Can Cockroaches Fly? Which Texas Roaches Do, and Why
Some cockroaches can fly, and in Collin County the large dark roach that flies toward porch lights on warm summer nights is the smoky brown cockroach, the one people call the tree roach. The American cockroach has full wings too but seldom flies, though it can glide, and the small German cockroach in the kitchen rarely flies at all. Which roach you saw in the air tells you where it came from and what will keep it out, so this article walks through each one, why they seem to fly straight at people, and what to do about it.
- Only some kinds of cockroach fly, and they fly or glide as adults on warm nights.
- Smoky brown cockroaches are 1¼ to 1½ inches long, and both males and females have wings longer than their bodies.
- The American cockroach, the largest in Texas at up to 2 inches, seldom flies but can glide.
- German cockroaches have full wings but rarely fly, and Oriental cockroaches cannot fly at all.
- Smoky brown cockroaches need high humidity, so they live in shade, mulch, tree holes and attics.
Can cockroaches fly?
Some cockroaches can fly, but most kinds do not fly much. The University of California says a few species can fly short distances or glide as adults during warm nights, while most have no wings, reduced wings or otherwise do not fly.
The University of California and the University of Kentucky both note that young cockroaches lack fully developed wings, so a roach in the air is almost always an adult.
Wings alone do not decide it. The University of Kentucky’s cockroach control guide says the American cockroach has well-developed wings but seldom flies. What matters is the kind of cockroach and the weather, and the sections below take each in turn.
Do cockroaches fly in Texas?
Yes, some cockroaches fly in Texas, and the flights happen on warm nights. The University of California says smokybrown cockroach adults can fly, especially on warm humid evenings, and Texas A&M says both sexes have wings longer than their bodies.
Texas A&M also says the American cockroach, the largest and one of the most common in Texas, seldom flies but is capable of gliding flight.
The smoky brown cockroach is the one Collin County homeowners call the tree roach. It lives in trees, mulch beds and gutters, and it comes in high, through attic vents and gaps in the soffits. Our smoky brown cockroach page in the pest library shows how to tell it from the American cockroach, which has a light band around the edge of the shield behind its head.
What kind of cockroach can fly?
Of the six cockroaches Texas A&M’s urban entomology program profiles, the smoky brown and Asian cockroaches fly and the American seldom flies but can glide. Among brownbanded cockroaches, only the males fly, and then only sometimes, when disturbed. The German cockroach is fully winged but rarely flies, and the Oriental cockroach cannot fly.
Texas A&M calls the Asian cockroach an accomplished flier, while the University of California says smokybrown adults fly on warm humid evenings.
These details come from Texas A&M’s urban entomology program and the University of California.
| Cockroach | Size | Wings | Does it fly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky brown | 1¼ to 1½ inches | Longer than the body in males and females | Yes, especially on warm humid evenings |
| American | 1½ to 2 inches | Well developed | Seldom, but it can glide |
| Asian | Looks the same as a German cockroach | Looks the same as a German cockroach’s | Yes, an accomplished flier drawn to light |
| Brownbanded | ½ to ⅝ inch | Cover the body in males, shorter in females | Males sometimes, when disturbed. Females cannot |
| German | ½ to ⅝ inch | Full wings | Rarely, and never for long |
| Oriental | 1 to 1¼ inches | Short in males, only small stubs in females | No |
A big dark roach that flies at the porch light is a different problem from a small tan one running in the kitchen.
Texas A&M says the Asian cockroach was first collected in North America in Florida in 1986 and could spread across the warmer southern states. It does not say the Asian cockroach lives in Collin County, so treat a flying small tan roach as worth a closer look rather than a sure answer.
Do German cockroaches fly?
German cockroaches rarely fly. Texas A&M describes the adults as fully winged but rarely flying, and on its Asian cockroach page calls the German cockroach incapable of sustained flight. It runs for cover in kitchens and bathrooms instead, and it lives mainly indoors because it cannot tolerate cold.
The German cockroach is the small light brown roach, about half an inch long with two dark stripes behind the head.
That matters more than the flying. Texas A&M says the German cockroach has a high reproductive rate and that the females carry their egg cases until they are ready to hatch, which helps the young survive. A German cockroach problem grows inside the home, where the German cockroach article explains how they arrive and where they settle.
Why do cockroaches fly at you?
Cockroaches are not attacking you when they fly your way. Texas A&M says Asian cockroaches become active at dusk, fly toward light reflected off light-colored walls, doorways and windows, and rest on lighted surfaces such as lamp shades and television screens.
When the lights go off in one room, they follow to the next lighted room, which is why some residents believe the cockroaches are attacking them.
Light pulls the big roaches too. Our pest library describes the smoky brown cockroach as the roach that flies toward porch lights on summer nights, which puts it right where people stand at the front door. The American cockroach, Texas A&M says, seldom flies but is capable of gliding flight.
Why do cockroaches fly when it’s hot?
Cockroaches are seen flying in hot weather because that is when the flying kinds take to the air. The University of California says the few species that fly or glide do it during warm nights, that smokybrown adults fly especially on warm humid evenings, and that brownbanded males fly when disturbed, especially above 85°F.
A hot, humid Texas evening is exactly that weather.
Moisture matters as much as heat. The Texas A&M page on the smoky brown cockroach says it needs high humidity to survive, lives in shaded wooded areas, tree holes and mulch, and inside buildings is commonly found in attics or near fireplaces. It adds that a leaky roof can draw them in. Our article on when cockroach season is in Texas covers what they do once the nights cool off.
What to do about cockroaches that fly in
- Work out which roach it is first. A big dark roach from the porch or attic and a small tan roach in the kitchen come from different places and need different answers.
- Take away the moisture smoky browns need. Fix roof leaks, which Texas A&M says can attract them, and keep mulch and leaf piles from staying soaked against the house.
- Move stacks of lumber and firewood and any trash piles away from the walls, since Texas A&M says they can contribute to smoky brown infestations.
- Seal the way in. The University of California advises sealing cracks and other openings to the outside and using door sweeps and weather stripping on doors.
- Keep doors closed at dusk while the lights are on, because Texas A&M says flying Asian cockroaches are drawn to light reflected off walls, doorways and windows.
How Pest Me Off handles flying cockroaches
Pest Me Off’s cockroach control starts by naming the roach, because a smoky brown cockroach that flies in from the trees needs attic and roofline work, not a kitchen treatment. A technician checks the soffits, attic vents, gutters and the mulch beds and trees close to the house, treats the outside where the roaches live, and points out the gaps and damp spots that keep sending them inside.
Quarterly visits keep the outside treated through the warm months, when the flying kinds are out. Same-day service is available for McKinney and the surrounding cities when you call before noon, with no-contract options.
Big roaches flying at the porch light or turning up in the attic? Same-day pest control in McKinney and the surrounding cities when you call before noon.
We name the roach, treat the trees, mulch and roofline where the flying kinds live, and show you the gaps they use to get inside. No-contract options.
