German and Oriental Cockroaches: How to Tell Them Apart

A cockroach is a cockroach until you have to deal with one, and then species matters. The two you are most likely to meet in British buildings are the German cockroach and the oriental cockroach, and they live very differently.

Telling them apart is not hard once you know what to look for. Here is a plain-English comparison, along with why the answer changes how the problem is tackled.

Size and colour first

The German cockroach is the smaller of the two, typically around the length of a thumbnail or a little longer. It is light brown to tan, and the giveaway is two dark stripes running side by side behind the head.

The oriental cockroach is noticeably bigger and chunkier. It is dark brown to nearly black with a glossy, almost oily look, and it has no stripes.

• German: small, pale brown, two dark stripes behind the head
• Oriental: large, dark and shiny, no stripes
• Young German roaches are darker with a pale band, so do not assume tiny dark ones are a different species
• Oriental females look almost wingless; males have short wings that do not cover the body

Where you will find each one

German cockroaches love heat. They gather in kitchens, behind fridges and cookers, around toasters and kettles, inside dishwashers and in the motor areas of appliances. Takeaways, shared kitchens and flats with warm service ducts suit them well.

Oriental cockroaches prefer cooler, damper spots: drains, under floors, cellars, utility rooms, bin stores and the ground floor or basement of a building. You may see one at night near a door threshold or a back kitchen.

How they behave differently

German cockroaches breed fast. The female carries her egg case until the eggs are almost ready to hatch, and the young mature quickly, so numbers can climb alarmingly in a warm kitchen. They are good climbers and can move between floors and flats along pipework.

Oriental cockroaches develop more slowly and are poor climbers on smooth surfaces, so they are often trapped in baths and sinks. They are more likely to come in from outside or from drains than to spread from flat to flat.

Neither species is a reliable flyer, so a roach seen in flight is probably something else or a startled escape from a high spot.

Why identification changes the treatment

A technician will choose products, placement and follow-up depending on the species. A German roach problem usually needs thorough work inside kitchens and appliances. An oriental problem often means looking at drains, entry points, under-floor voids and external areas.

Getting it wrong wastes time. Putting bait in a dry kitchen cupboard will not help if the roaches are living in a damp cellar.

What to do if you are not sure

Photograph the insect next to a coin, or catch one in a jar and seal the lid. Note the rooms where you saw it and the time of day.

Essex Pest Solutions can identify the species on inspection and explain what is driving the activity in your property. If you suspect something rare or unusual, a physical specimen is always the clearest evidence.

Frequently asked questions