COCKROACHES AND THEIR CONTROL 
Prepared by the DIVISION oF INSECTS AFFECTING MAN AND ANIMALS, Bureau of 
Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Agricultural Research Administration 
OCKROACHES are troublesome pests throughout the United States. 
GC Not only are they annoying, but when abundant they may also be 
destructive. Roaches, sometimes called water bugs, destroy food and 
damage fabrics, book bindings, and other materials. By polluting 
foods over which they run, they spread filth and may carry diseases. 
Managers of apartment houses and business establishments pay large 
sums for pest-control services. Thousands of dollars are spent an- 
aoe for insecticides, equipment, and services to fight roaches in 
1omes. 
The American cockroach: A, View from above; B, view from beneath. Enlarged 
one-fourth. 
KINDS OF ROACHES 
There are over 2,000 kinds of roaches in the world, mainly in the 
tropics. About 55 kinds are found in the United States, and nearly 
all of them live outdoors. Some of the woods roaches may occasionally 
enter homes. They may fly to lights on a warm summer evening or 
may be brought in on firewood. These species cannot develop in- 
doors, however, and soon they either leave or die. There are four 
kinds of roaches commonly found in buildings. 
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