Wood Roaches: What to Know

Medically Reviewed by Dany Paul Baby, MD on January 16, 2023
Written by Roma Kunde
5 min read

Wood roaches are cockroaches that are like termites. They're also called brown-hooded cockroaches. Wood roaches closely resemble other cockroaches, like American cockroaches, which can make them difficult to identify. 

What do wood roaches look like? Wood roaches have flat, oval bodies that allow them to hide in crevices or under tree barks. They're reddish-brown to dark brown. Wood roaches have six long, spiny legs. They also have long antennae. 

Wood roaches are about 0.75 inches (19 millimeters) to 1.25 inches (32 millimeters) in length. Male and female wood roaches look different. Adult males have wings and can fly. Female wood roaches have shorter wings or small wing pads and can’t fly. Females are smaller, shinier, and darker in color than males.

Adult wood roaches can be identified by a pale, off-white, or transparent stripe on the outer edge of their body, which extends to the front wings.

What do wood roaches eat? Like termites, wood roaches feed on decaying organic matter like dead trees and rotting wood. They're commonly seen in piles of firewood. They require high moisture levels for survival.

Wood roach life cycle. Wood roaches behave uniquely when they mature. Their mating season starts in the summer months of May and June. Males and females find each other and settle in a rotting log on the forest floor. They stay in the same log for many years and raise their offspring. Once they mate, the female lays 50 to 100 eggs in the log.

The life cycle of a wood roach includes three stages — the egg, nymph, and adult stages.

Egg. Females lay eggs in the warm months. The eggs are covered in a protective capsule, which the females carry on their abdomen before depositing them. 

Nymph. Wingless nymphs emerge from the eggs in this stage. They look like smaller versions of adult females. In winter, they live under loose tree barks or other sheltered places. They shed or molt and grow into adults during the summer season.

Adults. Adults survive for months, depending on the environment. The wood roach life cycle takes over a year to complete.

Wood cockroaches have several species, including the following:

  • Brown-hooded wood roach (Cryptocercus punctulatus)
  • Pennsylvania wood roach (Parcoblatta pennsylvanica) 
  • Fulvous wood cockroach (Parcoblatta fulvescens)
  • Virginia wood cockroach (Parcoblatta virginica) 
  • Dusky cockroach (Ectobius lapponicus)
  • Spotted Mediterranean or tawny cockroach (Ectobius pallidus)

Wood roaches are found worldwide. They're native insects found in American states like Pennsylvania and Virginia. They live outdoors in moist woodlands on rotting hardwood or softwood logs. You may also find them in plant waste in rain gutters, loose tree bark, wood or leaf piles, wooden siding, and other decaying plant material.

Wood roaches like moist environments. You may find them in damp areas like garages, basements, woodsheds, or under trees. If you live in wooded areas, you may see more wood roaches than houses in less wooded places.

You can easily recognize wood roaches as they don’t behave like other household cockroaches. When they enter your house, they aren’t cautious or secretive and remain active during the day and night. They don’t run away or hide when you approach them. They wander around without gathering in one place.

Wood roaches can’t mate in your house. They constantly need moist natural habitats like wood piles or rotting logs. They can be a temporary nuisance as they live for only a few days if they don’t get enough moisture.

Wood roaches are not common household pests. They rarely enter houses or buildings. They're accidental invaders that you may unknowingly carry into buildings with firewood. They may also get attracted to outdoor porch lights and enter buildings.

Are wood roaches bad? Unlike other household cockroaches, wood roaches are not considered a pest to humans. It's because they're rarely found indoors. Wood roaches rarely breed indoors as they prefer moist woodland habitats. 

Wood roaches may be troublesome, but they are harmless. They won’t harm you, your house, or your furnishings. They can’t survive indoors for long, especially in places with low humidity. Adult male wood roaches can be annoying as they fly around in large numbers during the mating season.  

Do wood roaches bite? Wood roaches don’t see you as a threat. They don’t bite or sting humans. But their body fluids, droppings, and shed skin can cause allergies in children and some people.

Wood roaches are a temporary problem. If you have a wood roach infestation, here are some tips to get rid of them:

  • The best way to avoid wood roach infestation is to prevent their entry into your house. Ensure your doors and windows are tightly closed. Seal cracks, crevices, gaps, and other entry points. Also, seal gaps in walls where wiring or pipes enter your house.
  • Adult males are attracted to lights at night. So limit your use of outdoor lights during the mating season (from May to June) when male wood roaches fly around in large numbers. Use yellow light instead of white light, as they are less attractive to insects.
  • Store firewood outside and keep woodpiles as far away from your house as possible. Moving the wood roach breeding site can help prevent infestation. Shake or dust off firewood to remove insects before you bring it into your home.
  • Insecticide or pesticide treatment outside your house may reduce the number of wood roaches that enter inside. But direct spraying of insecticides on firewood is not recommended for your safety. Wood roaches may be difficult to control using insecticides. Also, sprays and powders used against household cockroaches are ineffective against wood roaches.
  • It’s best to pick up and discard wood roaches you find in your house. You can use a fly swatter or vacuum cleaner to remove wood roaches.
  • Remove leaves and plant waste from rain gutters and roofs. Also, remove leaves, rotting wood, dead stumps, and other clutter from your yard. It may be a breeding ground for wood cockroaches. Don’t let plant litter build up near openings or around the foundation. 
  • Wood cockroaches thrive in humid conditions. Use dehumidifiers to reduce humidity levels in your basement.