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WOOD ROACH
APPEARANCE:
Wood roaches are very similar in appearance to the American
roach;
flat, oval body, long antennae, spiny legs, chestnut brown color.
They are slightly smaller than the American
roach, about 3/4 to 1 1/4 inch long.
The adult wood roach, especially the males, appear tan because of the color of
their wings.
Adults and large nymphs of the wood roach can be recognized by a pale,
creamy white or transparent stripe
on their outer edge.
The pale edge extends onto the first 1/3 of the front wings of the adults.
DIET:
Wood
Roaches prefer decaying organic matter.
HABITS AND BIOLOGY:
The Woods roaches are attracted to light
, much different than the other roaches.
Females deposit their egg capsules outdoors under old logs, stumps and firewood.
A Female wood roach produce about 30 capsules containing up to 32 eggs each.
The egg incubation period is about
one month, with nymphs hatching
in the summer and maturing the following spring (May or June).
There is one generation
per year and, in some cases,
the life cycle takes two years.
At dusk, male wood roaches may begin taking
short flights and are often seen in the headlights
of the automobiles by persons driving through wooded areas.
Woods
cockroaches are active during the winter and can be found in firewood
after pulling the bark away. These cockroaches are
usually found in groups.
Compared to domestic roaches, woods cockroaches are less likely to flee
when approached and
do not survive indoors.
Overwintering occurs outdoors as a partially grown nymph.
When disturbed, wood roach nymphs
are active even in freezing weather.
Adult wood roaches are present May through early October.
Their normal
habitat is moist woodland areas but they frequently wood roaches become a household nuisance
because they wander into
or are carried into houses, with firewood ,etc.
Wood roaches are active both during the day and at night and they
are less likely to scamper
out of sight when approached. Wood roaches are less likely to congregate in a particular
location,
but will wander throught the house. Wood roaches do not thrive and reproduce in homes because they require
the
consistently moist environment of their natural habitats such as
under wood piles or loose bark and in decaying logs.
Indoors, their presence is strictly a temporary annoyance.
If Woods roaches are found anywhere inside the home,usually
they are solitary.
The male wood roaches are attracted to lights and will often make short,
erratic flights in
the early evening hours. Woods roaches do not reproduce or multiply inside.
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