They forage mostly on first floors of buildings. Outdoors, they are found beneath decomposing leaves or stones in mulching materials, in trash and at municipal sewer plants. During the autumn, there can be a mass movement into buildings, but because of their preference for cooler temperatures, can be found outdoors and in unheated buildings during the winter. Roaches can foul food and produce an unpleasant odor. Some homeowners are allergic to roaches, and the pests can contaminate food with certain bacterial diseases that result in food poisoning, dysentery or diarrhea.
Cockroaches can cause childhood asthma.
Identification Most cockroaches have a flattened oval shape, spiny legs and grow long, filamentous antennae. Males are about one inch long, more slender and have wings not reaching the tip of the abdomen. Females produce 1 to 18 capsules, each containing up to 16 eggs. Eggs hatch in about 60 days and nymphs develop in about one year. Adult females live 1 to 6 months.