There are over 3,000 species of cockroaches worldwide, however only half a dozen have attained the status of pest species to cohabit with man in his dwelling. Most cockroaches found in Australia are not native. Below is some information on each of the main types of cockroaches found in Australia.
Capital Pest Management is able to fight all types of cockroaches listed below, plus the many other cockroach species.
German Cockroach
The German Cockroach is a small species of cockroach, measuring about 1.3cm to 1.6cm long. It is tan to light brown, and has two dark parallel streaks running from the head to the base of the wings. Although it has wings, it is unable to sustain flight.
The German Cockroach is one of the most common and prominent household cockroaches in the world being capable of producing 20,000 offspring within twelve months. The German Cockroach is originally from Asia.
American Cockroach
The American Cockroach is a large species of cockroach, winged and growing length of 2.5cm to 4cm. It is very common in tropical climates. The American Cockroach is the largest species of the common cockroach.
The American Cockroach can travel quickly, often darting out of sight when someone enters a room, and can fit into small cracks and under doors despite its fairly large size. It is also known to be very mobile, and it also has wings which allow it to be quite a capable flier.
Australian Cockroach
The Australian Cockroach is a large species of cockroach, winged, and growing to a length of 3cm to 3.5cm. It is brown in colour. It is very similar appearance to the American Cockroach and may be mistaken for it easily. It is a bit smaller than the American Cockroach, has a yellow margin on the thorax, and yellow streaks at its sides near the wing base.
Despite its name, the Australian Cockroach originated in Asia. It prefers warmer climates and is not cold tolerant, however, it may be able to survive indoors in colder climates. IT often lives around the perimeter of buildings. It may come indoors to look for food and even to live, however in warm weather it may move outdoors and enter buildings looking for food.
Brown-Banded Cockroach
The Brown-Banded Cockroach is a small species of cockroach measuring about 10mm to 14mm long. It is tan to light brown. It has two light-coloured bands across the wings and abdomen, they may sometimes appear to be broken or irregular, but are quite noticeable.
The Brown-Banded Cockroach needs less moisture than the German Cockroach so they tend to be more broadly distributed in the home, such as living rooms and bedrooms. They tend not to be found in the daytime, since they avoid light.
Smokybrown Cockroach
The Smokybrown Cockroach is a large species of cockroach, winged, and growing to a length of 3.1cm to 3.5cm. It is brown in colour. It is closely related to the American Cockroach however is easily distinguishable from it. It has a uniformly dark brown mahogany colour.
It prefers warmer climates and is not cold tolerant, however, it may be able to survive indoors in colder climates. It does well in moist conditions and it seems to be most commonly concentrated in moist concealed areas.
