A Homeowner's Guide to Cockroaches in North Carolina

They love being indoors, preferring warm, humid environments where food and water are easy to find, like kitchens, bathrooms, apartments, and restaurants. Danger level: high, because they reproduce quickly and are one of the hardest cockroaches to control. They also spread bacteria, contaminate food, and leave behind unsanitary droppings. They do not typically fly—mostly, they just run quickly instead.

Often found around sewers, drains, crawl spaces, basements, and other damp areas, including garbage areas or places with decaying organic matter. Danger level: moderate to high, especially when they move indoors or show up repeatedly near living spaces. They can fly, but not very well, and only short distances.

Common in cool, damp areas like garages, drains, crawl spaces, and shaded outdoor spaces, or near leaky pipes and moist soil. Danger level: moderate, because they're often drawn to moisture leaks and unsanitary conditions. They don't have functional wings, so they mainly crawl and move slowly compared to other species.

Typically found outdoors in firewood, mulch, logs, and wooded areas. Danger level: low, because they rarely establish indoors and usually wander in by accident, but once indoors, they pose the same risks as other cockroach species. Males can fly.

Prefers warm and damp outdoor areas like mulch, leaf litter, woodpiles, tree holes, and gutters, but can come inside. Danger level: moderate, as they can carry bacteria and contaminate food, countertops, dishes, and pantry items. They're actually one of the better-flying common household cockroach species.