Pest Library
American Cockroach
When someone along the Alabama Gulf Coast says palmetto bug, they usually mean the American cockroach: a large reddish-brown roach with a pale figure-eight pattern behind the head. It normally lives outdoors or in wet voids such as sewers, crawl spaces and drains, and shows up indoors when it follows moisture, warmth or an open gap.
Profile
- Scientific name
- Periplaneta americana
- Identification
- Reddish-brown with a yellowish figure-eight or halo marking on the shield behind the head. Wings extend past the tip of the abdomen on adults, and it can make short gliding flights.
- Appearance
- Long oval body, glossy surface, very long antennae, spiny legs.
- Typical size
- Adults commonly 1.5 inches (38 mm) or longer.
- Behavior
- Nocturnal and strongly tied to moisture. It travels plumbing lines, sewer laterals and utility chases, and forages widely rather than staying in one harborage.
- Habitat
- Sewers and floor drains, water meter boxes, mulch and palm debris, tree holes, crawl spaces, wall voids around plumbing, and warm mechanical rooms.
- Diet
- Decaying organic matter, food residue, grease and starches.
- Lifecycle
- Egg cases are deposited or glued in protected damp spots; nymphs take several months to over a year to mature depending on temperature. Adults are long-lived compared with German cockroaches.
- Why it matters
- American cockroaches travel through sewers and decaying material, so they carry contamination onto surfaces. They do not bite people.
- DIY considerations
- Because the population usually lives outdoors or in wet voids, spraying the inside of a kitchen rarely changes anything. Exclusion and moisture correction do more.
- Professional considerations
- Service focuses on the exterior and the wet voids: entry points, drains, crawl spaces and the perimeter, with interior work targeted only where activity is confirmed.
Signs of activity
- Large individual roaches seen at night on floors, in tubs or near drains
- Dark, ridged droppings roughly the size of a grain of rice
- Egg cases in crawl spaces, water heater closets or mulch beds
- Repeat sightings in bathrooms after heavy rain
Prevention
- Screen or cap floor drains and keep drain traps filled with water
- Seal gaps around plumbing penetrations, hose bibs and utility entries
- Pull mulch, palm debris and leaf litter back from the foundation
- Keep crawl space vents clear and correct standing water and leaks
- Weatherstrip exterior doors, including garage-to-house doors
Sources
Related information
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