Brown Banded Cockroach
You may have heard about hissing cockroaches and flying cockroaches or German cockroaches and all other types of cockroaches. What this means is that there are several cockroaches that you will come across depending on where your habitat is. If you are from Africa you have probably come across the brown banded cockroach most often. It is native to Africa but it found its way to Cuba and the United States over a century ago.
What do brown banded cockroaches look like?
The brown banded cockroach is light brown in color with two light irregular prominent bands on the nymphs and the adults. They are about half an inch in length and they are also considered one of the smaller species of cockroaches. Unlike the German cockroach which has two bands running parallel to the protonum the brown banded cockroach has the two bands running near the middle of the legs and across the base of the wings.
Brown banded cockroaches are less frequently found in the United States compared to German cockroaches. Their numbers in the United States have been affected by things like air conditioning in the house which make the habitat less conducive for the brown banded species compared to German cockroaches. Brown banded roaches love to inhabit the warmer and drier parts of the house which are generally the upper part of the house where the sun enters the house. They like to live underneath furniture, inside electronic appliances and artwork and pictures.
What to expect from brown banded cockroaches
- They prefer to live as a solitary cockroach so you won’t find them bunched in clusters like German cockroaches.
- The females lay their eggs in bunches and carry their eggs in their abdomen for a specific period of time
- Brown banded cockroaches can fly unlike German roaches.
- The females leave the eggs glued in a safe place for them to hatch
How to get rid of Brown Band cockroaches
Begin by removing all type of old clutter from your space where the cockroaches can hide and create a nest. Sanitization is a huge part of getting rid of all species of cockroaches because these insects come to look for food from your trash and will even eat some of your older clothes. Clean all kitchen appliances, clear out the trash and keep the dishes clean.
When it comes to eating it is important to eat from one space in the house to limit the spread of these roaches. If you eat in all rooms you are begging for a full on infestation of your space by these creaturs.
The second way to get rid of cockroaches is to kill them off using chemical means. Using insecticide or pesticides on the inside and outside of the house respectively will prevent the roaches from entering your house. Also consider using chemicals that can impede the life cycle of the cockroach in order to curb any infestation.
