As a California resident you’ve likely encountered a roach or two scurrying across your kitchen floor. These unwelcome pests are a common sight in homes across the Golden State.
Roaches thrive in the warm, humid climate of California and can be difficult to control once established Learning more about the different species found here and their habits will help you combat current and future infestations
The Most Common Roach Species in California
There are over 30 species of cockroaches in California, but only a handful are frequent invaders of homes and businesses. The most problematic roaches you’ll encounter in the state include:
- German Cockroach – The most common roach nationwide and in California. They are light brown with two dark stripes on their backs. German roaches prefer warm, humid indoor spaces like kitchens and bathrooms.
- Turkestan Cockroach – An invasive species often found outdoors in dry parts of California. Females are dark brown with cream markings, while males are lighter with yellow-tan wings.
- Oriental Cockroach – The large, jet black oriental roach lives in cool, damp spots like basements and drains. They move slowly and don’t climb well.
- American Cockroach – A large reddish-brown species that occasionally enters homes through sewers or damaged pipes. They can fly short distances.
- Brownbanded Cockroach – Tan roaches with faint lighter bands on their bodies. They aren’t strongly tied to kitchens and food prep areas like German roaches.
Roach Habits and Behaviors
To control roaches, it helps to understand their habits:
- Roaches are nocturnal and avoid light. During the day, they hide in cracks, crevices, and other dark spaces.
- They prefer warm temperatures between 75-80°F. Some species, like the Oriental roach, tolerate cooler temps.
- Roaches need access to water to survive. Fixing plumbing leaks helps eliminate this necessity.
- They are omnivores and will eat just about any organic material, from bookbindings to crumbs.
- Roaches reproduce quickly. A single female German roach and her offspring can produce over 30,000 roaches in one year.
- Some species, like the American and Smokybrown roach, can fly short distances when disturbed. Others have reduced or no wings.
How to Prevent Roaches
Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to roaches. Follow these tips to avoid infestations:
- Eliminate food sources by keeping a tidy kitchen and storing food in sealed containers.
- Fix water leaks and avoid moisture buildup to remove drinking sources.
- Seal cracks and crevices where roaches can enter and hide.
- Use screens on vents, repair foundations, and seal openings around outdoor utilities.
- Cut back vegetation touching the home that provides shelter for outdoor species.
- Vacuum and clean areas where roaches congregate like behind appliances.
- Inspect new furniture, boxes, and deliveries for roaches hiding inside.
- Monitor for signs of roaches using sticky traps and visual inspections.
How to Get Rid of Roaches
If you already have roaches, an integrated pest management (IPM) approach works best for control IPM combines multiple tactics to eliminate and exclude pests Useful strategies include
- Apply boric acid dusts in out of reach spaces like under appliances and behind walls. The powder sticks to roaches’ bodies and kills them slowly.
- Use cockroach bait stations, gels, and other baits where roaches travel and congregate.
- Spray insecticides into large harborage areas if dealing with large outdoor roaches coming indoors.
- Continue monitoring with traps after treatment to ensure roaches do not return.
- Work with a pest control professional for serious infestations or challenging species like the German roach.
With vigilance and dedication to IPM, you can kick roaches out of your California home for good. Don’t tolerate an infestation – take action before roaches get out of hand.
When cockroaches become a nuisance our Roach Control Service will help get rid of them.
The German cockroach is the most common household roach pest. They are usually found in kitchens, and bathrooms, but can be in any portion of a heated structure, but especially near food preparation areas. A nocturnal insect, German cockroaches remain hidden in dark secluded harborages during the daylight hours. If you see some during the day, it is a sure sign that a tremendous population exists. Cockroaches are scavengers with a wide choice of food. They thrive on the same food humans eat and pollute human food in process of feeding. Cockroaches carry disease organisms on the loins and bristles on its body, as well as the sticky pads on its feet. Roaches defecate on food and transmit staphylococcus, streptococcus and E. Coli. Unlike most other roaches, they are very small-with a body length of only ½ inch. They are a light brown or tan color, with the female being darker than the male.
The female produces 4-8 egg capsules in her lifetime. Each capsule contains about 30-40 eggs. She carries the capsule until just before the eggs are ready to hatch. This usually takes 28-30 days. Nymphs go through 6-7 instars before becoming adults. The German cockroach population can grow at least 3-4 generations each year, and can complete the life cycle in as few as six weeks, but the average is 14-15 weeks. Adults will live up to ten months.
