Cockroaches are best known for crawling across the ground, scurrying from one location to another. But if you have ever had the chance to look closely at a roach, you might have noticed they have wings. Does this mean that they can fly?

The answer, depending on the species, is yes. Cockroaches, despite being known for walking, can fly. Almost every roach species has two sets of wings. The forewings are there to protect the rest of the body. In some species, the back wings do enable the roach to fly. Learn more about which cockroaches can fly and what that means for your pest control efforts.

Roach Species that Can Fly

There are thousands of cockroach species in the world and all have different flying capability. Of those most often infest homes and businesses in the Gainesville, Haymarket, Centreville areas, only some can fly:

• American Cockroaches – American roaches, also known as palmetto bugs, are one of the few species that more commonly flies.
• German Cockroaches – These roaches also have developed wings and will fly on occasion, although they are not as well known for it as American cockroaches.
• Brown Banded Cockroaches – The male and female roaches of this species have wings, but only the males can fly. Both can jump, however.
• Oriental Cockroaches – Oriental roaches have wing pads, but no developed wings and cannot fly.

Even among the flying cockroaches, crawling is still the preferred method of getting around. Cockroaches have large bodies relative to their wings, making flying inefficient and tiring. When they crawl, roaches can move quickly. For instance, an American cockroach can travel at over 3 feet per second, making this the best way to travel or avoid most predators.

The roaches that can fly will most often do so when flying will get them out of the path of a threat quickly. Others strongly prefer not to fly, but may glide down from a high space, especially if escaping a predator.

How to Get Rid of Flying Cockroaches

The good news is that roach control treatment for flying cockroaches is no different than treatment for flightless bugs. For either kind, professional treatment is the most effective. At ExtermPRO, we use advanced roach treatments to exterminate cockroaches wherever they are in your home. Call us today for help in removing flying cockroaches.