10 Types of Cockroaches in Georgia (With Pictures)

There’s not much worse to a homeowner than stumbling to the kitchen in the middle of the night for a drink of water only to find a roach scurrying across the counter when you turn on the light. The sight of a roach is enough to send any homeowner in Georgia scampering to the phone to call pest control.

We all know that roaches carry diseases that can harm us. As residents of Georgia, it’s pretty common for roaches to invade businesses, homes, and other buildings if they aren’t controlled and prevented. Have you ever wondered what types of cockroaches can be found in Georgia? We’ll give you the top 10 most common in our guide below and a bit on how to prevent each of them from invading your home.

The 10 Types of Cockroaches in Georgia

1. German Cockroaches

German Cockroaches are brown and small and are identifiable by the two dark stripes on their backs. They are common roaches in the state of Georgia and are primarily found in kitchens, bathrooms, and anywhere they can feast on scraps of food and get to a ready supply of water.

You’ll find this species in all types of buildings, including single-family homes, mobile homes, and office buildings. Anywhere they can get food and water is where they will flock to. In many cases, these roaches come into homes and buildings on grocery bags and boxes of food.

They are scavengers and will eat anything, especially sweets, grease, meats, and any starchy food. They mostly come out at night and are known to spread disease and multiply quickly. The average German Cockroach can breed and have up to six generations of roaches in a single year. Each female can lay up to 50 eggs in one sitting.

These roaches are a problem because they spread disease, are very difficult to control once you have them, and often cause allergies in people because of the dust and droppings they leave behind.

If you see a single German Cockroach in your home, it’s best to go ahead and call in a pest control company to treat your home before they begin to breed and multiply. You can prevent an infestation by keeping food sealed, decluttering the house, and sealing any cracks and crevices the roaches might crawl through to enter your home.

2. American Cockroaches

American Cockroaches are another common species in Georgia. Not only are they common in Georgia, but they are also one of the largest roaches seen in the state, reaching up to 3 inches on average in length.

They have a reddish-brown color and a yellow band around the edges of their body. They can be a real problem for Georgians as they contaminate food and are known to spread diseases. This species of cockroach prefers to live in warm, moist areas, such as basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.

They can also be found in sewer systems and other dark, damp places. Since it is omnivorous, they’ll eat just about anything but love starchy food, sweets, and organic matter. Since this species is nocturnal, you’ll rarely see them during the daylight hours since they tend to try and avoid the light. They have wings but only fly if they are bothered or feel like something is threatening them.

American Cockroaches reproduce quickly and can have up to 800 eggs in a lifetime. Once laid, the eggs will hatch in about two weeks, which can quickly become an infestation that you don’t want to deal with. Since they reproduce so fast, it’s hard to control them once an infestation begins. Reliable pest control is key, and prevention methods include being really clean, removing any food or water they can be drawn to, and sealing cracks, crevices, and any holes they can crawl through to settle into your home.

3. Oriental Cockroaches

Oriental Cockroaches are also quite common in the Peach State. This species can grow to 1 inch in length and have a black or dark brown color. They infest homes and businesses and are mostly found in urban locations, though they have been found infesting sewers, damp basements, and drains in rural areas because of the water nearby.

The cockroaches will feast on just about anything, as they are scavengers but prefer decaying organic matter and any starchy food they can find lying around. It prefers scavenging at night and is attracted to light; that’s why you see them often in kitchens and bathrooms.

This species also reproduces fast and can have up to 200 cockroaches a year. If you find an infestation of Oriental Cockroaches, you should call pest control immediately to help you deal with the problem.

Keeping your home and business organized and clean will help to prevent an Oriental Cockroach infestation. Make sure to keep all food and water sources away from them as well for the best results.

4. Asian Cockroaches

Asian Cockroaches are also pretty common in Georgia and are often mistaken for German Cockroaches because of their appearance. Actually, they have a slightly darker color and are a bit larger than the German Cockroach. They have the ability to fly, which helps you distinguish them from other cockroaches.

They also usually enter your home through cracks and crevices that form in your foundation or exterior walls. As with some of the other roaches on our list, these pests invade kitchens and usually head for the pantry looking for food. They are considered a nuisance pest and can be extremely hard to get rid of once an infestation begins.

While this species is usually content to live in gardens, wooded areas, and leaf litter, once the temperature becomes cooler and the dry air sets in, they will start moving inside to look for food and moisture. While it is attracted to light, once they’re inside your home, they’ll hide in basements, laundry rooms, or wherever it’s moist and dark.

Asian Cockroaches reproduce quite quickly and can have up to 200 eggs in their lifetime. Once laid, the eggs hatch every two weeks, quickly leading to an infestation it’s almost impossible to curb. If you suspect you have Asian Cockroaches in your home or on your property, contact a reputable exterminator to get rid of them.

As for preventing them, seal up any cracks and crevices they can get into, and make sure to put screens on your doors and windows to keep them from crawling inside.

5. Australian Cockroaches

Australian Cockroaches are a murky brown color and can grow up to 2 inches in length. Not only do they carry diseases, as all roaches do, but they can also be a big nuisance as they have been known to cause allergies and asthma in people in the homes they invade.

While this species usually lives outdoors in warm, humid conditions, it can be found in homes, businesses, and structures. They feast on a variety of food and can lay as many as 30 eggs at a time.

