Assistance in ID of Roach? Do they Bite? - Periplaneta fuliginosa

Moved

… Kyle Kandilian, 4 July, 2014 - 3:41pm

Preliminary ID

Moved from ID Request. While I am not confident enough to exclude all possibility that this is a young Parcoblatta spp. of cockroach, the presence of multiple individuals found indoors in such locations as a bedroom really suggests the American cockroach. The uniformity of color in the nymph suggests either the American cockroach Periplaneta americana or the Smokybrown cockroach Periplaneta fuliginosa. I’m placing this image at the generic level until I learn more about the nymphs of these species.

… John Carlson, 8 November, 2009 - 9:59pm

What is it?

Any advice

… LowCountry, 31 October, 2009 - 12:40pm

It is a Cockroach

If it was found living inside your home then it is not a wood roach.

This is probably an Amiercan or oriental nymph. They are not known to bite but they are not the best animals to have around your home...

… Vespula Vulgaris, 31 October, 2009 - 5:25pm

Why

What makes this roach bad..I mean I know its not cool we are setting bait traps and spraying, but yuck! I have done some research that roacks do bite and when they do its more likely to be babies and children. Oh also..why are we only finding the Nymph's no adults!!!!??? WHERE R THEY?

… LowCountry, 1 November, 2009 - 10:57am

Cockroach nibbles

The biggest concern with roaches is that they seem to be an important cause of asthma. When very young children inhale the proteins contained in fecal material and exoskeletons this stimulates an immune reaction that is poorly understood, but is a set-up for allergic asthma, particularly for children with parents that have asthma. I suppose that cockroaches do "bite" (perhaps more accurate to say "nibble") on children, but this is more psychologically damaging to the parents thinking about it than to the sleeping infant that is not actually harmed. In areas with dense populations of cockroaches the "grazing" becomes more aggressive, but asthma and other allergies are really the main health threat.

BugGuide does not give advice on control of pests, but generally spraying and baiting should not be done at the same time, because spraying interferes with baits, which are more effective for cockroaches. There are many online sources of information regarding IPM for cockroaches (look for sites hosted by universities) that can provide more information on this.

… John Carlson, 2 November, 2009 - 6:51am