Size
3/4”-1”
Color
Brown
Description
The male Surinam Cockroach has a black head with dark brown wings and can fly a short distance. The female Surinam cockroach has a black head with light brown to olive colored wings that are too small to fly. The female Surinam cockroach is able to reproduce without a male. She doesn’t need a nest site or place to deposit egg pods because she carries the eggs inside and gives birth to live young.
The Surinam Cockroach can usually be found in greenhouses, gardens and potted plants. It thrives in dense vegetation growing in warm, moist conditions and will burrow down into vegetation and destroy plants from the roots. If found in your home it may have come in on a potted plant bought from a nursery.
Control Advice
Locate woodpiles away from the house and clear yard of leaf debris. Seal cracks in the foundation and cover ventilation spaces with screening.
Active Seasons
The Surinam Cockroach is most active in spring, summer and fall.
Photo courtesy of David Bazan