Cockroaches are notorious household pests that contaminate food and surfaces. Their excrement and shed skins can trigger allergies and asthma entomology.ca.uky.edu. In Kentucky, roaches often enter homes through bags, boxes, second‑hand furniture or gaps around windows and doors entomology.ca.uky.edu. Consider these strategies:
Why Roaches Are a Problem
- Health risks: Roaches transfer microbes that cause food poisoning and can worsen asthma, especially in children entomology.ca.uky.edu.
- Rapid reproduction: The German cockroach is especially prolific; a single female can produce thousands of offspring in less than a year entomology.ca.uky.edu.
- Feeding habits: Roaches feed at night and will eat a variety of items beyond human food, including soap, glue and toothpaste entomology.ca.uky.edu.
Common Roach Species in Kentucky
- German cockroach: The most prevalent indoor species. Light brown with two dark stripes behind the head, it prefers kitchens and bathrooms. Females carry egg cases containing 30–40 eggs; a single female can produce thousands of offspring in less than a year entomology.ca.uky.edu.
- American cockroach: Large reddish‑brown roaches that often live in sewers and basements. They can fly short distances and prefer warm, moist environments such as boiler rooms and commercial kitchens entomology.ca.uky.edu.
- Oriental cockroach: Dark brown to black, sometimes called “water bugs,” these roaches are slower and often found in basements, crawl spaces and around leaky pipes entomology.ca.uky.edu.
- Brown‑banded cockroach: A smaller species that prefers drier areas and can infest bedrooms, behind picture frames and inside appliances. They have two light bands across their wings and bodies.
