What You Can Do

Although Cuban cockroaches rarely infest a home, it is important to keep them outside. Since they are strongly attracted to lights, the best way to help prevent them from getting inside is to ensure that windows, doors, cracks, crevices, and crawl space doors are tightly sealed.

Appearance

• Color: Adult Cuban cockroaches are light green with a thin yellow coloration on the front of their head and the front half of their wings. The nymphs are brown or black and are very different in appearance compared to the adults.
• Size: Full-grown adults are about 3/4 to 1 inch long.

Diet

Cuban cockroaches typically feed on organic materials such as:

• Food Scraps
• Rotting Fruit
• Paper Scraps

Habitat

Cuban cockroaches are usually found living in or under

• Firewood Stacks
• Leaf Piles
• Logs
• Mulch
• Plant Debris
• Shrubbery
• Trees

Geographic Range

The Cuban cockroach is found in many areas of Florida and along the Gulf Coast states into central Texas. It may be introduced into northern city seaports since it often is found in banana shipments. This species is native to Cuba.

Life Cycle

Cuban cockroaches go through three developmental stages:

• Eggs
• Nymphs
• Adults

Female Cuban cockroaches carry the egg case inside their body, and unlike other cockroach species, the Cuban cockroach egg case is crescent shaped. Eggs develop inside the female’s abdomen for about two months and then emerge as nymphs. Females give birth to about 30 nymphs at a time.