Hello, unfortunately, I saw a live cockroach in my apartment a few days ago (I live in Southern Spain). I was mortified (and very scared)! I managed to spray it with some Raid and dispose of it. I took some photos. Would you say it is a female, American cockroach?

I bought six pheromone traps and set them up two days ago but they are empty. I assume the pheromone traps will only work to catch males though? Is this correct? I also purchased and put out some food bait traps (sticky trap with a yellow pill/tablet stuck in the middle) last night but they were empty too this morning. Will these bait traps attract both male and females?

I have bought drain covers and a door draft excluder for the front door to minimise more issues in the future but I am worried that there may be more cockroaches lurking in my apartment. I'm terrified.

If anyone has any advice on what else I can do, it would be much appreciated and if you could identify what type of cockroach I am dealing with, that would be helpful too.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for your help :)

I understand your feelings.
I'm not sure about species and gender.
There are some cockroaches that live outdoors in woody debris, and could stray inside, rarely.
When we bought this house 35 years ago, we had one to three happen in the early days/years. None since. And I have plenty of woody debris around my yard perimeter and never find them.
Pheromone traps, I think attract males only. I am not sure I want to use that. Those traps, in other cases, are said to draw more bugs TO you than you'd have otherwise. I would use pheromone traps at the farthest edges of my space.
Food traps, good. Attract either gender.

Minimize hiding places, store things neatly so you can check around, under, behind. Roaches would prefer dampness and tight, dark places.

Hope it is just a stray from outside

The best way to deal with cockroaches is boric acid. Here in the States you can buy it as a premixed powder in a squeeze bottle under brand names like Harris and Hotshot.

The other thing to do is to make sure your place is very clean. And don't leave any food out including pet food.

By the way we call them German cockroaches:)

It does resemble an American cockroach...in Spain, does that make it an Expat?

The problem with using any type of pesticide (eg Raid) on cockroaches is their extraordinary ability to rapidly evolve and adapt to poisons. Various sites about pheromone traps give conflicting info, but more seem to favor your theory about catching mostly males. Plain sticky paper along their routes is very effective, albeit gross to view—along walls, near outside entry points, under appliances, etc.

Panic after seeing only a single roach could be premature, but it sounds like you're doing all the right things + clean up food crumbs. I share your distaste and don't fault your reaction. At least those big ones are easy to spot. Hope you don't see more.

Henderman said: . . .
By the way we call them German cockroaches:)

Henderman, that one is too big to be a German. Those tiny beasts actually originated in Borneo... here's a very lengthy history of them if you're interested. Understandable if you're not

https://www.pctonline.com/news....

Thanks all for your replies.

Yes, it was big, probably around 6cm long. I live in a top floor apartment (3 stories high) so I am not in a wooded/grassy area. I am super clean and never leave out food, crumbs, etc (as I hate insects in general). Also, I forget to mention that when I tried to spray it, it flew (or fluttered) past me, which was petrifying. Here is another photo of it. I wonder if it was a male or female?

On a separate note, the only insect I have found (dead on the floor) in the past few days was a small bug (6mm long). I don't think it was a baby cockroach as its anatomy looked different. However, it would be good to know what it is. I have attached 2 photos of it. As I am a new member, I cannot create another post hence I am asking on this post.

TIA for any comments on either insect!

I would call the big one an American Cockroach and the small one could be a a Pill Bug.

As you are up high, the roach may have flown to lights at night initially.

I'm on the third floor. All my windows are screened and doors to the outside always closed. I wondered whether it perhaps came through the sewer system (bath or hand basin drain hole). I now have drain covers on every drain and I have taped up the overflow holes too!

What are pill bugs attracted to?

Thanks.

