Many newcomers to the Valley of the Sun and Phoenix, AZ are shocked to find this sunny desert oasis infested with huge cockroaches. It’s also infested with little cockroaches too. In fact, there are three types of cockroaches crawling around in Phoenix homes, kitchens, and garage areas.
German Roach
These are the little guys that swarm all over your kitchen counters in the middle of the night. You may not even be aware that you have an infestation, unless you turn the kitchen light on in the middle of the night. You will be shocked.
German cockroaches are the variety most likely to permanently infest your home. Naturally, they like the kitchen, especially the insides of your toaster and under the top of your stove, where crumbs are likely to collect. They can fly, but would rather scurry out of the light and into the dark crevices of your kitchen.
The giant roaches Phoenix is famous for are the Turkestan roach and the American roach.
Turkestan Roach
The Turkestan roach is around one inch long and brown to black in color. This roach actually prefers to live outdoors; if you find it inside, it’s probably thirsty, and you’ll find it in a sink or tub.
It’s native to North Africa and Central Asia, and first appeared in the U.S. in 1978, first at military bases in California, followed by bases in Texas and elsewhere. It’s believed the Turkestan roach hitchhiked to America on military equipment returning home from central Asia, quite possibly Afghanistan.
American Roach
The American roach is up to 2 inches long, shiny brown and sometimes flies. The American roach does live in sewers, and sewer workers have reported it looks like the walls are moving due to swarming roaches. However, these roaches can’t swim up the sewer pipes into your home. Roaches can swim, but they’re more likely to enter your home through openings around your wiring or pipes, as well as sneaking under loose weather-stripping or any other crack into your home.
It’s important to safeguard your home from these nasty insects. Be sure to keep your kitchen clean of crumbs, don’t leave pet food out overnight, and secure any possible entry points into your home.
