Oriental cockroaches are primarily an outdoor species of cockroach. They prefer wet and dark places. You can find them in damp leaf piles, compost piles, and flowerbeds. In urban areas, oriental cockroaches will congregate in storm drains and sewers. However, they can find suitable places to live in one’s home as well.

Basements, cellars and crawl spaces that are damp and dark are attractive to oriental cockroaches. Bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms are also common places to find oriental cockroaches. They particularly like to live in sink drains and garbage disposals that are rarely used as well as in cabinets that contain water pipes.

Oriental cockroaches prefer to feed on rot. They will eat human food and decaying organic matter, but are particularly fond of garbage. Oriental cockroaches are very dependent on water. They will gather in large numbers near sources of water and cannot survive very long without it. While oriental cockroaches may be able to survive without food for up to a month, they can only go two weeks without water.

The adult male oriental cockroach can live anywhere from 110 to 160 days. The lifespan of an adult female is anywhere between 25 and 180 days. Female roaches will lay around eight egg cases containing approximately 16 eggs throughout their adult life. She will lay egg cases in areas that are out of sight with suitable conditions. How fast these cockroaches develop depends on the climate. In warmer months, an oriental cockroach can go from egg to adult in a matter of 200 days.

Oriental cockroaches rarely ever bite. Instead, the biggest concern is their ability to transfer harmful bacteria. Oriental cockroaches are carriers of pathogens and bacteria that can make you sick if they contaminate your food or food surfaces. Because oriental cockroaches like to feed on garbage and decaying organic matter, they can transfer pathogens from their legs and bodies to clean surfaces and food items. Furthermore, the odor that oriental cockroaches secrete can taint and change the flavor of food.

Oriental cockroaches prefer to live in damp and dark places. They tend to populate outdoors where there are plants that provide plenty of shade and moisture, but will enter your house in search of food. If an area is experiencing a drought, or very hot and dry conditions, oriental cockroaches will seek shelter indoors. They often get into houses and buildings through pipes or drains. Dripping pipes and areas where water is leaking are particularly attractive to oriental cockroaches.