule containing 37 eggs. The nymphs take around 67 days to mature. Adult males of this species have a lifespan of 49 days, whereas the females live longer, approximately 104 days.
These roaches will eat about anything they can find and reproduce quickly, making them difficult to control.
Smoky Brown Cockroach
The American cockroach isn’t the only large roach on this list. Smokey Brown insects can reach up to 1.5 inches. They have a shiny black or dark brown exoskeleton and have long wings extending the abdomen.
Their long antennae are larger than the insect’s body!
These roaches are present outdoors and like warm, humid, wooded areas. They prefer to eat decaying matter but don’t limit themselves and happily consume fecal matter, sweets, and starches.
On average, adult females of this species can live up to 218 days, whereas males may live up to 215 days. Females can produce ten egg capsules in her lifetime with about 20 eggs per case.
How to Control Roaches in Texas
It is essential to learn about the different types of roaches in Texas so that you can learn how to control them. Elimination is one thing, but your methods may not be very successful unless you directly get rid of the source.
Here are a few tips you can use to control the roach population:
- Keep your food in sealed containers and clean up any food and grease spills.
- Fill in any cracks and crevices to stop them from entering your home.
- Remove food and water sources that attract.
- Contact a professional if you believe the infestation may be out of hand, and you can’t control the population on your own.
Final Takeaway
Roaches may make your skin crawl, but that’s not why they’re harmful. They carry and spread diseases and may cause allergies in some people. In addition, they have a pretty short lifecycle causing them to reproduce rapidly, infesting our homes and businesses.
Knowing about the different types of roaches may help you figure out the best method of control and elimination. If you believe the infestation has reached a point beyond control, reach out to professionals so that you may fully eradicate these pests from your home.
