Key Takeaways

• Kansas is home to five primary cockroach species that vary significantly in their habitat preferences, ranging from moisture-seeking indoor pests to accidental outdoor invaders.
• The German cockroach is the most aggressive indoor infesting species due to its rapid reproductive cycle and tendency to spread pathogens in kitchens and bathrooms.
• Large species like the American and Oriental cockroaches typically originate in subterranean or damp environments like sewers and drains before entering structures in search of food or moisture.
• Beyond being a nuisance, most common cockroaches pose serious health risks by carrying bacteria, triggering asthma, and contaminating food surfaces with allergens and waste.

5 Most Common Cockroaches In Kansas

There’s nothing pleasant about a cockroach infestation. Roaches are highly unsanitary, and they often get into our food, contaminate surface areas, and crawl around on plates and dishes. Linked to dozens of bacteria strains, six parasitic worms, and even more human pathogens, 

But all cockroaches are not created equal – some are more dangerous than others. Let’s take a closer look at the five most common cockroaches in Kansas so we can compare and contrast them.

1. German Cockroaches
2. American Cockroaches
3. Oriental Cockroaches
4. Wood Roaches
5. Brown Banded Cockroaches

German Cockroach (Blattella germanica)

If you have “small cockroaches” in your house, there’s a good chance they’re German cockroaches. These roaches are much smaller than most other roach species and they reproduce faster, making them extremely hard to eliminate. They’re also the “dirtiest” roach species, capable of tracking filth and pathogens much more efficiently than other species.

Due to their difficulty in eliminating and ability to spread bacteria, they’re considered the worst type of roach infestation you can get.

• Almond-shaped, small size (1/4″ to 1/2″ in length), light brown color
• Six legs, two antennae, and three body segments 
• Two horizontal stripes start near the head and run down its back
• It has usable wings but doesn’t usually fly unless the temperature is hot. 
• In its nymph stage, these cockroaches are extremely tiny. They’re so tiny that they are able to crawl through the holes of a wall outlet

Where Do German Cockroaches Live?

Think of the German cockroach as the “indoor roach” because they are adapted to live in manmade structures. Like other roach species, they’re a moisture pest, so they’re most likely to be found in moisture-rich areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and damp basements or crawlspaces.

Habits and Behavior

German cockroaches reproduce rapidly. Under the right conditions, one female and her offspring can multiply into thousands of offspring in one year. Worse still, the eggs are highly resistant to pesticides. 

German cockroaches prefer sweet tastes, from pastries to toothpaste to wallpaper paste and book glue.

What Risks Do German Cockroaches Bring?

• Pathogens: Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus.
• Respiratory Issues: High concentrations of allergens in feces and shed skins serve as asthma triggers, especially in children.
• Physical Threats: Generally, none, though they are known to bite humans in extreme infestations when food is scarce.
• Contamination: Rapidly contaminates foods and surfaces with fecal matter and secretions.

American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

This species is the largest house-infesting cockroach in the United States. Sometimes called a “palmetto bug” or confused with water bugs, the American cockroach originates in humid, subterranean environments like sewers and storm drains before making its way into structures.

• Oval-shaped, large (can grow as large as 2″ long) reddish brown
• Six legs, two antennae, and three body segments
• Yellowish “8” pattern on its back, below the head. 
• Has wings and is able to fly when hot.

Where Do American Cockroaches Live?

While capable of infesting a home from top to bottom, American cockroaches’ natural environment is hot and humid environments outdoors. If you have them in your home, you’re likely to find them in damp locations outside of your home, such as in flowerbeds.

Indoors, you’re likely to find these roaches in the basement, laundry room, bathroom, or garage. They’ll also be quite comfortable in a kitchen behind the oven or under the sink. 

Habits and Behavior

Not as abundant as German cockroaches, American roach infestations can still become significant if ignored. You may notice the smell after it emits aggregation pheromones. This is a scent that encourages American cockroaches to group together.

What Risks Do American Cockroaches Bring?

• Pathogens: Campylobacter, Salmonella, Typhoid Fever, and Listeriosis.
• Allergens: Large amounts of saliva and aggregation pheromones can trigger allergic skin rashes and respiratory distress.
• Physical Threats: When a population of American cockroaches grows very large, they may begin to bite. They even sometimes bite eyelids as they are attracted to the dead skin on eyelashes. Bites can become infected and swollen due to harmful bacteria on the biting roach.
• Contamination: Commonly migrates from sewers, carrying fecal bacteria directly onto kitchen surfaces.

Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

Oriental cockroaches are the clumsiest and slowest of the common species. They are heavily dependent on water and are often associated with decaying organic matter. Because they frequently travel through sewers and drains, they are considered one of the filthiest roaches to have in a home, often carrying a very distinct, pungent odor.

• Oval shaped, medium size (approx. 3/4″ to 1″, dark brown to shiny black.
• Six legs, two antennae, and three body segments.
• Distinctly different wing lengths: Males have short wings that cover 3/4 of the body, while females are practically wingless.
• Incapable of flight, regardless of the temperature.
• Wide, heavy bodies that make them appear more beetle-like than other roach species.

