What are Oriental cockroaches?
Adult Oriental roaches grow to be about 1 inch in length. Their hard body is smooth, shiny, and black. The female has a wide body, and the male has a more narrow body. Also, the male’s wings are more developed than the females, but neither are capable of flight. Oriental cockroaches are known for emitting a very powerful, musty odor that most people find very unpleasant.
Why do I have them?
Oriental roaches are typically found living outside in moist, damp areas like inside sewers, under piles of garbage, or in leaf piles and wood piles. They can also be found underneath mulch, under landscaping timbers, and in fallen, decaying logs.
If the weather becomes unsuitable for them (too hot and dry), they will move inside buildings to seek a more humid environment.
They often enter inside through cracks and crevices in the foundation and exterior walls, through the spaces underneath doors and around windows, and through floor drains and pipes. When living inside, they are found in basement areas and crawl spaces.