Homeowners are not happy to find either a beetle or cockroach infestation in or near their homes. While neither is a house guest you want, it’s good to know the difference between the two insects so you can use proper pest control measures to get rid of them and prevent them from returning.
Each insect that enters your home can carry with it a large number of diseases. So along with learning how to identify a cockroach vs beetle, this article will also give you some helpful tips on pest prevention so you can keep these creepy crawlers away from you and your family.
How to Identify a Cockroach
Cockroaches are one of the most recognizable and, unfortunately, resilient pests. Correctly identifying these insects is the first step in controlling or avoiding an infestation. With over 3,500 identified species of cockroaches, roughly 10 of those are considered a household pest. Here are some of the unique identifiers of cockroaches:
Body Shape
Cockroaches have a flat, oval-shaped body that helps them squeeze into tight spaces, such as cracks, crevices, and gaps in walls or flooring. The body can be broken up into 3 different sections, the head, thorax, and abdomen. The head contains their sensory organs and large eyes, the thorax connects their 6 long legs and wings, and the abdomen contains their digestive and reproductive systems. Their unique body shape gives them strong agility and survival capabilities.
Antennae
Cockroaches have sensitive, long antennae, a clear signal that the pest you’re encountering is, in fact, a cockroach. Their antennae are much longer than those of other common household pests. The sensitivity of the antennae are essential for sensing their environment and detecting food and danger.
Wings
At first glance, cockroaches appear to have hard shells (exoskeletons) on the back of their bodies, when in fact the shell is more of a papery, leather texture. The shell is there to protect the wings from destruction. In some large types of cockroaches, the males possess a double set of wings while the females do not possess wings at all. Even though they have wings, not all cockroaches can fly.
Color
Males and females differ in color from reddish-brown to dark brown. This variation in color can help distinguish between different types of cockroaches, such as the lighter hues of the German cockroach or the darker tones of the American cockroach.
Size
An adult cockroach can measure from 1-2 inches in length, depending on the specific species. The American cockroach, for example, is one of the larger species commonly found in homes and can grow closer to 2 inches or even larger in some cases. Their size is one of the quickest identifiers of which species you’re dealing with.
Habitat
Cockroaches are known to thrive in a number of unique environments, making them difficult to contain once an infestation has happened. They’re most commonly found in warm, moist areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. However, they can also inhabit the outside of your home in locations like woodpiles, leaf piles, and decaying vegetation. These areas provide shelter and protection from predators and often provide a necessary food source.
Feeding Habits
The diet of a cockroach leaves little to the imagination — their food sources are essentially unlimited. They will eat almost anything — including meats, sweets and starches, skin, hair, paper, and any organism dead or alive. Nothing is off-limits to a cockroach.
Behavior
Because cockroaches are nocturnal, you’ll often see activity at night. They tend to hide in dark, sheltered places during the day. They are also quite quick pests, with their fast-moving behavior making them difficult to catch or eliminate.
How to Identify a Beetle
With 400,000 different types of beetles, some inevitably look like cockroaches. However, they do have distinct characteristics that can help you identify them quickly. Below are several traits that will help you correctly identify a beetle:
Body Shape
Beetles typically have a hard oval-shaped body with an exoskeleton that provides protection for their vulnerable underside. Like cockroaches, their bodies are divided into the same primary sections: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Beetles also have six legs but their heads are much smaller.
Antennae
Opposite of cockroaches, beetles have short to medium-length antennae, however, the shape and size varies greatly from species to species. A beetle’s antennae also serve the same purpose as the cockroach’s antennae, helping them sense danger, food, and their environment.
Wings
While not all beetles can fly, most beetles do possess two sets of wings, with the stiff, outer set, called elytra, used to protect the inside hindwings which are used for flying. Their forewings are solid and often have grooves or textures and when flying, the elytra open to allow the hindwings to unfold.
Color
Most are vibrant in color and very pretty—like the ladybug —while others are black, light brown, or reddish-brown like the June bug. Some can even have a metallic green, blue, or red hue. These bright colors not only help with camouflage in natural habitats, but also warn predators of their toxicity.
