Roaches overwintering in my spare room!

[Vulgaris]

Last week I found a dead roach in the middle of the floor of my spare room upstairs. It looked like a Parcoblatta, so I just said "Gee I wonder where that came from" and moved on. Today I moved some boxes around up there while looking for something, and there was a live one in the crack of the floor boards under a box! I couldn't believe there is anything living in that room. Nobody goes in there and I don't bring anything in there that might harbor living things. Plus it is cold in there.

Does this one look like a Parcoblatta nymph too? I sure hope it is not anything else... We have never had any kind of roaches in the house ever

here is the deceased individual

 

[vfox]

It does look like a Parcoblatta nymph but then again is also looks like a Blatta species, Periplaneta species, and most other kind of local and large pest roaches lol. It's likely a Parcoblatta though because of the area you found it in. Periplaneta species can survive a short chill but cannot overwinter. Parcoblatta however can overwinter and thrive even during bitter cold and dry winters.

 

[Vulgaris]

Currently, they are getting lots of snow and ice in the place where I went to NC over the summer and found all those Periplaneta. No snow here though! hahaha

I think it is most likely a female wood roach of the 4th or 5th instar. We shall see. As to why there was wood roaches in my spare room in the upstairs of my house, your guess is as good as mine

 

[Ralph]

I'm quite certain it's a Parcoblatta. They've come in my house too when the weather's rough and it's nicer inside.

 

[Vulgaris]

Yeah I am now fairly certain it is Parcoblatta also. She is an odd one, though. I introduced her into my colony yesterday after I found her, and today she ventured out into the open while the lights were on! I couldn't believe it. She was the only one in the entire colony that was out and about while the lights were on

 

[vfox]

Mine are always out while the lights are on. Some hide under stuff but normally they are moving about quite regularly during the day.

 

[Vulgaris]

Hmmm. Thats strange. My cage looks completely empty when the lights are on. No movement, no visible roaches. But when the lights go out, the cage comes to life.

 

[Ralph]

I might have posted this observation somewhere else already, but my Parcoblatta use their "internal clock" to decide their activity level more than the light. At daytime, whether dark or light, I don't see a ton of activity; at night they'll be doing their courtship displays, eating more often, and roaming about even in a fully lit room.