Cuban Cockroaches [Everything You Need To Know!]

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Cuban cockroaches, also known as the Panchlora Nivea, sure can be a pain to deal with. That’s also not to mention the sanitary risk they’ll pose both indoors and outdoors to humans or any greenhouse plants within the vicinity.

Fortunately, you need not worry about that, because not only are they rarely found indoors, but they’re also weak to the prevention methods we’ve listed in this guide. Continue reading to know more!

How To Identify A Cuban Cockroach

If you haven’t seen -or Googled- a Cuban cockroach before, you might not know the most distinct feature about them: color. Like most insects and bugs that take to green terrain, leaf piles, shrubs, and similar, the predominant color of this species is green.

Yet, for that reason alone, it might be difficult to distinguish this green cockroach from other insects, and pests attracted to outdoor greenery.

Luckily, there are other distinctive signs that’ll help you identify them, which we’re about to acquaint you with. So, there’s no need to hit your search engine just yet!

Appearance

The Panchlora Nivea, or the adults of these cockroaches, anyway, are green with a thin yellow line at the front part of their heads and sides and have a yellow underside. On the other hand, the nymphs of the Cuban cockroaches look quite similar to most cockroaches, as they’re brown and black and are significantly smaller than the adults.

Perhaps the most horrifying -or fascinating- aspect about this insect is its wings. The Cuban cockroach is a notoriously strong flyer. It could even fly better than other cockroach species and bugs. As a result, many people mistake a Cuban cockroach infestation for a grasshopper invasion.

However, you can easily differentiate by looking at the insect’s legs. For example, the Cuban cockroach has significantly shorter legs than a grasshopper. Plus, Cuban cockroaches are smaller than other insects with wings.

Activity

In contrast with other cockroaches, Cuban cockroaches rarely wander indoors and are strongly attracted to outdoor areas with plants and greenery. Cuban Cockroaches are purely nocturnal, and their outdoor activities mainly start at night, so be careful not to go to bed early if you want to spot them.

Also, Cuban cockroaches’ adults like to fly to tree branches while their nymphs stay on the ground, so make sure to look out for them as well.

If you suspect a Cuban Cockroach infestation in your backyard, make sure to inspect spots with lights, plants, trees, bushes, and flower beds for them, preferably after sunset. This is because Cuban cockroaches are easily attracted to any lights at night.

Damage

Like mosquitoes and other insects, Cuban Cockroaches are attracted to lights, so while their nocturnal activity is primarily centered outdoors, they can still find their way to your house, patio, or indoor greenhouse.

The good news is that the Cuban cockroach won’t bite like most bugs, so there’s no need to worry about any skin condition or irritating bites. Furthermore, their females carry their eggs, so there’s no need to worry about cockroach eggs being strewn around your property. However, you’ll need to pay heed to signs of damage to your shrubbery and banana plants in particular.

Despite that, many homeowners still find any cockroach infestation highly distressing, no matter how harmless the cockroaches are.

Get Rid Of The Green Cockroach: Treatment Methods

If you have a Cuban cockroach infestation inside your property, here are some preventive methods to help you.

Nip The Problem In The Bud

First things first, search for the infestation sight. You may have already done that if you’ve familiarized yourself with their activity phases. However, you’ll need to be more specific if you’re to eradicate these insects from your property.

For example, you might see green cockroaches fly to and from your backyard and decide that the whole backyard is infested. However, they might be invading only a small area of your yard, or they might only be attracted to a lantern in your patio.

Once you locate the exact infestation sight, it’ll be easier to decide which treatment method will work best.

Be Mindful Of The Lights

Sure, lights can add more charm to your yard, patio, or greenhouse, but they can also attract Cuban cockroaches and other pests that bite! So, you should reduce the lighting in the infested area, particularly if the infestation isn’t that bad.

And simultaneously, you’ll get to reduce your energy bills!

Covers And Barriers

In case these cockroaches have found their way near your house, it’d be wise to invest in well-sealing window screens. Moreover, you’ll need to ensure that all doors and windows are closed at night.

Cuban cockroaches’ diet is composed of decaying foods as well as sugary fruits, bananas, mulch, and dead trees. So, be sure to cover any leftovers to prevent them from entering your house. You might also want to remove any leaf piles in your yard.

Food Scraps And Compost

Generally speaking, cockroaches’ diets are mostly the same; they’re constantly feeding off scraps. So, if you have a Cuban cockroach infestation, you’re likely to find them inside food compost bins or even your compost.

You might also consider using Ficam Bait, a chemical that attracts any cockroach species and effectively kills them after ingestion.

You might also consider using Ficam Bait, a chemical that attracts any cockroach species and will effectively kill them after ingestion.

Final Thoughts

To date, Cuban cockroaches are the least problematic cockroaches to deal with. However, once you know about their activities and habits, it’ll be easy to apply treatments.

However, if the infestation is too large for you to handle, consult pest control experts and let them take matters into their own hands.

Cuban Cockroaches: Everything You Need To Know!