Size
Sizes range from several inches in length all the way down to 1/16th of an inch, depending on the species. Common beetles that many households encounter, like the carpet beetle, are small, while species like the Hercules beetle, as the name suggests, is much larger and can grow up to 7 inches long, making them some of the largest insects in the world.
Habitat
Beetles can thrive in a wide variety of habitats, meaning you must identify an infestation quickly so you can ensure the issue is corrected. Indoors, they are often found in dark, undisturbed areas, like under your furniture, in closets, or even inside uncovered food products or containers. Outdoors, beetles like to shelter in leaf piles, woodpiles, soil, tree bark, gardens, and under rocks. Keeping the area outside of your home clear of debris is an important step to lower the risk of beetles entering your home.
Feeding Habits
Their diet depends on the type, but most will eat leaves, seeds, or carpet, while others may eat fungus or feces. Some, like ladybugs, are beneficial predators that feed on pests such as aphids while some are herbivores, feeding on plants, fruits, or wood.
Behavior
Most beetles are nocturnal and will seek shelter during the day, making them harder to spot. Others are active pollinators or predators and can be found during daylight hours. Unlike cockroaches, beetles are generally slow-moving. Their varied behavior can be a problem in the household and can cause significant damage to agriculture, forestry, and horticulture.
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Identifying Signs of Cockroach and Beetle Damage
The damage these two insects cause will likely differ. If your home has a beetle or cockroach problem, here are the different types of damage possible:
Damage Caused by Cockroaches
Cockroaches, of any stage, can spread bacteria and diseases to you and your family. Their saliva and waste can contaminate your food, which can result in food poisoning and cause infections. Studies show that they may harbor viruses and bacteria such as salmonella, staphylococcus, and the polio virus, all of which are highly dangerous when exposed to. They can also cause severe allergies, depending on the level of infestation.
As mentioned, cockroaches primarily feed on starchy items but have been known to consume whatever is edible to them. They will find cereals and similar products, as well as anything that is left out, to eat in your home, damaging the packaging in the process. Larger cockroaches will damage paper products and glue, such as book bindings, and have even eaten wallpaper.
Cockroaches will probably not be seen until there is an infestation, so if you see one, it’s likely you already have a large issue on hand. They’ve been known to cause a musty odor — the more apparent the odor, the bigger the problem. They will leave behind feces that resemble coffee grounds or specks of pepper. As the roach gets bigger, the droppings will appear to be more like an oval pellet. If you spot a large amount of feces, you have a big problem on your hands.
Damage Caused by Beetles
Most destruction caused by beetles is from their larvae. Larvae could be found at home, inside sheds, or in other structures containing wood or carpet. The wood-boring beetle can reach a life cycle of up to 10 years, when living in wood, all without any obvious signs. Once you have spotted a full-grown beetle in your home, it is probably too late to prevent any damage.
Damage caused by carpet beetles is often mistaken for clothes moths. They have mandibles, or two hard teeth in the front of their mouth, and they can chew through leather, carpet, any type of cloth, and even dead organisms. An adult beetle will feed on plant-based fibers in gardens and around the home, eating light-colored petals. While they do not spread disease, if left untreated, beetle infestations can cause expensive damage to your home and property.
Beetles may find their way into your home for different reasons — they may be seeking shelter, or they may catch a ride on something carried in. They will typically stay close to their natural habitat around plants or floral arrangements. Others will be found around fibers like cloth or leather, seat cushions, furs or hides, or around your kitchen. The larvae can be found in hidden and undisturbed areas, such as behind baseboards, under floorboards, and under heavy objects like furniture.
Preventing a Serious Problem
Before calling pest control services, help eliminate these pests from your house by taking away their food supply and water source. Keep surfaces clean of extra food waste and store pantry food in airtight containers. You should also keep your garbage locked and airtight.
Patch up any openings that roaches or any other type of insect could be using to gain entrance, such as window cracks, cracks in door frames, etc. Natural repellents, like bay leaves, cucumber slices, and garlic have been used to rid areas of cockroaches. By placing them on countertops, in pantries, or wherever you are experiencing a serious problem, you will leave your home smelling fresh while getting rid of the pesky insects.
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