Wood roaches are also known as Pennsylvania wood cockroaches, mainly found in parts of North America.
While these typically remain outdoors, there are times when they may end up in your house through gaps, crevices, cracks, and open doors or windows.
Although they are harmless, large numbers of wood roaches are still pesky to deal with, especially since these roaches tend to fly around.
They can cause allergies or spread illnesses but are not as bad as other cockroaches such as German roaches or American roaches. This may occur in some people, which is why it is better to get rid of them instead of waiting around.
This article will take you through some of the signs of infestation of wood roaches as well as some natural and chemical measures you can take to eradicate them. Let’s learn how to get rid of a wood roach.
Understanding Wood Roaches
Here are some characteristics of a wood roach that might help you identify them better.
I. Physical Characteristics
A Wood roach is dark brown to black in color and measures around 18-25 mm in length. Both males and females have wings, although only males use the wings to fly for short periods of time.
Wood roaches are equipped for sensation! These pesky bugs have two sets of antennae – one near their head and another at the back. This enables them to monitor vibrations in the air, on land, and even smells which guide them towards decaying plants their preferred food source.
II. Life Cycle
Wood roaches have three main stages in their life cycle—egg, nymph, and adult. Wood roaches are hardy creatures that demonstrate tremendous resilience throughout their lifecycle.
Their lifecycle journey typically lasts 10-12 months, during which time the insects must overcome a variety of environmental obstacles. They must adapt and survive different temperatures and humidity levels while progressing through the three life stages.
You have male wood roaches, female wood roaches, and their eggs. The male is slightly bigger than the female roach.
III. Identifying Types of Wood Roaches
Males are tan to dark brown in color and are likely to be flying around while the females are similar in appearance but cannot fly.
The nymphs, on the other hand, have a lighter color than adult males and females, especially in the form of a cream border on their bodies.
Hopefully, none of these ever enter your home so you never have to worry about getting rid of these bugs.
You might also spot different species, such as:
- Brown-hooded wood roach
- Dusky cockroach
- Spotted wood roach
Signs of Wood Roaches
For one thing, it is unlikely that the infestation is inside your house itself because wood cockroaches do not like the indoors.
You would find an infestation outside the home near rotting wood or other decaying forest matter. However, you might get some that do enter the home and if you have some damp or moist places inside your home, they would be there.
Rotting and decaying pieces of wood are where a wood roach will want to be, this is like paradise to them. A traditional fireplace with firewood may also contain some roaches so you can also look there if you have wood in the home.
Places to find a wood cockroach:
- Loose bark
- Wood piles
- Decaying logs
- Dead trees
- Rotting trees
- Tree branches
- Rotting logs
- Fallen logs
- Areas with consistent moist conditions
- Near leaking pipes
Other signs include:
- Constant scurrying around the home
- Flying wood roach
- Active presence during the day or even when you turn on the light
- Scurrying toward places with high moisture
Professional Extermination
If you find a bunch of wood roaches, you can call a professional exterminator. If you find a few roaches indoors, you can just vacuum them up.
Outdoor infestations are much more likely and can result in a bunch of wood roaches crawling around outside your home.
In such a case, professional extermination is a good idea. Such professionals also have advanced tools and ways that they can use to get rid of the wood roach infestation.
Chemical Control of Wood Roaches
Chemical control of wood roaches is not really necessary since wood roaches do not like living in homes. They prefer the outdoors where there is plenty of dead trees and dead leaves to eat.
If you have a ton of wood roaches around the home, you should call an exterminator to help with the issue.
Insecticides and gel bait are not as effective against these roaches. Plus they do not last long indoors and they do not breed in the house so an infestation indoors is unlikely.
Natural Remedies
If you want to make use of safe and non-toxic methods to get rid of wood roaches, here are some options you can try out.
- Boric acid or Borax
- Diatomaceous earth
- Baking soda
- Essential oils
- Vinegar
You can simply sprinkle some boric acid or diatomaceous earth over some gaps or cracks or even around the exterior of your house. The wood roaches will ingest these, causing their bodies to dry up.
The natural remedies listed may not always work so test each one out to see if it has any effect.
Concluding Thoughts on Wood Roaches
Here is some good news wood roaches rarely infest the insides of houses, but even an outdoor infestation may lead to indoor annoyances.
You can make use of natural remedies like boric acid and diatomaceous earth or go for chemical treatments like baits and insecticides which may not be effective.
Your best bet is to vacuum them up or wait a few weeks to see if they leave or die. If they do not then you can call a professional extermination company to help get rid of an infestation outside or to get rid of wood roaches in the home.
FAQs
Can I Eliminate Wood Roaches without Using Chemicals?
It is possible to eliminate wood roaches without using chemicals, such as natural solutions like borax, boric acid, diatomaceous earth, baking soda, essential oils, and more.
How Do I Choose a Professional Exterminator?
To choose a professional exterminator you can ask your friends or family members who may have needed similar pest control services. You can check out this link to go to companies that we know can help you with the issue. Make comparisons and choose the one that works best for you.
How Do I Prevent Wood Roaches from Entering My Home?
Prevention is always better than cure, so make it a point to seal all those gaps, cracks, and crevices in your house using caulk or by calling a professional handyman. Fix all leaking pipes and other plumbing issues while also keeping your house clean. Do not let trash accumulate at home.