Cockroach Identification: How to Tell Which Type of Roach You Have in Canada

TL;DR

• Check the markings first. Two dark stripes running lengthwise behind the head means a German cockroach. Two light bands across the body means a brown-banded cockroach.
• Shiny and almost black with no markings is an Oriental cockroach. Reddish brown with a pale band around the edge of the head shield is an American cockroach.
• Size splits them in two. Small roaches of about 1.3 to 1.6 cm are almost always German or brown-banded, or nymphs of a larger species. Roaches of 2.5 cm or more are Oriental or American.
• Where you found it narrows the list: kitchen or bathroom points to German, high on walls or near electronics to brown-banded, basement or floor drain to Oriental or American, porch light or firewood to a wood cockroach.
• A small roach without wings is often a nymph, not a separate species. A white roach is a nymph that has just molted.
• Need help? Get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

Cockroach identification decides what happens next: a roach that breeds inside your walls calls for a very different response than one that wandered in from the woodpile. A German cockroach by the dishwasher and a wood cockroach drawn to a porch light look alike at a glance, yet only one of them sets up a colony in your home.

Most Canadian sightings come down to a handful of species: German, American, Oriental and brown-banded cockroaches indoors, plus wood cockroaches from outside. Size, colour, wings, the room you found it in and the time of day narrow the list quickly, and egg cases or droppings can confirm the answer.

The first trap is mistaking a roach for something else, or something else for a roach. Small wingless nymphs, white freshly molted roaches and shiny beetles all fool people who are sure they know what a cockroach looks like.

What Does a Cockroach Look Like?

A cockroach is a flat, oval insect with long, thin antennae and a shield-like plate behind its head that partly hides the head from above. There are more than 3,500 species of cockroaches in the world, according to Health Canada, but only a handful live in Canadian buildings. They all share the same basic body plan, which is the first thing to check.

Body Shape

Cockroach bodies are oval and flattened, a shape that lets them slip into very thin cracks and crevices (Kansas State University). Behind the head sits the pronotum, a shield-like plate that extends forward over the head, so from above you may barely see the head at all. Cockroaches also have long, thread-like antennae, while most beetles have shorter ones.

Wing Shape

Cockroach wings are leathery and lie flat on the back, with one front wing overlapping the other. Some species have full wings that cover the abdomen, while others have short wings or only small wing pads. Having wings does not mean a cockroach can fly: Health Canada notes that the German cockroach has wings but cannot fly.

Cockroach Nymphs

Cockroach nymphs (the young) look like smaller adults without wings, and they are usually lighter in colour (Kansas State University). Right after each molt, a nymph is white for a few hours until its new skin darkens, which explains the occasional "white cockroach" sighting. Nymphs are usually the most common stage in a population (UC IPM), so the small roaches you see are often young ones rather than a separate species.

Cockroaches Versus Beetles

Cockroaches and beetles are easy to confuse, but their wings give them away. According to the Australian Museum, a cockroach's front wings overlap, while a beetle's hard wing covers meet in a straight line down the middle of its back. If the insect has no wings, look for two small tail-like appendages (cerci) at the tip of the abdomen and a plate that overhangs the head: both point to a cockroach.

What Are the Main Types of Cockroaches in Canada?

The main types of cockroaches in Canadian buildings are the German, American, Oriental and brown-banded cockroaches, and wood cockroaches sometimes wander in from outside. The City of Winnipeg, for example, lists American, German and Oriental cockroaches as its three species. Most cockroach types are tropical, so in Canada they survive mainly inside heated buildings. Orkin Canada (a pest control company) also mentions the smoky brown cockroach in some regions.

German Cockroach

The German cockroach is the small, tan roach you are most likely to find in a Canadian kitchen. Adults are about 1.3 to 1.6 cm (1/2 to 5/8 inch) long, tan to light brown, with two dark stripes running from behind the head toward the wings (Health Canada). They have wings but cannot fly. Look for them near dishwashers, stoves, sinks, fridges and in bathrooms (Penn State Extension, Kansas State University). The female carries her light brown egg case sticking out of the tip of her abdomen until it is almost ready to hatch. German cockroaches breed indoors and have been found as far north as Nunavut, according to Health Canada.