Oriental cockroaches are usually black to dark brown, and are fairly large but smaller than the American cockroach at about 1¼ inches in body length. They can become numerous in damp, secluded areas such as crawl spaces, basements, and drains, and are occasionally called “water bugs” by mistake. The oriental cockroach is often found in a bathtub because it lacks sticky pads on its feet and cannot climb the smooth sides. Oriental cockroaches are also found outside near water sources or in the garage, being quite adept at living outdoors. These roaches are quite common in the sewers, and may come into houses through the drains. If the crawl space under a house is damp, it becomes an excellent breeding location for these roaches. The Oriental cockroach has a bad odor that people associate with cockroaches. They will eat any human or pet food, garbage, or other organic materials.
The female produces about eight egg capsules in a lifetime with each containing 16 eggs. She deposits this capsule within 30 hours after its produced. The nymphs emerge and go through 7-10 molts before becoming adults. There is usually only about one generation per year, which can take well over 500 days to complete. The adults will live about a year.
The American Cockroach is usually the one seen when people brag about some “huge” roach they spotted. It can reach a body length of around two inches, and occasionally more. It has a reddish-brown color. The American cockroach lives in city sewer systems, ship holds, basements, and commercial food preparation areas. It is sometimes called the Palmetto Bug in Florida.
The female lays an egg case, containing about 15 eggs, near a food source. They also need to be left in a warm, damp environment. One egg case can be produced every week. The eggs hatch in 32-58 days, and then go through up to thirteen instars. The life cycle is an average of 600 days, with most adults living well over a year. Some have lived for almost four years !
This is the smallest of the domestic roaches with a body length of only 3/8ths to 1/2 inch. It has distinctive markings-pale brown bands alternating with darker brown bands, which gives it the name. It usually lives in solitary settings or very small groups. Like other cockroaches, it is most active at night. The brown-banded cockroach will live in just about any part of the house except the kitchen, only visiting there to get food and water, but they have changed habits and will now be found in closer proximity to the food sources.
Females form egg cases of about 18 eggs in each generation, and attach the egg case to a sheltered place. The eggs will take 50-90 days to hatch. The nymphs go through 6-8 instars. Depending upon temperature, it will take 95-275 days before they reach full adult stage.
DiMaggio’s Pizzeria in California City closed after rodent droppings, cockroaches found
FAQ
Are cockroaches common in California?
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Common Species:Some of the most frequently spotted cockroaches in California include the American cockroach, German cockroach, and Oriental cockroach.
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Why they are common:
- Climate: California’s warm and humid climate, especially in urban areas, provides ideal conditions for cockroach populations to thrive.
- Food Sources: The presence of food and water sources, both indoors and outdoors, attracts cockroaches.
- Urban Environments: Cockroaches are often found in urban areas, where there are more buildings, cracks, and crevices for them to hide and nest.
- Climate: California’s warm and humid climate, especially in urban areas, provides ideal conditions for cockroach populations to thrive.
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Where to find them:
- Indoors: They can be found in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and other areas where food and water are readily available.
- Outdoors: They are often found in sewers, basements, and other damp areas.
- Indoors: They can be found in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and other areas where food and water are readily available.
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How to prevent infestations:
- Keep food stored properly: Store food in airtight containers.
- Clean regularly: Regularly clean kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas where cockroaches are likely to be found.
- Seal cracks and crevices: Seal cracks and crevices around your home to prevent cockroaches from entering.
- Address moisture problems: Fix any leaks or moisture problems in your home.
- Keep food stored properly: Store food in airtight containers.
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These large cockroaches prefer warm and humid environments and are often found in basements, crawl spaces, and sewers.
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These nocturnal cockroaches prefer warm and humid environments and are most commonly found in kitchens, bathrooms, and areas near food sources.
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These cockroaches are shiny black or dark brown and prefer cool, damp areas like basements and crawl spaces.
Why shouldn’t you kill roaches in your house?
Killing Roaches Spreads Germs
The bacteria or viruses that were on the roach’s legs and body can contaminate countertops, floors, and even your hands.
How to get rid of California cockroaches?
Roach baits and traps are effective tools for eliminating cockroaches. Place bait stations in areas where roaches are frequently seen, such as under sinks, behind appliances, and near garbage cans. The bait will attract the roaches, and they will carry it back to their nests, effectively eliminating the entire colony.
Why should you not squish a cockroach?
Spread of Eggs
The number one reason to not squash a cockroach is to prevent spreading cockroach eggs. Some cockroach species, such as the German cockroach (common species here in the UK) carry their egg cases (ootheca) on their body until just before they hatch.