Creature Feature

The Oriental cockroach is a worldwide pest with its origin most likely in the Middle East. It is a large cockroach that cannot fly. Adult males have short wings that do not cover the abdomen. Adults females have wing stubs and may look like beetles before taking a closer look.

Oriental cockroaches are more cold tolerant than other pest cockroaches and can survive outdoors in temperate winters, especially around garbage containers. In structures, they tend to occupy cool and moist areas like basements and crawlspaces where they infest the voids in brick and concrete block walls. In some cities, Oriental cockroaches are the predominant cockroach in sewers. Like the American cockroach, they can travel up sewer pipes into buildings, although maybe not as high.

Oriental cockroaches in sewers can be treated with bait or dust insecticide formulations, either at floor drains indoors or manhole covers outdoors. These formulations are also useful when the cockroaches are infesting wall voids. Additionally, a liquid residual can be applied to wall voids with a ULV injector. An access hole may need to be drilled if an opening is not already present.