Do Cockroaches Fly?

Roaches are peaky creatures usually characterized by dirt, filth, and its ability to spread certain diseases such as salmonella, which is known to trigger asthma.

Do you know that not all roaches are pests? About 4000 species of roaches exist today, and only 1% (30) of the species are considered pests.

Now, out of these 4000 species of roaches, close to 3500 have wings!

But does that mean that all these roaches with wings can fly? This very thought might send chills down your spine, right?

Don’t worry; the answer isn’t as scary as you think!

Keep reading to learn more about giant roaches and whether these roaches can fly!

Do All Roaches Fly?

You probably haven’t given it a thought or perhaps weren’t certain if these crawling roaches do fly.

It might seem a little awkward to know the answer to your question – do cockroaches fly? – is Yes!

However, only a few species of roaches have wings.

Some roaches have the ability to glide from one location to the other; they glide only for a concise duration; they appear to be bad fliers.

On the other hand, a majority of the known species of cockroaches crawl.

Species of Flying Cockroaches

American Cockroaches

These roaches are the most common species, and they are peridomestic; they are shiny and reddish-brown in colour.

Oriental Cockroaches

People also call Oriental roaches the ‘waterbug‘, another larger species of roaches.

They are either dark brown or black in colour; both the male and female have a slight difference; the females appear as though they have no wings

Australian Cockroaches

The species of roaches are easily mistaken for American roaches; however, Australian cockroaches are smaller than American roaches.

It’s black with yellow stripes close to its wings.

Smoky Brown Cockroaches

This is another large species similar to American roaches but easily differentiate by its evenly dark brown–mahogany coloration.

Smoky brown roaches are found indoors only when there is a need for food, heat, and a chance to survive; however, you mainly get to see them outdoors only in warm weather.

Can Baby Cockroaches Fly?

No, baby roaches don’t fly; nymphs are like baby roaches, although they have the same physical appearance but differ in size.

Nymphs during this stage have not grown or have their wing fully grown to provide them with flight.

How Do Roaches Fly?

Now, here is why you wonder why these annoying crawling insects fly.

Roaches are designed with two wings, a thick and a thin wing, although only one of these wings is used to achieve flight.

The thick wings are located in the front, serving as a shield or protective casting; it’s not easily visible because it is the same colour as the body and always rests on its back when not in use.

The thin, clear, membranous wing lies underneath the thick wings; these wings give cockroaches flight.

For a roach to achieve flight, the flying cockroach must lift the thick wings, which leaves the thin wings uncovered and exposed; the thick wings remain lifted while the thin wings are used to make locomotion via air.

Why do Some Cockroaches Never Fly?

After reading how roaches fly leaves you with the thought, why do other roaches not fly likewise?

Explicitly, most cockroaches that fly do so by their ability to glide from one point to another, although it occurs shortly, unlike birds or other flying insects.

Flying cockroaches do so because they find gliding more efficient and time-saving when compared with crawling.

Their difficulty lies when flying; cockroaches can only use a set of wings to move through the air.

Imagine a giant cockroach trying to fly with a thin, membranous set wing; you can see it will be difficult.

Cockroaches have six strong legs. Instead of facing the difficulty of travelling with a set of thin wings, they crawl.

Their legs are strong and carry as far as 50 body lengths in a second.

Exterminate Giant Flying Roaches with Licensed Pest Control

Irrespective of whether roaches can fly, they can always create a menace once inside your home, especially if your house is under a growing roach infestation.

This is where a licensed exterminator comes into the picture!

Final Words

In essence, yes, many roaches have wings, and quite a few fly; however, roaches aren’t excellent fliers, so there isn’t anything you need to worry about!

That being said, a ‘flying roach’ doesn’t necessarily sound very welcoming; therefore, you need to ensure your house is clean and well-maintained to avoid these buggers altogether.

There are various home remedies that you can also use to repel roaches and keep them away, like- catnip for roaches, peppermint oil for cockroaches, etc.

Apart from this, you can also adopt other methods to eliminate roaches instantly; if nothing else works, you can always hire an exterminator to handle the problem for you efficiently.