The UK Cockroach Types And How To Identify Them

According to scientists, there are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches. Of these, only about 30 are known to inhabit human dwellings. In the UK, about four of these species plague us. These are the German, oriental, American, and banded cockroaches. But if you want to tell the difference between these UK cockroach types, how do you go about it? To help you out, we’ve written a short guide.

To be honest there is very little difference between these cockroaches. This can make it tricky to identify these spring insects. That being said, here are some of the more pronounced differences.

1. German cockroach

These are the most common type of cockroach found in the UK. Basically, if cockroaches are hounding you, then they are probably German. The easiest way to identify these UK cockroach types is by colour. The German cockroach is light brown to tan. They have two dark stripes, which run along their backs. These cockroaches are about 12-15mm long.

2. Oriental cockroach

These cockroaches are identifiable by their colour. The oriental is dark brown to black in colour. They also have wings along the top of their body. They are also larger than German cockroaches (usually 20-30mm long.)

3. American cockroach

Everything is bigger in America and so are these cockroaches. You can identify them by their larger size (between 20-30mm) and oval shape. They also have a yellow band near their head, and wings which extend past their abdomen.

4. Banded cockroach

These are the smallest of UK cockroach types – around 10-15mm. These also have distinctive tan bands. These are found just beneath their heads, and at the end of their abdomens. Another easy way to identify them is their antennae, which are longer than other cockroaches.

These are the 4 main UK cockroach types found in Britain. While it’s a good idea to identify the type of pest you’re dealing with, at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. Cockroaches are cockroaches and must be dealt with immediately, which is why we offer 24 hour pest control.

These pests breed rapidly and spread all sorts of diseases. If you see one cockroach, you’re likely to have dozens more. The best way to deal with this problem is by keeping a clean and tidy home. If it is safe to do so and you don’t have pets or children, you can also lay down shop bought poison. This isn’t always enough, as cockroaches easily build resistance to pesticides. If the problem persists, then consider hiring pest control. It’s always worth getting professional pest control. We can help you identify the source of the problem, and also come up with the plan for tackling it. In most cases this will mean of combination of techniques such as fumigation, heat treatments, plus pest proofing and prevention.