Here’s the Scoop on the Types of Roaches You’ll See This Fall

They’re creepy, crawly, and one of Long Island homeowners’ most dreaded pests to find inside the house during the fall and winter—you guessed it, we’re talking about cockroaches!

On Long Island, there are several different types of roaches you’ll likely see inside your home if it’s not protected by one of our annual pest control plans! Here’s everything you need to know about roaches, which types to look out for and how to eliminate and prevent them.

The 4 Types of Roaches on Long Island

American Cockroaches

American roaches are one of the larger species you’ll likely see in your Long Island home, measuring in around 1.5-2 inches long! They’re a dark-reddish brown color, have wings, and WILL surprise you by flying when you least expect it!

Typically, in residential homes, American roaches will be found on the first floor, or in sewers, basements, crawl spaces, or anywhere warm and moist. While they won’t cause damage to your personal property, American roaches live, beed, and feed in the filth they pick up in sewers and garbage—do you really want that in your home?!

Brown-Banded Roaches

Brown-banded roaches are a smaller species of roach that’s common on Long Island. They’re named for the lighter brown bands that are found going across their darker brown bodies. Males, too, like the American roaches, are able to fly, however female brown-banded roaches aren’t able to take flight.

Inside homes, brown-banded roaches are most often found in attics, ceilings, inside furniture, in bathroom cabinets, or around large appliances. These roaches are more than just unsanitary; they’re also destructive and well-known for feeding on wallpaper, stamps, books, and curtains, among others. 

German Roaches

German roaches are another smaller species of cockroach, measuring in around ½ to ⅝ inch in length. These roaches are somewhere in between a tan and light brown shade, and have recognizable lines running from behind their head all the way to their wings, which don’t allow them to take flight.

Usually, German roaches invade basements, kitchens, and crawl spaces, and they’re particularly drawn to warm, dark environments. Like the other species we’ve covered so far, German roaches will contaminate food and spread their filth, but they’ll even damage personal items like books and wallpaper given the opportunity.

Oriental Roaches

Like American roaches, Oriental roaches are another larger species of roach, growing to around an inch in length. These roaches are shiny, dark black in color, and there is a bit of differentiation among the physical characteristics of the male and female Oriental roach. Males have narrower bodies and longer wings; females, on the other hand, have wider bodies and shorter wings. Even though both the male and female Oriental roach has wings, neither species is capable of flight.

If you’ve ever heard someone call a pest that got in their house a “water bug,” more than likely, they were describing an Oriental roach. Oriental roaches commonly crawl through drains and pipes, and while they thrive in moist zones like sewers, they’ll move inside if outdoor conditions become unfavorable. Inside, Oriental roaches are typically spotted in basements, crawl spaces, and around appliances like the washing machine. Since they are commonly found in some of the most filth-ridden locations like sewers, you absolutely don’t want Oriental roaches in your home. They’ll do more than just contaminate your food and potentially spread illness; these pests will also cozy up inside your electronics for warmth, potentially causing damage to pricey gadgets.

How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your Long Island Home

Whether you’re dealing with a roach problem in your Long Island home or you don’t want to risk turning on the lights in a room and seeing one of these scary pests take flight right before your eyes, Suburban Exterminating is here for you! We offer a variety of Annual Pest Protection Plans, so you can be sure to find one that fits your family’s needs and budget. Check out all of our options now at https://www.suburbanexterminating.com/residential/.