Do Cockroaches Bite?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is you will most likely never be bitten by a cockroach in your life. Cockroaches are omnivores and mainly eat items such as decaying matter, paper, books, sweets, hair, and meats.

Oh, and fortunately for us, they eat cockroach bait too. While cockroaches can technically bite…we have never once had a customer tell us they have been bitten by one. If you believe you’ve been bitten by an insect, there a few other pests that are more than likely the culprits.

What Type Of Insect Bit Me?

Before blaming cockroaches, look into the possibility the bite you are seeing is a result of spiders, mosquitoes, bed bugs, fleas, ticks, or bird mites, all of which are treatable by our entomologist trained pest control technicians.

If you have bug bites, unfortunately even medical professionals cannot definitively determine the type of insect that bit you based on the bite alone.

We recommend an inspection of your home be done to try to identify if any of the above insects are present. There have been times we have done a thorough home inspection and have found no evidence of any insects, which has helped people determine they have a skin irritation instead of a bug bite.

Why Do Cockroaches Bite?

It’s fair to say you hate cockroaches. Don’t worry, the feeling is mutual. Cockroaches generally dislike our presence and will not go out of their way to bite you.

History tells us that most reports of cockroach bites actually come from ships. If a cockroach bites, its intent isn’t to hurt you.

Usually when cockroaches do bite, there is a very large infestation which causes there to be a food shortage. When the roaches get desperate they start looking for other food options they don’t normally eat, like dried skin flakes.

The area of a person they are most likely to bite would be where food may accumulate, like the face, mouth, hands or fingernails.

They are looking for food and are more than likely inadvertently attracted to food on you or next to you, something that can happen if you eat food in bed or fall asleep with food remnants on your body.

What Do Cockroach Bites Look Like?

Roach bites are bright red and will cause there to be small raised bumps on your skin. They will likely be slightly larger than bed bug bites and there will usually only be one bite.

Bed bugs bites would be more likely to occur in a line or a cluster. It is very difficult to identify which insect bit you based on a bite mark.

We recommend scheduling an inspection of your home with a pest control professional so that if any insects that bite are present, they can be identified.

What Type Of Cockroaches Bite?

The most likely type of roach to bite you in Florida would be the American cockroach, often called a palmetto bug or water bug. These are generally large roaches around two inches in length, reddish brown in color, and the adults have wings. American cockroaches travel quickly and primarily live in sewers and outdoors.

German cockroaches are another type of roach that is common in our tropical area that may also bite. They usually only live indoors and while smaller in size than American cockroaches, they reproduce more rapidly. While they are less visibly frightening than American cockroaches, they can often multiply into the hundreds or thousands if not treated.

We have treated many homes and restaurants throughout Florida before that have had roaches crawling up walls, on ceilings, and behind picture frames. Since German roaches do not live outside, they are often a problem in townhomes, apartments and condos, and many restaurants, since they can travel from adjacent units through the walls.

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches?

Whether you've been bitten or not by cockroaches in your home, odds are you want to completely exterminate them as soon as possible.

We get it, we've all seen giant American cockroaches before, and of course it always seems to happen at night when we are getting ready to sleep. 

The key to getting rid of cockroaches for good involves using a combination of baits and insect growth regulators, and not using the contact kill sprays or foggers that are often sold at stores.

Sure, a quick spray will kill a roach on contact if you hit it directly, but to completely eliminate roaches, we recommend applying a combination of granular baits (Maxforce Complete Granular Insect Bait is a favorite of ours) and gel baits (Invict Gold, Vendetta Plus, and Advion Cockroach Gel Bait are all great.) We also recommend using an insect growth regulator (Gentrol Point Source or Tekko Pro.) 

These products are generally better than contact kill products, because they will eliminate the cockroaches that hide in voids and underneath appliances and furniture. Make sure to always follow the instructions on product labels for best results. 

For Pet Friendly Pest Control in Florida, Contact Us

At Native Pest Management we provide pet-safe pest control services in West Palm Beach and its surrounding communities including Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and all of Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Leon counties. As of 2022, we also have expanded to provide pest control in Tallahassee, FL. 

If you are being bitten by insects, we recommend you call us today for a FREE quote so that a technician can get your home as soon as possible inspect and treat.