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If you have never seen a roach, perhaps you may want to keep it that way so that your memory is not tainted by the ugliness of this pest. But on second thoughts, it is important to know how the different species of roaches look like.

That way, not only are you able to identify them when you see any, but you also know the step to take in getting rid of them.

In a nutshell, cockroaches are nocturnal pest that look hideous and have the ability to populate fairly fast.  They are prone to harboring diseases on their bodies and their faces can also easily contaminate food and water resulting in health problems for the whole family.

So it best to kill them on site or exterminate them from your home in the event that you have an infestation.

Anatomy of a cockroach

Hard as it is to believe, each cockroach has all the below body parts.

• Eyes
• Salivary glands
• Mouth
• antennae
• Brain
• Colon
• Heart
• Reproductive system
• legs
• gastric caecea
• fat bodies
• Malpighian tubules

Although a cockroach may appear hideous, it is a well put together pest with elaborate body parts and functions.

Part of the reason why cockroaches are nocturnal and fairly elusive, is that they contain more than a thousand lenses on their eyes that allow them to see multiple things at once and therefore react in time against a predators.

The two appendages known as cerci found in their abdomen also give them an unfair advantage against predators because they have the ability to sense even slight air movements and forewarn the roach to take evasive action before an approaching predator gets close.  The feelers or antennae are useful features to the roach because they use them for their sense of smell.

Types of roaches

While their overall anatomy will be the same across all roaches, they may differ in their size, behaviour and physical abilites. Identifying the species correctly does give you an advantage in formulating a plan of action when exterminating them from your home. There are more than a thousand species of roaches, but here are the most common that you are likely to have a run in with in your home

1. German cockroach

This is by far the most common species in households. They Have a life span of about 12 months and are prolific egg layers. They multiply like bushfire. They have a pale brown color and two distinct dark brown stripes on the back. Their length ranges from13 -16 mm.

2.Brown branded roach

They have a reddish brown to dark brown color with two yellow bands on the back. This roach has an average lifespan of 11 months. They can grow up to 13 mm and their males are capable of flight.

3.American roach

They have a reddish brown to dark brown color but are noticeably bigger with adults growing to lengths of 53mm. They are fond of inhabiting households that have food storage such as Warehouse or your pantry. Their lifespan is about 2 years and both the male and female are capable of flight.

Conclusion

These are only some of the most common roach species. Incase you see that your house is being overrun by roaches, call a licensed pest officer to help you get rid of the roach problem.