American Cockroach

The American cockroach is the largest common roach, about 4 cm (1.5 inches) long on average and up to about 5 cm (2 inches). It is reddish brown with a pale or yellowish band around the edge of the shield behind its head (UF/IFAS, UC IPM). Both sexes have full wings, but Penn State Extension notes they rarely fly in northern areas. American cockroaches live mainly in sewers, steam tunnels, drains and basements, and are rarely found in houses (UF/IFAS). If this looks like your roach, our guide to American cockroach infestation signs goes further.

Oriental Cockroach

The Oriental cockroach is a shiny, very dark brown to almost black roach about 2.5 to 3.5 cm (1 to 1.25 inches) long (City of Winnipeg, Penn State Extension). Males have short wings that cover only about three-quarters of the abdomen, females have only small wing pads, and neither sex flies (UC IPM). Oriental cockroaches prefer cool, dark, damp places such as basements, crawl spaces, garages and floor drains, which is why they are often called "water bugs". They are seldom found high on walls or in upper floors, and adults are most numerous in late spring and early summer (Penn State Extension). If they show up near a floor drain, read how to stop cockroaches from coming up the drain.

Brown-Banded Cockroach

The brown-banded cockroach is a small roach, about 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) long, with two light bands across its body, one at the base of the wings and one across the abdomen (Kansas State University). Males are narrow and golden tan, and they sometimes fly when disturbed. Females are darker brown, broader, and cannot fly (UC IPM). Unlike German cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches prefer warm, dry spots: high on walls, behind picture frames, in furniture and near warm electronics such as televisions and refrigerators. They breed indoors and are usually found throughout the home, not only in the kitchen. Like other roaches, they often arrive on used furniture, food items or shipping cartons (Health Canada), as our guide on how a cockroach infestation starts explains.

Wood Cockroach

The wood cockroach is an outdoor roach that sometimes wanders inside but does not breed or become established in homes (Kansas State University). Adults are about 1.3 to 2 cm (1/2 to 3/4 inch) long and brown, with clear or pale edges along the shield behind the head and the front of the wings. The Pennsylvania wood cockroach lives in Ontario and Quebec, and Orkin Canada calls it the most common wood roach in Canada. Only the males fly well, and they are drawn to lights, especially in May and June. Wood cockroaches usually get indoors by flying toward a porch light or by riding in on firewood.

How Does Cockroach Identification Work, Step by Step?

Cockroach identification works best as a short roach identifier checklist: size, markings, wings, location and time of day. Check each clue in order, and use a phone photo or a clear container to look closely.

Size

Size splits cockroach types into two groups. Small roaches, about 1.3 to 1.6 cm (1/2 to 5/8 inch), are almost always German or brown-banded cockroaches, or the nymphs of a larger species. Large roaches of 2.5 cm (1 inch) or more are Oriental or American cockroaches. Wood roaches fall in between.

Markings

Markings are the fastest way to separate look-alikes of the same size:

• Two dark stripes running lengthwise behind the head: German cockroach
• Two light bands running across the body: brown-banded cockroach
• Reddish brown with a pale band around the edge of the head shield: American cockroach
• Shiny, almost black, no markings: Oriental cockroach
• Brown with clear or pale edges on the head shield and front of the wings: wood cockroach

Flight

Flight is a useful clue in Canada. A German cockroach has wings but cannot fly, and an Oriental cockroach never flies. A roach that flies toward a light in late spring is most likely a male wood cockroach, while a small male that flutters when disturbed points to the brown-banded cockroach. American cockroaches can fly but rarely do in northern areas.