Hello River25, welcome. I agree with Zoe, I think you have an expat. I would vote for an American cockroach. The heads are paler and they are quite large. Lots of info on Google.
I lived in Bakersfield, CA for years, which might just be the cockroach capital of the US. I have lots of experience dealing with them.
My guess is that it came in on something you brought in from a storage area, or some such. I would think that is where the pill bug came from, too. They are harmless, by the way, they eat dead, rotting wood and leaf litter. Actually, they both do. Neither of these guys bites. Damp, dark places are where both of them go.
First thing I would do is put a stopper in the drains. Bathtub, kitchen sink, etc, I seriously doubt it flew up that high, but they are very good at using plumbing to access new territory. It doesn't have to be tight, just heavy enough that it can't be lifted by a bug. Secure all food in containers. In the pantry, cabinets. That is what they live on once they get in. And they love cardboard boxes.
I also agree with Zoe about pesticide use in general, you do not want anything to become inured to the treatment. On the other hand, if you want to sledgehammer it, there is a product called Cyper WP (Cypermethrin 40.0%) which kills everything. I do not know about availability in Spain. But it does kill cockroaches, which can be hard to knock down. We used it in Bakersfield, it is the only thing that worked.

I think you have a hitchhiker. It just happened to be in something you took into your apartment. You might just use the boric acid, and a sticky trap or two and see if there are any more. Those are pretty much inert, and non toxic. Test by waiting til midnight, go to the kitchen quietly, and turn on the light. You may have heard the phrase 'scattering like cockroaches', if there are more, that is what they will do. If you do see more, ramp up the defense.
As to whether it is male or female, Orkin Canada has this to say-

"Males have wings that extend slightly beyond the abdomen, and females may appear broader in the abdomen. Both sexes have additional jointed appendages at the tip of the abdomen called cerci. Males also possess additional appendages at the rear of the abdomen called stylets."

I think I can see stylets on yours, so it might be a male.

In any case, get onto your management person and find out if they spray the sewer lines. That is the easiest way for them to get in. The plumbing.

Good luck, and be glad you do not live in Tucson, Arizona. Those cockroaches are the size of mice. Two inches long. Seriously.

Pill bugs like moisture and rotting organic matter. Can't imagine why they've traveled to the third floor. Do you have house plants? As bugs go, their nuisance factor is low.

To add to what WavyMouse2 mentioned, if sewer lines were sprayed at ground level, that could have caused them to travel upward.

Thanks both for your replies.

For the size of this expat roach, I think it should have needed a visa!

On the question about indoor houseplants. Yes, I have quite a few. I wonder if it had been feeding off the plants/soil? I do have fine gravel on the soil of all my plants but a cockroach could push that away if it wanted. Also, until about 6 weeks ago, I had a lot of outdoor plants (around 175!) on my terrace. The maintenance became too much so I decided to sell them. Someone bought them as a "lot" and over a period of days in September, he had to carry them through the house from the terrace to get them to the lift/car. If this type of cockroach is more into soil, plants, etc then it's possible it came out of a pot when it was being transferred through the house.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for helping me through this traumatic time

There's your answer! More likely the roach was living underneath a pot, not in soil, but yes, that's how it got in. Same with the roly-poly.

WE winter in Texas. They have palmetto bugs, which is essentially a cockroach with wings. Roadrunner couldn't kill those suckers with a dropped anvil.

Agreed, the roach and pillbug were likely just short term users of the plants, and fell in transit.

Yuck! We have a mid-sized variety that kind of soars from one elevation to another— sort of semi-flies. It is pale tan, we call them Goldies. The thought of a full-sized cockroach that flies with flapping wings is my worst nightmare. 😫

My fear and loathing of roaches is completely irrational ( why them and not so many other insects?) and at the same time rational (Of course I hate them they
are roaches!)

Not much on spiders either. LOL. I came across an adult tarantula moseying across a sidewalk when we were in the Dominican Republic. Oy-vey.............I was afraid he was going to chase and eat me.

sallyg said: My fear and loathing of roaches is completely irrational ( why them and not so many other insects?) and at the same time rational (Of course I hate them they
are roaches!)

Exactly my sentiments. 😵‍💫