Wood Cockroach

Wood cockroaches, also known as wood roaches, are common outdoordwelling insects native to North America. Their normal habitat is moist woodland areas but they frequently become a household nuisance because they wander into or are carried into houses as “accidental invaders.

Male Wood cockroaches: Adult males of the larger species are about 1-3/4 inches in length; the smaller species is about 1-inch long. Male wood roaches are elongated and have wings that cover their abdomen. They are also good flyers.

They are found inside because the males are attracted to house lights and squeeze through window frames. Wood cockroaches often live under bark of dead trees and other moist locations.Adult wood roaches can be found from May until October.

Female Wood cockroaches:Females are 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch long with wings covering one-half the body. while females sometimes conceal themselves in firewood piles. Female wood roaches deposit their egg cases under bark or in other protected locations.

The nymphs hatch and grow throughout the summer they spend the winter as large nymphs, in such places as under tree bark. The final molt to the adult stage takes place in the spring. After molting, the adults mate, and the females lay their eggs. Each curved, yellowish egg case contains about 30 eggs.

Life Cycle:The life cycle usually takes one year but may take as long as two years. The adults may remain alive for several months. The egg capsule is yellowish/brown and approximately two times longer than wide. The maximum number of eggs in a capsule is 32. An average of 26.1 nymphs hatch from each capsule. The capsules are deposited only during the summer, and the average incubation period is 34.2 days. The nymphs hatch in summer and mature the following May or June. Wood cockroaches survive the winter as a partially grown nymph under bark of trees. Nymphs even in subzero weather is quite active when exposed by pulling away bark. Adults are present from May until early October.

Females produce an average of eight capsules, each containing 16 eggs that hatch in about 60 days under room temperature conditions. Nymphs molt from seven to ten times; nymphal stages usually take 24 to 130 weeks to complete. The life span of an adult female is 5 to 26 weeks with approximately 200 offspring. Unlike the other house-infesting species, the Oriental cockroach generally has a seasonal developmental cycle. The peak number of adults usually appears in late spring or early summer. By late summer and early fall, this number has become quite low, owing to natural mortality and the hatching of nymphs.

Control: Control for interior infestations are unusual because relatively few insects are found indoors. Perimeter treatments may be necessary to control outside infestations. Wood piles and debris around the structure should be inspected and treated or removed if infestations are found.

To cockroaches, the house may represent a fallen tree and a new location for nesting. A wide lawn will inhibit cockroaches crawling from the surrounding woods to the house. The use of window screening and caulking to prevent entry is a good structural tactic.

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