Where Do Oriental Cockroaches Live?

Oriental cockroaches prefer cool, damp, and dark environments. Unlike German roaches, which love the warmth of a kitchen, Oriental roaches are more likely to be found in “subterranean” areas of the home. 

They are common in damp basements, crawlspaces, floor drains, and around leaky pipes. Outdoors, they thrive in mulch, under leaf litter, and in sewer systems.

Habits and Behavior

They move significantly slower than other species and are often trapped in porcelain sinks or tubs because they cannot climb smooth vertical surfaces.

What Risks Do Oriental Cockroaches Bring?

• Pathogens: Because they crawl through sewage and then onto your surfaces, they are high-risk vectors for pathogens. E. coli, Salmonella, and various organisms that cause dysentery and diarrhea.
• Filth Spread: They carry a higher “bacterial load” on their legs than most other species.
• Odor: They are known for producing a strong “musty” smell that can permeate an entire room if the population is large enough. 
• Water Contamination: Frequently infests drains and cisterns, polluting standing water.

Wood Roach (Parcoblatta pennsylvanica)

The wood roach is more of an “accidental invader.” Unlike its cousins, this species has no desire to live inside your home and cannot survive long in the dry, indoor air of a typical Kansas house. They are primarily an outdoor nuisance that enters homes by mistake, often hitched in on firewood or attracted by bright lights.

• Oval-shaped, medium-sized (1/2″ to 1″ in length), dark brown with light-colored edges.
• Six legs, two antennae, and three body segments.
• Whitish or yellowish “border” on the front part of the wings or the shield behind the head.
• Strong fliers: Males have full wings and are very active at night; females have much shorter wings and rarely fly.
• Flat body that allows them to squeeze under the bark of trees and logs.

Where Do Wood Cockroaches Live?

Their natural home is the great outdoors—specifically wooded areas. You will find them in woodpiles, under loose bark, or in hollow trees. When they end up indoors, it is usually because a male flew through an open window or door toward a light source, or because they were brought in on a log destined for the fireplace. 

Habits and Behavior

Wood roaches are not a health threat in the same way German or American roaches are. They do not carry the same level of pathogens and do not breed indoors. The primary concern is the nuisance of their presence, especially during the late spring and early summer mating season. 

Because they don’t hide from humans and are attracted to light, they are much more visible and “bold” than other species, which can be startling to homeowners.

What Risks Do Wood Roaches Bring?

• Psychological/Nuisance: Their large size and tendency to fly directly toward indoor light sources can cause significant distress and “jump scares,” but they are physically harmless.
• No Disease Risk: They are not known to carry or transmit human diseases.
• No Physical Threats: They do not bite or sting.

Brown-Banded Cockroach (Supella longipalpa)

The Brown-banded cockroach is often mistaken for the German cockroach due to its similar size, but its habits are entirely different. This species is the “dry-land” roach of the family; they don’t need the constant moisture of a leaky pipe to survive, which allows them to infest parts of the home that other roaches would find too arid.

• Almond-shaped, small size (about 1/4″ in length), light brown to tan.
• Six legs, two antennae, and three body segments.
• Two light-colored bands across the wings and abdomen (more visible in the nymph stage).
• Males have long wings that reach past the abdomen and may fly when disturbed; females have shorter, reddish-brown wings.
• Lack the two dark vertical stripes found on the German cockroach.

Where Do Brown-Banded Cockroaches Live?

These roaches prefer “high and dry” locations. While other roaches are under the sink, the Brown-banded roach is likely behind a picture frame on the wall, inside a closet, or tucked away in the upper corners of a cabinet. They are very fond of warmth and may be found inside electronics like televisions, computers, and motor housings.

Habits and Behavior

They are particularly difficult to treat because they scatter throughout a home rather than congregating in one moisture-rich area. Since they hide in furniture and electronics, they are easily transported from one home to another during a move.

What Risks Do Brown Banded Cockroaches Bring?

• Pathogens: Carriers of over 30 types of bacteria and various parasitic worms.
• Respiratory Issues: Because they hide in high, dry areas (like crown molding and ceiling fans), their allergens are easily dispersed into the air by indoor airflow.
• Property Damage: They feed on non-food starches, risking the destruction of wallpaper paste, book bindings, and internal electronic components.
• Food Poisoning: High risk for “pantry pests” as they favor dry food storage areas.

Top 5 Most Common Roaches – Comparison Table

Do You Know How to Prevent Roaches?

The key to preventing roaches is getting rid of the food and water resources that are attracting them and sustaining them. Roaches need these resources to survive.

For more information, check out our full-length article on cockroach prevention.

Call the Roach Exterminators at Schendel Pest Services

When you choose Schendel to protect your home and your family, you can count on our experienced team to implement a home pest control program that eliminates existing roach activity and prevents them from re-infesting. 

Give us a call or visit our Contact Us page and get your FREE estimate!