Cockroaches as roommates? No thank you! But cockroaches neither ask for permission to come, nor do they go away of their own free will. So keep your eyes open and see the enemy before they can cause damage.
Different types of cockroaches
The cockroach family, scientifically Blattidae, comprises more than 4000 species. The few species that live in houses as stash pests are known as cockroaches or cockroaches. In our latitudes these are in particular the German cockroach and the common cockroach. The American cockroach can also be found in warm regions of Central Europe. The cockroaches usually have an oval and flat body, six legs and two long fountain pens on each head. Otherwise there are subtle differences.
German cockroach - Blattella germanica
- Color: brown
- Body length: 12-15 mm
- Wings: wing-covers are at least as long as the body, often a little longer
- Other: two dark vertical stripes on the chest; Females are darker than males
Common cockroach (Oriental cockroach) - Blatta orientalis
- Color: dark brown to black; Males a little lighter
- Body length: 25-30 mm
- Wings: Males have smooth, curved wings
- Other: At first glance, the body is reminiscent of a beetle
American cockroach - Periplaneta americana
- Color: red-brown
- Body length: 28-44 mm
- Wings: well developed
- Other: Front chest pale yellow
Note: These storage pests can stretch their legs and sideways
thereby making it only 3 mm flat. In this way they find their way into the smallest cracks and are difficult to kill even with a hard object.Cockroaches are nocturnal
All three species are light-shy and therefore mainly active at dusk and at night. It is therefore not that easy to spot live cockroaches at all. Often a dead specimen discovered during a major cleaning leads to the right track. If animals are on the move during the day, this either indicates a strong infestation or the hiding places are very small. So don't feel safe if you don't see cockroaches darting at home. Incidentally, even good hygiene cannot prevent cockroaches from settling.
Tip: If you spot a flying cockroach during the day, it is likely to be the completely harmless amber cockroach that has strayed into the house from the wild. Check this out carefully because hiring a pest control company can be expensive.
Recognize cockroaches by their locomotion
At 1.5 m per second, the common cockroach is the fastest insect. At least when it comes to the crawling mode of transportation. If you see an insect scurry past and disappear under a kitchen cupboard, all alarm bells should ring. A cockroach jumps short distances and flaps its wings in the process. This is often mistaken for flies. This is far from real flying skills:
- Common cockroach cannot fly
- German cockroach is a "runner"
- American cockroach only flies on warm days
Distinguishing feature of fragrance
Cockroaches reproduce very quickly and live in large populations. Similar fragrances play a major role in communicating with one another and in finding one's way around. People perceive the smell of these pests as penetrating and unpleasant.
More evidence of cockroaches
Hardly anyone wants to know what cockroaches look like just out of curiosity. First and foremost, it is important to recognize an infestation in good time and to take action against it. That's why you shouldn't wait for the cockroach to run right in front of your eyes. Look for her if you spot any of the following clues:
- dark crumbs about 1 mm long; similar to coffee powder (feces)
- Eating marks on food packaging
discarded insect skin (translucent cover) - Crescent-shaped, light to medium brown egg packets
Tip: Do you suspect that you have cockroaches but have not yet been able to spot an animal? In stores, buy a glue trap that you can use to catch cockroaches. Don't worry, the odorless traps are not poisonous. If you are not sure whether the trapped insect is actually a cockroach, take a picture and ask a pest controller.