Cockroaches: Species Common to our Central Virginia Region Part #5 – Brown-Banded Cockroaches

I hope all of you Loyal “dog-blog” fans have been enjoying my series on; Cockroaches Common to our Central Virginia Region. Just kidding; enjoying may be the wrong choice of words; cockroaches are far from sexy creatures. Interested readers may be the correct term in that, if you understand and recognize a cockroach when you see it, by reading my blogs, you will remember the traits and habits of each and know how to handle the situation based on the cockroach species you are dealing with.

Last week you learned about the Wood Roach and their preference to stay outdoors and consume organic matter from wood and plants; where the American, German, and Oriental love to be inside your home in a damp environment, feeding on just about anything that is available. This cockroach blog will be the final in this series; it is focused on the Brown-Banded Cockroach.

The Brown-banded cockroach is different from the other roaches in both appearance and general habits. Brown-banded cockroaches get their name from the two lighter bands they have across their dark brownish bodies. In addition to the distinctive banding, males have full wings, which reach beyond the tip of their pointed abdomens. Females, however; have underdeveloped wings, much shorter than their broad, rounded abdomens. The lighter band markings are much more distinct in nymphs than in adults of either sex.

Male Brown-banded cockroaches have been known to fly indoors. Among cockroach species, Brown-banded cockroaches have the most distinctions between sexes. They often hide their egg cases in or under furniture.

Within a room, these roaches tend to prefer warmer, drier, and higher locations than do any of the other urban pest roaches. They are often found in upper cabinets or in other rooms other than the kitchen (food preparation areas), or bathrooms.

It is important to know that Brown-banded roaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. They can pick up germs on the spines of their legs and bodies as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage and then carry these to food or to food surfaces. Germs that cockroaches eat from decaying matter or sewage are protected while in their bodies and may remain infective for several weeks longer than if they had been exposed to cleaning agents, rinse water, or just sunlight and air. Recent medical studies have shown that cockroach allergens cause lots of allergic reactions in inner-city children. They were even shown to cause asthma in children. These allergens build up in deposits of droppings, secretions, cast skins and dead bodies of Brown-banded cockroaches.

This last paragraph is not meant to scare you, but to educate you about the fact that cockroaches in general, and the Brown-banded cockroach in particular, can be harmful to your family’s health. If you notice that you have a cockroach infestation of any kind; call a professional.

Now, think of a tune that fits with this jingle; Who ya’ gonna’ call? Call Loyal!! I say, Who ya’ gonna’ call? Call Loyal!! If you are curious as to which tune I’m referring to, review some of my past blogs sponsored by Richmond’s Number #1 pest control company, Loyal Termite and Pest Control. Check into it, and you’ll know where this old dog is coming from.

When it comes to termite and pest control; Hunter says,
“If you got ‘em, we’ll get ‘em!”

Until next time, this is Hunter, Loyal’s very smart (how many dogs do you know that write a weekly blog?), K-9 Termite Detective.

I’ll bark at you later, Ruff! Ruff!