If you are unfortunate enough to have cockroaches in your home, apartment, or even workplace, correctly identifying them is an essential step to ensuring that all the right measures are being taken to get your infestation under control. German cockroaches are the most common type of cockroach found in the United States, and if you see one crawling across your counter or floor, there are likely hundreds more back in its nest. What does a German cockroach look like? Here is a physical description to help you determine if this is the cockroach you just saw. We recommend calling a cockroach control company when you noticed these insects in your home.
The size of the cockroach might give it away as a German cockroach. German cockroaches are much smaller than other species of cockroaches; most adults are about 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch long. They can wiggle their flat, narrow bodies through spaces as narrow as a dime, allowing them to hide in places where other cockroaches would not be able to fit.
If you look at a German cockroach up close, it will have wings. While the wings are fully formed, they only help the cockroach sort of glide along more quickly if it gets startled. German cockroaches do not actually fly.
German cockroaches can come in a variety of colors, everything from a lighter shade of tan to a brown that is so dark that it almost makes the cockroach look black. Cockroaches that have recently molted tend to fall on the lighter end of the spectrum. No matter the colour, however, if it is indeed a German cockroach, it will have two dark parallel lines that run down the thoracic shield that covers its head and all the way down to the base of its wings.
If the cockroach is female, she might have an ootheca growing out of her abdomen. When the eggs have reached their full size, it protrudes out almost like a sort of rectangular paddle against her body. Oothecae are typically a dark reddish brown in color. Most roach species release the ootheca once the eggs have grown to their full size, but German cockroaches are the only ones who keep it attached to their bodies pretty much until it is time for the eggs to hatch.
If you believe that you have seen a German cockroach in your living or working space, call the Exterminators as soon as possible: 647-496-2211, we deal with all types of cockroach problems in residential and commercial establishments. Time is of the essence – German cockroaches reproduce quicker than any other cockroach species, with females having the ability to produce 100,000 offspring per year! As trusted professional exterminators, we know exactly where German cockroaches like to hide, the best ways to get rid of them, and how to help you take the most effective preventative measures to be sure these bacteria-ridden insects are gone for good.
