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How to identify it
- Adults are about half an inch long; Texas A&M gives 1/2 to 5/8 inch. Males are slender and golden tan; females are darker brown and stouter.[1][2][3][4]
- Both sexes, and the nymphs, have two light bands across the body, one at the base of the wings and abdomen and one farther back; the bands stand out most on nymphs.[1][3][4][2]
- Males have full wings that reach or pass the tip of the abdomen. Females' wings are shorter and don't cover the whole abdomen.[2][3][4]
- Females carry light brown egg cases, about a quarter inch long, for about 30 hours and then glue them to ceilings and walls, the undersides of furniture and inside closets.[1][2][5]
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| German cockroach | About the same size, but has two dark stripes running lengthwise behind the head instead of light bands across the body, and is concentrated in kitchens and bathrooms. Minnesota Extension says the two species are rarely found together.[1][4] |
Where it lives
Lives indoors and prefers temperatures around 80°F, 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the German cockroach; it hides in crevices in or near electrical appliances, behind artwork and wall decorations, in hollow furniture legs and in clutter, and is found in homes, offices, schools, hospitals and labs.[1]
Biology and life cycle
It prefers temperatures around 80°F, 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the German cockroach, and appears to need less water than other cockroaches, so it lives in drier spots well away from sinks.[1][4][3][2]
It is found more often in homes, apartments, hotels, nursing homes and hospitals than in restaurants and grocery stores. Penn State says it is common to find it nearer the ceiling than the floor.[3][2]
Penn State gives about 14 egg cases per female with about 13 eggs each; the eggs take 37 to 103 days to hatch depending on temperature, nymphs develop over 8 to 31 weeks, and a female and her offspring can produce about 600 cockroaches a year. UC IPM also gives over 600.[2][1]
Adult males fly when disturbed, especially above 85°F; females cannot fly.[1][2]
Damage and signs
- It prefers starchy foods and also eats glue, paste and dyes, so stamps, envelopes, bindings of older books, drapes and sometimes wallpaper can show feeding. It has even been known to chew nylon stockings.[1][2][5][3]
- Look for egg cases glued to the undersides of furniture, in appliance motors, on walls and ceilings, and in boxes and stored items.[1][2]
Health risk
Asthma research points to cockroach allergen as a major indoor trigger: reviews of inner-city studies found that cockroach exposure raises the risk of asthma attacks in sensitized children and that cutting household cockroach allergen reduced asthma problems. Cockroaches can also carry food-borne bacteria on their bodies, but a 2020 review says how much they actually contribute to human illness is still debated.[6][7][8]
Control
Keep them out
They usually arrive in boxes, grocery bags, suitcases, furniture and appliances. Check items, especially those coming out of storage, and remove any egg cases glued to their undersides.[1][2]
Sanitation
Reduce clutter, store food in sealed containers, vacuum hiding places with a HEPA or triple-filter vacuum so allergens don't blow back out, and caulk cracks in every room where they hide, not only the kitchen.[1][2][5]
Traps and physical control
Place sticky traps throughout the building, including shelves and drawers away from the kitchen, and check them for several days to a week; treat only where traps show cockroaches are concentrated. Penn State suggests ten or more trap sites.[1][2][5]
Pesticides
Baits are the main insecticide tool and must sit right where traps show they hide. UC IPM says brownbanded cockroaches are especially hard to control with baits, while Penn State calls baiting an effective method when baits go into harborage areas.[1][2][5]
Dusts such as boric acid, silica aerogel or diatomaceous earth can be applied lightly into wall voids, hollow furniture legs, closet shelves and light fixtures; keep them away from children and pets. Indoor sprays and foggers give only short-term knockdown and can scatter cockroaches.[1][2]
When to call a professional
For serious indoor infestations or other large or complex cockroach problems, professional pest control services are often required.[1]
Where sources disagree
Baits: UC IPM says brownbanded cockroaches are especially difficult to control with baits, while Penn State says baits placed where they harbor can give a high level of control.[1][2]
How common it is: UC IPM says it accounts for only about 1% of indoor cockroach infestations in California, while Minnesota Extension calls it common in Minnesota homes.[1][4]
Band color: most sources describe the bands as light or yellow; Penn State describes them as two brownish bands.[1][3][4][2]
Common questions
- How do I tell a brownbanded cockroach from a German cockroach?
- Brownbanded cockroaches have light bands across the wings and abdomen; German cockroaches have two dark stripes behind the head. Brownbandeds also hide away from the kitchen, near electronics, wall decorations and ceilings.[1][4][2]
- Why isn't my roach bait working?
- Baits don't draw cockroaches from a distance, so they have to sit where traps show the cockroaches hide, often high up and away from the kitchen. UC IPM also finds this species especially hard to control with baits.[1][2]
- Can brownbanded cockroaches fly?
- Adult males fly when disturbed, especially in warm rooms; females cannot.[1][2]
Sources
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Cockroaches, Publication 7467 (revised December 2019).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pncockroaches.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Penn State Extension, “Brown-banded Cockroaches (S. Jacobs).” extension.psu.edu/brown-banded-cockroaches (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Texas A&M Urban and Structural Entomology Program, “Brown Banded Cockroach, Supella longipalpa.” urbanentomology.tamu.edu/urban-pests/cockroaches/brown-banded/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
- University of Minnesota Extension, “Cockroaches.” extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/cockroaches (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Utah State University Extension, “Brown Banded Cockroach (Structural Pest ID Guide).” extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/structural-pest-id-guide/brown-banded-cockroach (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, via PubMed, “Poowuttikul, Saini and Seth (2019), Inner-city asthma in children.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30666508/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, via PubMed, “Byrd and Joad (2006), Urban asthma.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16357582/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Environmental Health Insights, via PubMed, “Donkor (2020), Cockroaches and food-borne pathogens.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32425541/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
- iNaturalist, “Supella longipalpa taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/324221 (accessed 2026-10-06)