Wood Roaches

If you just mention the word “roach,” most people cringe and have a sensation of disgust. However, not only do you have to be wary of cockroaches, but also of Pennsylvania wood roaches. If you have an issue with these insects, your first step is to learn more about them before you go into a panic.

The Bodies Of Wood Roaches

Nobody wants roaches crawling around in their house, regardless of the species. Unfortunately, it’s easy to mistake a Pennsylvania wood roach for its creepy cousin, the cockroach. Both are a chestnut brown color. However, wood roaches are slightly smaller than cockroaches, at about ¾ to 1 ¼ inches long.

Like all members of the insect family, Parcoblotta Spp. (wood roaches) have three body parts. They have a head, thorax, and abdomen, and they get around by crawling about on six legs. You’ll also notice that they have long antennae, and their legs have tiny spines that differ from that of a traditional roach.

Their flat, oval bodies have one pair of wings. Male wood roaches have thoroughly developed wings that allow them to fly long distances. However, the females have smaller wings that makes them unable to fly any distance. Another way you can distinguish wood roaches from other pests in this class are the cream-colored edges of their bodies.

Their small mouthparts are adequate for chewing wood and plant fibers, but they can’t bite you or your pets. The two minor points on their abdomens aren’t stingers, and they can’t sting anyone or anything. Instead, these points help the females carry their egg sacs.

Behaviors

If you see wood roaches in your house, they didn’t come inside your home on purpose. They’ve wandered in on accident. Unlike the common roach varieties, they forage for food outdoors and prefer to live around trees and decaying leaves. In addition, wood roaches aren’t afraid of light, and they don’t hurry away if you discover them.

They also don’t cluster in disgusting colonies like cockroaches. Wood roaches are relatively docile and don’t like being in your home any more than you want them there. You can see them any time, day, or night, and not just in kitchens and bathrooms.

Habitat

These creepy crawlers are native to North America and inhabit nearly all its woody landscapes. As their name suggests, wood roaches prefer to live among the trees, brush, and in the decaying matter on the forest floor. 

Since they require the constant moisture provided by the outdoors, they can’t breed indoors. They also won’t live long in a house or building, and they will be just as eager as you are to help them find a way to escape.

During the spring months, when the males are flying about, you’re apt to see an accidental wood roach visitor or two in your living space. Sometimes, they are stowaways in plants or wood that the family brings into the home. 

Like moths, wood roaches are often attracted to light and may unintentionally crawl through cracks or holes in windows and doors.

It’s unlikely that you’ll discover an infestation in your home because they aren’t inside dwellers. However, you may still find a few that’s ventured into different places in your house. For example, you are more apt to see large groups in overgrown brush or woodpiles around the yard.

Diet

Another significant difference between wood roaches and cockroaches is their diet. From the time they hatch into adulthood, wood roaches munch on wood particles, bark, and decaying organic matter. They have no use for human food, and they don’t have the voracious sweet tooth that cockroaches are notorious for. 

Wood roaches are also not carnivorous, nor do they consume dead insects or animals. Although they have an affinity for wood, they don’t bore into homes or furniture. Instead, these insects are more interested in the trees and other vegetation on your property.

Life Cycles

• Egg

During the warm months of May, male Pennsylvania wood roaches fly great distances to find a flightless female for mating. The females will later lay their eggs in small crescent-shaped capsules. 

The capsules are usually deposited under tree bark and decaying plant matter. Each female can lay up to 32 eggs in her capsule and leave them. She doesn’t need to stay close or sit on her eggs for them to hatch.

• Nymph

Unless some hungry predator comes by for a snack, these eggs will incubate in the small capsule for around 30-34 days. Then, the wood roaches will hatch as tiny adult versions called nymphs. They will continue to consume plant matter in the nymph stage for between one to two years. During this stage, they shed their endoskeletons to grow into full-sized adults.

• Adults

Adult Pennsylvania wood roaches still survive on wood and decaying leaves. The cycle continues as they instinctively look for mates. Both males and females can live several months into adulthood. The woods are full of natural predators such as more giant insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals.

Damage Potential

As far as experts can tell, Pennsylvania wood roaches do not carry any diseases to humans or animals. While you may see several together in the wild, they are not colonizing insects. They don’t eat or contaminate human food, and they don’t destroy wood items or textiles in a home.

Since they avoid human domiciles and won’t live long inside, you probably won’t ever have an infestation of wood roaches. The main issue with Pennsylvania wood roaches is the “ick” factor. They closely resemble cockroaches and make people feel yucky when they see these insects roaming around their homes.

Preventing Pennsylvania Wood Roaches

Have you seen a few accidental wood roaches invading your space? You can pull up the welcome rug with a few preventive measures. It can keep them out of your home and as far away from you as possible.

1. Store Firewood Outside

Dried firewood is the perfect host for wood roaches. Instead of stacking it up in your home, store it outside or in a shed. Only bring enough firewood to burn at once.

2. Fix Cracks & Crevices

Unlike other vermin, Pennsylvania wood roaches won’t intrude in your living space purposely. However, they are attracted to light and can often crawl inside through cracks and crevices in your doors and windows. Use caulking to seal any of these and repair or replace torn screens.

3. Clean Your Yard

Keep bushes trimmed neatly around your house and get rid of any brush piles. Clean out rotting leaf debris from gutters and pipes around your home. Rake away any leaves that gather around your foundation.

Final Thoughts On Pennsylvania Wood Roaches

This summer, you don’t want wood roaches crawling around on your deck or in your home. Using a few precautions can keep them away. If you need help with Pennsylvania wood roaches, professional exterminators are your best answer.

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