Keeping your home clean, uncluttered, and treated by a professional can help to control Australian Cockroaches. Make sure to keep food and water away from them and seal any cracks and crevices they can get into.

6. Brown-Branded Cockroaches

With a light brown color and topping out at about ¾ to an inch long, the Brown-Branded Cockroaches have a light brown band on their backs. These cockroaches are most often found in homes and restaurants but also in other commercial buildings.

This species isn’t picky about what it eats but prefers rotting garbage, grease, starches, meats, and sweets. This is the most commonly found cockroach in Georgia and lays its eggs in a sack, which can produce 16 eggs at a time. This is a species that is extremely difficult to get rid of once they invade your home or business.

They live up to a year, and can survive without food for two months, so starving them isn’t an option. Brown-Branded Cockroaches spread diseases by contaminating food sources and can trigger allergies and asthma attacks in some people. They can usually be controlled with bait traps, sprays, and other methods. Prevention includes sealing cracks and crevices, keeping your home clean and decluttered, and keeping food and water away from these pests.

7. Florida Woods Cockroaches

Florida Woods Cockroaches are the roaches you have to worry about the least as a resident of Georgia. They can fly but prefer to stay away from humans completely if they can. They are large and black and quite terrifying to see, but they stay in their wooded areas most of the time. You can find them in rotting stumps and logs, tree clutter, and under stones.

This species will eat anything, including other roaches. It’s possible for them to lay over 50 eggs in their lifetime, which are laid in capsules. They don’t bite humans and can spread disease, but this rarely happens.

If you have these roaches in your home, do-it-yourself methods aren’t going to be successful. Instead, it’s best to call in pest control. You can prevent them by sealing cracks and crevices, as with other roaches on our list.

8. Surinam Cockroaches

The Surinam Cockroach is a roach you don’t have to worry about. Though they live in Georgia, they aren’t as common as others on our list and aren’t considered a great nuisance. They aren’t known to spread disease and can be a slight problem if you find them in your home. They are usually found where they can get to the water around sinks and toilets.

They have a small, dark brown appearance and look glossy. They come out most often at night but aren’t as aggressive as some of the other roach species listed here. It’s best to contact pest control to rid you of an infestation and follow the standard procedures to prevent them from invading your home.

9. Pennsylvania Wood Cockroaches

Pennsylvania Wood Cockroaches are not only found in Pennsylvania but in Georgia as well. The males are a dark brown color and fully winged. These roaches are not home invaders and prefer to be outside. However, they can invade your home when you bring in firewood or even the stacked wood you have sitting outside your home.

They eat decayed wood and plants. After dark, you’ll usually find this species in tree trunks and the lower branches of elm and oak trees. Luckily, they don’t like to live around other roaches, so there’s little chance of them carrying diseases that could make you sick, though you certainly don’t want them taking up residence in your home. They like cooler temperatures, so they are seen more often in the fall and winter.

10. Smoky Brown Cockroaches

Last on our list is the Smoky Brown Cockroach. These roaches are shiny and have a dark brown mahogany color. It is an outdoor roach that prefers to live in woodland areas. The roaches grow to between 1 ¼ to 1 ½” inches long. The Smoky Brown Cockroach also has an antenna that is usually as long or longer than its entire body, making it creepy to look at.

While these roaches prefer woodland areas, they are warm-weather insects and will seek shelter indoors when it’s cold outside. You’ll find them mostly in your bathroom and kitchen. They live in areas that are poorly ventilated, like the attic. It’s when they lay eggs that you run into a problem, however.

Even though it is an outdoor species, Smoky Brown Cockroaches are still considered to be dangerous. While they are less likely than other species in Georgia to invade your home, they can cause numerous issues.

If they enter your home, they can bring a host of bacteria with them that they’ll leave in your attic, kitchen, and bathroom. They’ve also been found to make asthma symptoms worse.

FAQ About Types of Cockroaches in Georgia

In the guide below, we’ll answer a few of your most common questions about cockroaches in Georgia.

How Common Are Roaches in Georgia?

Sadly, cockroaches are a problem in Georgia, as they are in much of the South. In fact, Atlanta, Georgia, is responsible for over 29% of roach sightings in the entire United States. Heavy rains, year-round warm temperatures, and high humidity are perfect conditions for roaches.

What Season Are Roaches Most Active in Georgia?

Roaches don’t have seasonal outbreaks like many other insects; they are around year-round. The most common and most invasive Cockroach in Georgia is the German Cockroach.

How Many Species of Roaches Are There in Georgia?

At last count, there were over 60 species of cockroaches in Georgia. We just concentrated on the top 10 most seen. Some of these species were introduced to Georgia, while others are native to the area.

It’s important to note that many believe roaches are only attracted to dirty, unkempt houses and businesses. That’s not true; roaches will go anywhere that there is food and water and have been found in plenty of sparkling clean places.

The best way to prevent these species from invading your home is to keep it clean, seal cracks and crevices, and have a reputable pest control company treat your house every month, whether you have any roaches or not.

Conclusion

While cockroaches are common in Georgia, you can prevent them from invading your home and business by being vigilant with cleaning, keeping food and water sources away from the bugs, and having a pest control service treat your place once a month.

While there are quite a few species of roaches in this area, most Georgia residents are aware of the pests and are vigilant about keeping them out of their properties.

See also: 5 Types of Cockroaches in Iowa

Featured Image Credit: Erik Karits, Pixabay