Three species of cockroach are prevalent in the Northeast: the German cockroach, the American cockroach, and the brownbanded cockroach. Structural pest control operators consider the German cockroach the "number one pest" in the industry. They derive 60 percent of their profits from managing this one pest.

Cockroaches can contaminate food with bacteria, transmit disease (hepatitis, parasitic toxoplasmosis, typhus) and cause allergies that contribute to asthma in children. The threshold for each species is 1, meaning that finding even one specimen warrants management.

WHAT TO DO NOW

• Identify the cockroach.
• Each species has a slightly different habit.. Knowing the species will allow you to fine-tune your management methods.
• Don't panic.
• Stay calm and read on.
• Inspect your home for the roaches..

TO INSPECT FOR ROACHES, THINK LIKE ONE

Cockroaches seek cracks and tight spots that are warm, dark, and moist. They are nocturnal, so try to inspect at night. Use a flashlight and dental mirror to peek behind or under cabinets. Search for living or dead cockroaches, shed exoskeletons ("skins"), egg cases and feces.

When you are ready to monitor, draw a simple diagram of the room. Purchase "sticky traps". These contain a glue that traps the roaches. Write the date on a trap and place it near evidence of roaches--near cracks in the basement, or the spots shown on the diagram. Mark these spots on your diagram, and check the traps later.

Kitchen.

You're most likely to find German cockroaches here. Look on the floor under and behind sinks, the stove, and other appliances. Peer at the back of and along the interior frame of cabinets and drawers, checking any voids. Examine the edges of drop ceilings, especially above cooking and dishwashing areas. Inspect the back of the refrigerator. (Once cockroaches infest the insulation of refrigerators, use a bait or call a professional.)

Bathroom.

Check behind the tub, shower, sinks, and toilet.

Basement.

American cockroaches frequent basements, coming in from sewers and landfills. Open the covers on inside floor drains, and check the foundation.

Note: The Pennsylvania wood roach is sometimes discovered in homes during warm months. It is about the size of the German and brownbanded, but does not reproduce inside and dies quickly. The Oriental cockroach is larger, like the American, and the adult has shortened wings. It can survive longer in colder locations than the American.

References and Further Reading
Klass, C. and D. Karasevicz. 1995. Pest Management Around the Home: Cultural Methods. Miscellaneous Bulletin S74. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, NY.

Lifton, Bernice. 1991. Bug Busters: Poison-Free Pest Controls for Your House & Garden. Avery Publishing Group, Inc., Garden City Park, NY 254 pp.

Mallis, A. 1996. The Handbook of Pest Control,8th edition. Edgell Communications, Duluth, MN.

Ogg, B., D. Ferraro, and C. Ogg. Cockroach Control Manual. University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Olkowski, W., S. Daar, and H. Olkowski. 1991. Common-Sense Pest Control. Taunton Press, Newtown, CT, 716 pp.

Smith, E. H. and R.C. Whitman. 1992. NPCA Field Guide to Structural Pests. National Pest Control Assn.

reprinted from Cornell Cooperative Extension Urban IPM Program information sheet 602
Author: Kathleen Sharpe
Illustrations: Karen English-Loeb
House interior copyrighted by the Regents of the University of California, used by permission

ipm@canr.cag.uconn.edu

Information on our site was developed for conditions in the Northeast. Use in other geographical areas may be inappropriate.

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