HOW TO IDENTIFY A COCKROACH

One of the most common household bug infestation problems is the cockroach. Cockroaches hide in small nooks and crannies. An infestation of cockroaches can be dealt with, but it is first necessary to identify the kind of cockroaches living in your home. Many people don’t know that there are actually 5 different types of cockroaches that are categorized as pests. Knowing how to identify a cockroach will make treating the problem much easier.

1. Count the six legs of the specimen – a cockroach has 6 legs.

1. 
2. 2
   Check to see if your specimen has a hard exoskeleton. 
   
3. 3
   Look for thin, transparent wings. Thin, transparent wings belong to a cockroach while hard, opaque wings belong to a beetle. Do note, however, that cockroaches that are not yet fully mature will not have wings. 
   
4. 4
   Observe the long, flat, wide body of the insect. All cockroaches have a long, flat, and wide body.
   
5. 5
   Look for a set of long antennae on the front of his head.
   
6. 6
   Look at the brown or black color of the cockroach. German cockroaches and American cockroaches both have a reddish brown color. Oriental cockroaches have a black, shiny color. Brown banded cockroaches and a smoky brown cockroach, on the other hand, have a very dark brown color.
   
7. 7
   Measure the cockroach by placing the specimen on a piece of white paper in front of a ruler. If it is between 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5.0 cm) in length it is probably an American cockroach, the largest of the 5 pestilent cockroaches. If it is just slightly smaller, it is probably a smoky brown cockroach. Oriental cockroaches are about 1.2 inches (3.0 cm) in length with short, unusable wings. German cockroaches are small, only approximately 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in length.
   
8. 8
   Look for any additional markings like stripes or color changes on the body of the cockroach. German cockroaches have 2 black stripes right behind it’s head, and brown banded cockroaches have light brown lines wrapping around it’s abdomen.