Also known as the water bug, the American cockroach is one of the most common household pests in the United States. If you’re ...

The males grow wings up to about half of their bodies, while females only get wing stubs. The oriental cockroach can’t fly. It takes them about 18 months to go from egg to adult.

The parents may as well cooperate — and they start by helping each other shed their wings. Essentially, the cockroach partners may be scratching each others’ backs — with their mandibles.

In response to pesticides, many cockroach females have lost their taste for sweet stuff, ... open his wings and offer her a homemade meal — sugars and fats squished out of his tergal gland.

Wings: Although adult American cockroaches do have wings, they rarely fly. On rare occasions, adults might fly a short distance. They prefer gliding and crawling to get from place to place.

Several types of cockroaches go by location-based names, such as German Cockroaches or Asian Cockroaches. Keep in mind, though, that these types of roaches can still be found outside of those regions.

Palmetto bugs are large cockroaches that live in the American southeast. Learn more about palmetto bug traits, why you get them, how to get rid of them, and more.