
It is officially regarded as the Commonwealth of Virginia, which is located in the southern part of the United States and is a humid subtropical region. The temperature becomes increasingly warmer in summers, which helps in the existence of roaches here. The common Cockroaches in Virginia are listed in this article below.
1. Wood Cockroach
Scientific Name: Parcoblatta pennsylvanica
Appearance
They are the most common and frequent roaches in Virginia. Wood cockroaches are generally around three-quarters and one inch in size. They have dark brown in color with tan wings. Males have longer wings than their bodies, while females have small, unfunctional wings.
Habitat
These pests live outdoors and enter homes on firewood or through open windows. Infestations by these roaches are rare as these insects prefer to lay eggs outside homes.
2. German Cockroach
Scientific Name: Blattella germanica
Appearance
These cockroaches are a significant worry as they like indoor locations. These are small in size, ranging from 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch in length and medium yellowish-brown in color. German roaches can be distinguished from other cockroaches by two dark parallel stripes on the anterior, dorsal portion of the thorax.
Habitat
The preferred habitats by these cockroaches are Kitchens, bathrooms, and other locations that provide food, moisture, warmth, and shelter.
What Attracts These Roaches?
Roaches are found in unclean places which have a terrible odor and leftover food crumbs such as:
- Garbage containers
- Kitchen cabinets
- Under sinks
3. Oriental Cockroach
Scientific Name: Blatta orientalis
Appearance
These are shiny black to dark reddish-brown. They are about 22 to 27mm in length. Both the sexes have wings.
Habitat
They are most active early in the evening and prefer homes with plenty of damp and dark areas to breed and develop. They often take shelter in basements, crawl spaces, utility rooms, sewers, and old incinerators as these places do not have frequent visitors. Due to the cold environment, they are commonly found under refrigerators, sinks, washing machines, and floors.
4. American Cockroach
Scientific Name: Periplaneta americana
Appearance
This is a reddish-brown and has a yellowish colored band on their bodies behind the head, about 1.5 inches long or longer than that, winged, but does not fly. The wings of males are longer than the female wings. Young cockroaches are gray-brown.
Habitat
American cockroaches usually live outdoors. They prefer warm, damp areas like flowerbeds, sewers, woodpiles, and under mulch.
Why do they move indoors?
These cockroaches will move indoors to escape the cold in the winter season and find a place where food is prepared or stored and where there is moisture.
Prevention Methods
- Keep your lawns well-maintained and free of rotting leaves to keep cockroaches away from your surroundings.
- Making a spray with fabric softener and water and spraying it where you have a roach infestation will help a lot as these pests hate strong smells.
- Be cautious while selecting bait stations, glue traps, powders, and pesticides, and choose environment-friendly articles.
- Seal all the open pores in doors and windows so that the pest cannot enter.
- Keep your house as fresh as possible as roaches infest in hot and humid areas.
- Roaches hate the smell of cayenne, garlic, and onion powder and will avoid areas where a mixture of three items is sprayed.