The Philadelphia cockroach (Periplaneta americana), also known as the American cockroach, is a species of insect in the family of Blattodea (cockroaches and termites). It is one of the most common species of cockroaches found in urban environments. This species was first documented in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hence its name.
The American cockroach is light brown or tan in color, with two dark longitudinal stripes on the upper side of its thorax. The male is about 20 millimeters long, while the female can reach up to 25 millimeters in length.
They are strong fliers and usually fly between walls or ceilings at night or when there is no light present. They are attracted to light and feed on just about anything organic including dead animals, garbage, and fecal matter. Their ability to fly means they can easily move from one building to another or from outside into your home through open doors or windows.
They are also known as the water bug or palmetto bug. The name “water bug” comes from the fact that they like to live in damp environments such as sewers, drains, basements, and bathrooms.
North Philadelphia Cockroaches
As the weather gets warmer, it’s easy to be lulled into thinking that the threat of pests is over. But it’s not. That’s why we’re here to tell you about the unique threat that Philadelphia cockroaches pose to your family and home.
The first thing you should know is that there are actually three different kinds of roaches in Philadelphia: American, Oriental, and German. The American cockroach is reddish brown, about 1/2″ long, and has wings; the Oriental cockroach is larger than the American, about 1″ long; and the German cockroach is smaller than either of them, about 3/4″ long.
While all three varieties can be found throughout Philadelphia, they have different preferences for where they live. The American variety prefers living outdoors (and in sewers), while the German roach likes to live indoors, specifically in kitchens and bathrooms. The Oriental species doesn’t seem to have much preference, either way, it’ll happily live wherever it can find food sources nearby.
Cockroaches are unique in that they have the ability to fly, which makes them one of the most common pests found in homes throughout Philadelphia. They can be seen flying out of kitchen cabinets and other places in your home where they may have been hiding during the day. Cockroaches will also fly to light sources such as lamps, candles, or even sunlight coming through windows.
Cockroaches are nocturnal insects and prefer to live in dark, warm places like underneath furniture and inside crevices between walls and floors. They will use these hiding places as a place to spend the day so that they can come out at night when it is easier for them to find food sources such as garbage cans or even food left on plates after meals.
Even though cockroaches are not known for carrying diseases themselves, they do leave behind droppings that can carry bacteria from their bodies onto surfaces where people eat and drink every day. This makes them dangerous pests because they can spread germs from one person’s household to another through contact with food surfaces like countertops and tables.
Are Cockroaches Common in Philadelphia?
Cockroaches are not common in Philadelphia, but they are a problem for many homeowners. The German cockroach is the most common pest cockroach in Pennsylvania, but it’s not the only one. In fact, there are only four species of cockroaches that are considered pests in Pennsylvania structures: the German, brown-banded, Oriental, and American cockroaches.
The Pennsylvania wood cockroach is an occasional nuisance pest in some locations.
The German cockroach is widely distributed across urban areas and is considered a household pest throughout North America. This species can be distinguished by its reddish body with two dark stripes behind the head and a grayish-brown stripe on its back edge. It can also be identified by its wings: When at rest, these insects keep their wings folded over their backs and are incapable of flying.
How Do I Get Rid of Roaches in Philadelphia?
Roaches are nasty little creatures that can quickly infest your home and make it uninhabitable. In most cases, roaches will spread to other rooms in the house. If you have a problem with roaches, you should get rid of them as soon as possible.
To get rid of roaches in Philadelphia, you should start by locating their nests. You can do this by placing roach glue traps near suspected areas or in high-traffic areas where you see them regularly. Once you determine where the nests are located, treat those areas with an insecticide spray or dust product like Bifen IT or Demon WP.
You should also consider using mechanical traps such as Dynatrap Ultralight Insect Trap or Victor M230 Electronic Insect Control System to capture adult roaches and prevent them from entering your home through cracks and crevices around windows and doors.
What Smell Scares Away Roaches?
Roaches are a common problem in many homes, but they’re not your only option for fighting them. If you want to make sure that your home is free of roaches, you’ll need to use more than just a few traps or sprays. To really get rid of roaches, you should take advantage of their most powerful weakness: their sense of smell.
Citrus. You may love the smell of fresh citrus, but cockroaches hate it. That means you can use citrus-scented cleaners in your kitchen and bathroom to chase any lingering roaches away. You can also keep a few citrus peels around your home in strategic places like behind the stove or near drains, the more citrus smells you have around, the more likely it is that roaches will be kept away from those areas entirely.
In Conclusion,
The Philadelphia cockroach is an invasive species that was most likely introduced to the United States by ships arriving from Asia or Africa. They have since made their homes in sewers and other areas where there is a lot of moisture, such as basements, crawl spaces, and attics. These pests are known to cause damage to your home by carrying germs and spreading them through their feces. They can also contaminate the food that you store in your pantry.
Cockroaches love warm humid climates, they’re visible at night and they make unique noises that you can identify when you start to hear them.
Although they do not cause structural damage, they do feed on household items such as cardboard boxes, books, and paper products; this can be costly if you have to replace these items because they’ve been eaten by roaches. If you see one or more roaches in your home it’s important to contact a professional pest control company immediately because they will be able to identify where they are coming from and how best to get rid of them before they spread further into your home or business.