Location

Location narrows the list quickly:

• Kitchen or bathroom, around appliances and sinks: German cockroach
• Bedroom, living room, high on walls, near electronics or picture frames: brown-banded cockroach
• Basement, floor drain, crawl space or laundry room: Oriental or American cockroach
• Near the front door, a porch light or the firewood pile: wood cockroach

Time of Day

Time of day matters because cockroaches are most active at night (Health Canada). Seeing German cockroaches in the daytime usually means a heavy population or roaches stressed by a lack of food or water, according to Penn State Extension. If you are wondering whether a few sightings count as a problem, read how many cockroaches is an infestation.

How Do You Identify Cockroaches by the Signs They Leave?

Cockroach signs such as egg cases, droppings and shed skins can tell you which species you have even when you never see a live roach. Look under kitchen counters, behind drawers and at the back of cabinets, where UC IPM says droppings tend to collect.

Egg Cases

Egg cases (oothecae) are small capsules that hold the eggs, and each species handles them differently:

• German cockroach: light brown, carried by the female until 1 to 2 days before hatching, with 30 to 40 eggs (UC IPM, UF/IFAS)
• Brown-banded cockroach: light brown, about 1/4 inch, glued to ceilings, under furniture or other protected surfaces, with 13 to 18 eggs (Kansas State University, UC IPM)
• Oriental cockroach: dark, carried for about 30 hours and then dropped near food without being glued, with 16 eggs (Penn State Extension)
• American cockroach: about 8 mm (1/3 inch), brown when laid and turning black within a day or two, with 16 eggs (UF/IFAS)

Finding egg cases glued high on furniture or under a table points to brown-banded cockroaches. Seeing females carrying egg cases in the kitchen points to German cockroaches.

Droppings

Droppings from small roaches look like dark specks or smears, often described as pepper-like (Orkin Canada). Large roaches such as American cockroaches leave droppings with blunt ends and ridges along the sides, which are often confused with mouse droppings (PestWorld). Our guide to cockroach infestation signs shows the other clues to look for.

Cast Skins

Cast skins are the empty shells nymphs leave behind each time they molt. They collect near the cracks and crevices where roaches hide, so a cluster of them often marks a harbourage. To trace them back to the source, see how to find cockroaches and their hiding spots.

Musty Odour

A musty odour is a sign of a larger population. Cockroaches release a pheromone that some people describe as musty, and it becomes more noticeable as the population grows (PestWorld). A strong smell in a cupboard or behind an appliance means it is time to act, whatever the species.

What Should You Do After You Identify a Cockroach?

After cockroach identification, your next step depends on whether the species breeds indoors or wandered in from outside. German and brown-banded cockroaches need treatment inside your home. Oriental and American cockroaches point to moisture or drain problems, and wood cockroaches usually need nothing more than a sealed door and firewood kept outside.

Sticky Traps

Sticky traps confirm the species and show where the roaches are concentrated. Health Canada notes that traps show where cockroaches are and how many there are. Place them along wall edges and in corners, where cockroaches travel (UC IPM). Penn State Extension notes that one week of trapping usually gives enough information.

Cleaning

Cleaning is part of every cockroach plan. Health Canada says cleaning and pesticides should be used together, because pesticides alone will not succeed. Store food in sealed plastic or glass containers, empty the garbage daily, fix leaky taps and pipes, and dry damp areas. Our guide to cockroach prevention covers the details.

Species-Specific Treatment

Species-specific treatment works better than a general spray. Baits placed where roaches hide are the usual choice for German and brown-banded cockroaches, and Health Canada notes that bait stations kill about 48 to 96 hours after a roach eats the bait. Whatever you buy, check the label for a Pest Control Products (PCP) number, which shows the product is registered in Canada, and follow the directions, keeping products away from children and pets. For product picks, see the best cockroach killers, and for a full action plan, read what to do if you have cockroaches.

Professional Help

Professional help makes sense when you have German or brown-banded cockroaches in an apartment or condo, or when baiting has not reduced your trap counts. The City of Winnipeg advises that control must cover the whole building and recommends hiring with a package that includes more than one visit, because repeat treatments are usually needed. Orkin Canada says most jobs take two to three visits over four to six weeks. Our guide to cockroach pest control explains how professional treatment works, and you can get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.