# Roach identification help and control



## jim_bee (Feb 23, 2021)

I'm not great at identifying roaches from pictures--most just look too similar to me. But since nobody else has weighed in, I'll guess that they may be wood roaches (there are more than one variety). That guess is based partly on the fact that you are finding them outside.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

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FS1322: German Cockroach (Rutgers NJAES)


FS1322,



njaes.rutgers.edu







https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef614


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## walknbluez (Jun 13, 2021)

I think I'm good. After determining that these were American cockroaches, I learned that they generally don't live indoors and if you found them inside, they are likely stragglers. So I did a insecticide spray around the perimeter of the house and near a deck where I saw some of them congregating at night. The next night I went roach hunting and not a one in sight. This also explains why the baits I put around inside the house weren't seeing any activity. As I understand it, you use bait for German roaches and for American roaches you treat the area outside to eliminate them from coming in.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

The Hot Shot liquid bait did not work for me. Messy, too.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@walknbluez nice to meet you and welcome.

How big are your roaches? If they're relatively large, like an inch long or more, they're wood roaches for sure. German roaches are much smaller, a quarter to half an inch. It appears that the one in the first picture is the adult, while the one in the second is a nymph or immature specimen, though they may or may not be the same species.

Also, where are you? If you're in the "south" i.e., Texas, MS, FL, etc., wood roaches are much more common there, though they're to be found all over. We have them in California too (kitties eat them, crunch crunch crunch.)


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

This is an interesting article, until a Pest Guy comes along.

*"Chemical Control*
Dusts such as boric acid, silica aerogel, and diatomaceous earth can be applied to voids and other harborages such as cracks and crevices. Do not apply dusts to wet or damp areas. Dusts should be applied lightly because heavy deposits may repel cockroaches. Do not place dusts where children or pets could come into contact with them. Take care to keep children away from areas treated with boric acid. Take precautions to assure that the dusts do not contaminate food.
Baiting can be an effective method to control or eliminate American cockroaches. Baits containing hydramethylnon, fipronil, sulfluramid, boric acid, or abamectin should provide a high level of control when applied to those areas where cockroaches harbor. Care should be taken to closely follow the label instructions for use.
*The use of residual sprays or aerosol foggers within a structure is of little value in controlling American cockroaches. In fact, these applications may disperse the cockroaches making control difficult and lengthy."*









American Cockroaches


Cockroaches are among the most common of insects.




extension.psu.edu


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

As long as they stay outside, I wouldn't worry about American roaches. 

Sometimes they go in the house; if there's a lot of them, that might suggest a problem with decaying wood. Roaches and termites are closely related and both have the ability to digest cellulose. Unlike German roaches, they're not usually interested in our food.


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