The world is inhabited by more than 45000 different species of cockroaches that vary in size and color and other characteristics from ancient times.
They can survive even the deadliest nuclear radiation and can sustain for a month without food or water.
However, it is impossible to find all the different species in one place as they are scattered worldwide, with some being exclusive to one particular state, country, city, town, or village.
This article discusses the different species of roaches that live in Michigan along with their distinguishing characteristics and other similar-looking bugs so that you can identify them easily.
So if you are from Michigan, then this one is a must-read for you.
Different Types Of Roaches In Michigan
Michigan has a well distinguished season throughout the year with a distinctive summer and winter with well-proportionated precipitation.
The state has a pretty humid summer, whereas the winters are incredibly chilly, followed by freezing winds.
The climate of Michigan is perfect for inhabiting a lot of different cockroach species as it has a humid and temperate climate.
Michigan has been home to five different cockroaches: American cockroaches, German cockroaches, Oriental cockroaches, Brown-banded cockroaches, and Wood cockroaches.
However, the American and the Oriental cockroaches are the only two roaches that you should be afraid of as they have an affinity to entering your house and staying indoors, unlike other roaches that prefer outdoors.
American Cockroaches
The American roaches are considered the most common pests to be spotted around in every United States household.
They are the largest cockroaches with a size of about 1 ½ to 2 inches long.
Their exterior color is reddish-brown and features a yellowish figure 8 located at the back of their head.
The American roaches both male and female have wings but usually, avoid using them especially in Michigan.
They are usually enticed to garbage dumps and areas with rotten food as well as debris.
German Cockroaches
The German roaches are fond of indoors and are exclusively attracted to warm and moist environments like your house’s kitchen and bathroom.
They are also common in Michigan’s urban households and have a weakness towards all kinds of food.
They are the smallest cockroach species you can find in Michigan, measuring about ½ inches in length.
Due to their small size, they can easily hide in the small holes, cracks, and crevices in your house hence challenging to spot and kill.
They can be easily identified with their light-brown or tan-colored body with two dark stripes on the back of their heads.
Oriental Cockroaches
The Oriental cockroaches have a dark-brown or almost black and shiny outer body measuring about 1 inch to ¼ inches.
They also feature wings like the American cockroaches, but they are extremely small that can hardly cover their backs.
The small wing prevents them from flying in Michigan.
They are commonly found in the areas filled with dead and decaying organic matter that are quite dark and damp with a cool environment.
They mostly prefer outdoors hiding under the leaves but tend to shift indoors as the climate becomes drier outdoors.
Brown-Banded Cockroaches
As the name suggests, the Brown-banded roaches are identified exclusively due to their two visible lighter stripes located across their backs.
They are also one of the small cockroach species found in Michigan, measuring about ½ inch in length.
The size and structure of wings can identify the sex of the Brown-banded cockroaches.
The females are shorter, wider with tiny wings barely covering their back, whereas the males are longer with full wings.
The females cannot fly, whereas the males can fly only when troubled or attacked.
Unlike the other roaches, these roaches are mostly fond of warm and dry areas like under/ behind the refrigerator, inside pantries, closets, furniture, etc. and repel from the water resources.
Wood Cockroaches
The Wood cockroaches are the only roaches that are found and introduced exclusively in Michigan.
They have a chestnut brown outer body with a distinct area close to the head and wing encircled in white.
The males and females both have a different size and length, with the former measuring 7/8 to 1 1/8 inches and the latter measuring ½ to ¾ inches in length.
The females have shorter wings, whereas the males have full wings to fly like the Brown-banded roaches.
They love to stay outdoors under loose barks in the woodpiles, hollow trees, and stumps.
However, once they are indoors, they tend to ramble around the house without gathering in a particular area.
Bugs That Look Like Roaches In Michigan
The bugs have always been confused for cockroaches by us due to their unusual similarity in appearance.
Not all bugs resemble cockroaches, but a few in Michigan can be mistakenly assumed as roaches.
Crickets
The brown to the cricket’s black outer skeletal body is analogous to a roaches’ external body that confuses people to assume them like roaches.
The crickets are smaller and faster than the cockroaches.
The crickets’ rapid movement fails to offer us time to examine the cricket, and we fallaciously accept them like roaches.
Numerous distinctive features of a cricket tell a cricket and roach apart.
The most unique feature is the presence of long hind legs that permits the cricket to hop, unlike the roaches that cannot hop around.
Ground Beetle
The similar deep red or brownish external body of the ground beetles resembles the color of a cockroach’s exoskeleton.
This feature dares us to tell a ground beetle and cockroach apart.
However, a ground beetle’s hard front wings can be a distinctive character to tell them apart.
Most of the roaches do not have wings but even if they do the wings are rather soft as well as leathery.
Water Bugs
Michigan is known to inhabit crawling water bugs, especially the giant water bug that resembles the cockroaches.
The exterior of the water bug is similar to the roaches’ exterior in many ways, like the size and color.
The water bugs are commonly found near standing water bodies, unlike the roaches that mostly inhabit humid areas.
However, these bugs are larger than the roaches, and they even bite, which can be extremely painful.
The large pincers located at the front of the bodies differentiate them from the cockroaches.
Asian Long-Horned Beetle
The Asian long-horned beetle has often been confused for a cockroach many times by us due to their similarity in appearance.
However, they can be easily distinguished as the Asian Long-horned beetles have a jet-black outer body with prominent white spots, unlike the Michigan cockroaches.
Wood-Boring Beetle
The wood-boring beetles have a pretty impressive resemblance to the roaches due to their similar body shape with antennae and six legs.
The similar reddish-brown translucent wings covering their backs entirely also fail us to tell a wood-boring beetle and roach apart.
However, the wood-boring beetle always inhabits the wooden areas of your house or mostly the tress, unlike the roaches that mostly inhabit humid, damp, and dark places.
Exterminate Michigan Cockroaches with Professional Pest Control Services
Now that we’ve discussed the various Michigan roaches and similar-looking bugs let’s further talk about what you should do if you ever face a serious roach infestation.
Well, this is where a licensed exterminator comes into the picture! He will not only eliminate these buggers effectively and permanently for you but will also ensure that they do not make their way back inside your home.
To know more about them, fill the below-mentioned form to get free multiple quotes from the professional Pest Control Companies in your vicinity so that you can choose the most economical and effective exterminator service for your infestation.
And don’t worry, all the information that you mention is 100% safe here! Also, by filling the form, at least you’ll know how much you will have to pay if you take the help of your local exterminators.
Final Words
The world can never be free from cockroaches; therefore, the only thing that can be done to keep them out of sight is to use various herbal and chemical alternatives to prevent them from inhabiting your houses and contaminating them.
However, always ensure that you can distinguish a random bug from a Michigan cockroach so that you can use the correct and suitable method to eliminate them.
Also, in the case of a heavy infestation, skip all the home remedies and directly contact a professional exterminator who can eradicate this problem for you more effectively.
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