Brown-Banded Cockroach

Facts, Identification, and Control

Latin Name

Supella Longipalpa

Appearance

The brown-banded cockroach is a light tan cockroach known for its small size. They’re easily one of the smaller-sized roaches and measures only about 12 mm long (around one half of an inch).

These brown roaches, distinguished by their small size, are sometimes called brown bandit roaches. Their light brownish color and distinctive lightly colored stripes running across their wings and bodies also help to identify them quickly.

The males have large wings, while the females have much smaller wings.

Facts About Brown-Banded Cockroach

Where Do They Live?

Brown-banded Cockroaches love high temperatures. Therefore, you can find them in the southern U.S. regions.

The Illinois Department of Public Health states that if you have these roaches in your home, chances are they huddle eagerly around items that radiate heat. Check electronics, appliances, lights, or anywhere with an elevated temperature.

What Do They Eat?

Like all roaches, the brown-banded cockroach is a scavenger that will gladly feast upon any organic matter that it can find. Pet food, trash, leftover crumbs, and even seemingly odd items like glue are on the menu for this unwanted guest.

How Did I Get Brown-Banded Cockroaches?

If you have recently obtained any secondhand furniture, then this is one of the easiest ways for a brown-banded cockroach to enter your home. Just about any piece of furniture can house brown-banded cockroaches, brown banded cockroach nymphs, or their eggs.

Old (secondhand) electronics can also house brown-banded cockroaches.

How Serious Are Brown-Banded Cockroach Problems?

Stress

Nothing helps you lose sleep like the thought of a widespread brown-banded cockroach infestation. This publication by Mississippi State University indicates that cockroaches can even crawl into your ear canals when sleeping. Yikes!

Food Contamination

Never forget that cockroaches are scavengers. They’ll travel anywhere to get food. In other words, you don’t want them crawling over your food stores or preparation areas, because they’re filthy and who knows where they’ve been.

Property Damage

The problematic nature of brown-banded cockroaches is that they make a mess. Excrement, cast skins, and dead roaches everywhere can make a mess if left unchecked over an extended period.

Allergies

When cockroaches spread their excrement and shed body parts, this can wreak havoc for those with allergies. This phenomenon is known as cockroach allergy and can irritate those affected.

What Can I Do About Brown-Banded Cockroaches?

Brown-banded cockroaches are expert hiders. They’ve been known to hide safely high in ceilings, tucked away inside electronics, and in cupboards away from sight.

For those reasons, if you detect brown-banded cockroaches in your home, it’s probably a wise idea to take immediate action to eradicate them before the infestation grows out of control.

Brown-Banded Cockroach Prevention and Control Tips

Doublecheck Everything

Never bring a piece of secondhand furniture into your home without properly checking for harboring roaches, or their eggs.

Remove Clutter

Don’t let the cockroaches hide in your home. Eliminate clutter, so you never grant brown-banded roaches (or any roaches) a safe place to hide.

Secure All Food

Never give the invading cockroaches a free meal! Doublecheck to ensure that all food is protected in a sealable lid, or otherwise confined to your refrigerator.

Vacuum Regularly

When you vacuum regularly, you’re removing potential crumbs that the cockroaches could otherwise eat. You’re also eliminating roach eggs or even stray cockroaches that roam freely.

Brown-Banded Cockroach Professional Pest Control

If you suspect brown-banded cockroaches living in your home, then it’s always a good idea to seek professional pest control services. You’re advised to find a reliable pest controller in your area, so you can finally rid your home of the stress and trouble that these unwelcome guests provide.