German Roaches vs Asian Roaches

Roaches in Savannah, GA

I’ve seen and heard details about the different types of roaches that are common in and around the Savannah area: The big American Roach (aka – water bugs, palmetto bugs, etc.), the slightly smaller Brown Banded Roach, and the nasty German Roach just to name a few.  I do not like any type of roaches; however, the German Roach, because of the reputation it carries, disturbs me the most.

Sitting out on my back porch this past summer, I saw what I thought was a nasty German Roach, run across my patio.  I instantly cringed and reached for the nearest thing to smash it with.  You can imagine the amount of panic that ran through my body when the roach started flying across my porch.

I came into work the next morning and told our Pest Control Manager what happened to me the night before.  He laughed about my panic, but then explained it was an Asian Roach, not a German Roach.  He also taught me several characteristics to look for to tell the difference between the two.  Here is what you can also look for if you happen to see these creepy bugs:

• Asian roaches fly.  German roaches do not fly.
• Because Asian roaches fly, they have slightly longer and thinner wings than the German roaches.
• Because Asian roaches have slightly longer and thinner wings, the egg sacks the females carry do not stick out as far.  This is because their longer wings cover the sack more.
• Surprisingly, Asian roaches have small white spots on their abdomens.  German roaches just have a lighter shaded belly overall.
• The Asian roaches have darker stripes on the top of their heads.  The German roaches have lighter stripes.

If you have any questions or need help identifying any insects, please do not hesitate to contact us at (912)236-5135.