Brown cockroach

Natural Habitat

Often found outdoors in warm, humid areas; can also infest buildings, particularly basements, sewers, and moist environments.

Diet & Feeding

Omnivorous scavengers, feeding on a wide variety of organic matter including decaying plants and animals, food scraps, starchy materials, and even book bindings.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal, active at night. They are fast runners and can fly short distances. They prefer warm, dark, and humid places. Females produce egg cases (oothecae) which they may carry or deposit in hidden locations.

Risks & Benefits

Potential risks include spreading pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa) through contamination of food and surfaces, triggering allergies and asthma in sensitive individuals due to their shed skins and droppings, and causing an unpleasant odor in heavily infested areas. They offer no known benefits to humans.

Identified on: 9/13/2025