Brown-banded
cockroach
Supella longipalpa
A small cockroach that prefers warm, dry places and hides up high: in furniture, behind pictures and inside electronics. It can spread through the whole home.
- Size
- Small
- Colour
- Light brown with two pale bands
- Lives
- Warm, dry rooms, high up, in furniture
- Active
- At night, in any room
How to tell it apart
Two pale bands
Two light bands run across the wings and body.
Found up high
Ceilings, shelves, behind pictures, in electronics.
Not the German
A German cockroach has two dark stripes behind the head instead.
Signs you have them
- Egg cases glued under furniture, shelves and inside drawers.
- Seen in bedrooms and living rooms, not just the kitchen.
- Droppings on high shelves and around electronics.
- Sightings in many rooms at once.
The plan
- 1
Bait every room
Small dots of gel up high and in furniture, out of reach.
- 2
Stop the young
A growth regulator breaks the breeding cycle.
- 3
Check furniture
Look under drawers and shelves for glued egg cases.
- 4
Track it
Monitor traps in several rooms, checked weekly.
Solutions for the brown-banded cockroach
Gel bait
Small dots where they hide: hinges, cracks, behind the fridge and cooker.
Regulated in many countries. Read the label before you buy or use it.
Opens Google Maps. Call first to check they have it.
Growth regulator (IGR)
Stops young ones from growing up.
Regulated in many countries. Read the label before you buy or use it.
Opens Google Maps. Call first to check they have it.
Monitor traps
Check them weekly to track progress.
Opens Google Maps. Call first to check they have it.
Shoo does not sell these yet. They are standard products sold by other shops; follow the label on the one you buy.
What people worry about
Is this small striped one a German cockroach?
Not every small striped cockroach is German. A brown-banded cockroach has two pale bands across its wings rather than two dark stripes behind the head.
They are in my microwave and electronics. What do I do?
Unplug it and never spray inside electronics. Bait around the appliance, not in it, and treat the whole room, because replacing the appliance alone does not help.
Why are they in the bedrooms, not just the kitchen?
Brown-banded cockroaches like warm, dry spots up high and can spread through the whole home. That is why the plan baits every room and checks furniture for egg cases.
Do I need a growth regulator?
It helps, because it stops the young becoming breeding adults. Use it alongside the bait, following the label.