Adult American cockroaches are reddish-brown to dark brown (except for a tan or light yellow band around the shield behind the head), about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, and have wings capable of flight. Males and females are about the same size.
American cockroaches can be detected by examining the premises after dark with a flashlight. They occur in dark, damp, warm places, often near steam pipes, in sewers, grease traps, amp basements, etc. During the day, probing hiding places with a wire will expose roaches. Household sprays of pyrethrins applied to hiding places will flush out roaches, sometimes killings them if they contact the spray.
The German Cockroach, Blattella germanica (Linnaeus), is the cockroach of concern. This is the species that gives all other cockroaches a bad name. It occurs in structures throughout Alabama, and is the species that typically plagues multifamily dwellings. German cockroaches spoil food or food products with their feces and defensive secretions. They also transport, and often harbor, pathogenic organisms that may cause severe allergic responses.
The adult is 10 to 15 mm long, brown to dark brown in color, with two distinct parallel bands running the length of the pronotum. The sexes can be distinguished by the following characteristics: male- thin and slender body, tapered posterior abdomen with visible terminal segments, no leathery outer wings (tegmina); female- body stout with rounded posterior abdomen entirely covered by tegmina.
Smokybrown Cockroach, Periplaneta fuliginosa, is a relative of the American cockroach and resembles it in shape and size. These cockroaches are more common in the southern United States. They are a little over 1 inch long, and both sexes have wings that are longer than the abdomen. Their very dark mahogany color is striking. No light markings appear on the ronotum or wings.
Smokybrown cockroaches are susceptible to losing moisture through their cuticle, and so are usually found in damp, dark, and poorly ventilated environments. They rarely infest the welling part of buildings, and are instead found in sheds, wall, and roof spaces, sub-floors, mulched areas, and in and around grease traps and drains.Adult American cockroaches are reddish-brown to dark brown (except for a tan or light yellow band around the shield behind the head), about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, and have wings capable of flight. Males and females are about the same size.
American cockroaches can be detected by examining the premises after dark with a flashlight. They occur in dark, damp, warm places, often near steam pipes, in sewers, grease traps, amp basements, etc. During the day, probing hiding places with a wire will expose roaches. Household sprays of pyrethrins applied to hiding places will flush out roaches, sometimes killings them if they contact the spray.