So, did you discover a white roach last night in your kitchen?
Or
Did you see them in your home and wonder if they are more dangerous than the usual ones?
Well, you have come to the right place.
Even this has happened to me as well. One night I was in the kitchen and saw a white roach in the corner wandering.
It was a horrifying experience, to be honest, but finally, I learned almost everything about them.
And I can bet you may not know these things earlier.
Read along to learn about white cockroaches and if you should worry more about them than the usual ones.
Let’s get started:
What Is Shedding Of Skin In Cockroaches?
Before I can make you dive deep into everything about white roaches, you must know what is shedding of the exoskeleton in cockroaches.
It will help you understand white roaches much better.
Cockroaches are invertebrates, and invertebrates do not have any skeletal system inside their bodies. Their skeletal system is on the outside as an exoskeleton in the cockroaches.
The exoskeleton or outer shell is what holds the cockroaches together.
However, throughout a cockroach life cycle, a typical cockroach sheds its exoskeleton around 5 to 14 times over 1 to 6 months.
This shedding of exoskeleton helps cockroaches to:
- Grow
- Get strength
- Become an adult roach
Therefore, through shedding, a mature cockroach develops its body and achieves growth.
Now that you understand what shedding is, you will quickly understand what a white roach is.
What Is A White Roach?
White cockroaches are the same as the usual ones; they have shed their old exoskeleton.
That means when a cockroach has shed its exoskeleton, the newer exoskeleton underneath remains soft and white, giving it a white roach color.
This white-looking cockroach may seem like an alien insect at first glance, but it is the same cockroach that you might find anywhere, but it has shed its outer skin recently.
Cockroaches lose most of the pigmentation in their bodies which must be replaced, however, their white phase lasts several minutes to a few hours until they harden their exoskeleton.
All type of cockroaches goes through this molting process as cockroaches have incomplete metamorphosis.
As said earlier, a typical cockroach goes through this molting process several times before becoming an adult.
It also means that you might observe white roaches several times, depending upon their molting frequency.
However, cockroaches prefer locating themselves in safer and hidden places to quickly shed their skin and remain safe from being eaten or other enemies.
Observing white cockroaches is uncommon, but if you somehow did, you should not worry about it as it is the same usual cockroach but with a new white skin.
Are There Albino Cockroaches?
Before I answer if there are any albino roaches, you must know what ‘albino’ exactly means.
The term albino refers to animals with a genetic abnormality that cannot produce enough pigment molecules in their exoskeleton/skin.
White cockroaches do not have any genetic abnormality; therefore, they do not come in any albino roach category.
Also, finding or spotting a white cockroach is very rare.
It is because cockroaches shed their skin only in a safe place where they can hide from their enemies and prevent any danger.
Therefore, it becomes rare to find a white cockroach.
Due to their uncommon presence, many people refer to them as a different species of cockroaches, which is, of course, not true.
Apart from this, many scams happen on online marketplaces by selling exotic albino cockroaches due to ignorance surroundings white roaches.
But you must know that albino cockroaches do not exist.
Roaches cannot be albino because they do not have any symptoms of genetic disorders, as mentioned earlier.
Discovering A White Roach
Discovering a white cockroach is rare because:
- Cockroaches shed their exoskeleton in safe places.
- They try to remain to hide until their new exoskeleton is soft and (white) doesn’t hard (turning brown)
However, if you spot any white roach in your home, then you must be concerned about the following:
- Cockroach infestation
- Cockroaches spread diseases and damage household stuff
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cockroaches can carry bacteria that, if deposited on food, can cause salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), cockroaches are vital in carrying intestinal diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid fever.
Furthermore, the exoskeleton left behind, feces, and egg cases can cause allergies and worsen asthma. In extreme cases, cockroaches are also linked to food poisoning.
Therefore, instead of worrying about the white color of a cockroach, you should worry more about the roach infestation in your home, which can lead to several health issues.
Is An Albino Cockroach The Same as A White Cockroach?
There is a lot of misconception that white cockroaches are albino.
But as said earlier, the albino term refers to animals with genetic abnormalities, however, white roaches do not have genetic issues; therefore, they do not possess albinism.
Also, albino roaches do not produce enough pigment molecules in their skin or exoskeleton, but as white roaches do not have any genetic abnormality, they are not albino roaches.
They are normal cockroaches that just shed their exoskeleton.
The white phase of cockroaches can last from several minutes to a few hours, depending upon their species.
So, in a nutshell, an albino cockroach is not the same as a white cockroach.
Albino cockroaches do not exist.
Are White Roaches Poisonous?
Whether white, brown, or black, if you are dealing with cockroaches, they do not have venom in their bodies.
Also, even though they can carry various bacteria, they do not produce any toxins from their bodies.
However, cockroaches can eat anything from dead skins to their old exoskeleton to feces, decaying plant matter, food crumbs, and whatnot.
And therefore, they can carry various pathogens and bacteria through their body and smear them on your food items if they wander there.
They can cause various health-related issues, which you must be aware of.
It is also why we should get rid of cockroaches as soon as possible because they are pretty nasty insects for humans.
How to Get Rid of White Roaches?
A typical cockroach hides quickly and keeps itself away from any danger.
On top of that, a white cockroach that has just shed its skeleton keeps itself more secure and hidden because it is in the most vulnerable stage during shedding.
Therefore, finding a white roach becomes more burdensome.
But somehow, if you have noticed one, you must be ready to inspect any symptoms of infestation.
It is because a single roach means your home might have several more cockroaches hiding in some places.
And as said earlier, these pesky insects carry various bacteria, causing health issues; therefore, you must get rid of them as soon as possible.
There are two ways by which you can get rid of white roaches or simply cockroaches. These are:
- Do it yourself following the online guide (our guide as well)
- Get a professional exterminator for pest control in your home
The first method of doing it yourself applies to you only if your home has a few roaches and you know through inspection that you are not facing heavy cockroach infestation.
However, the second method is applicable in extreme cases when your home has a lot of roaches roaming around.
You can also observe the frequency of spotting cockroaches in your home and speculate if these tiny insects might infest your home.
Therefore, once you are sure your house has cockroach colonies, you might need a professional exterminator to eliminate them.
A professional cockroach control worker knows precisely where to look for cockroaches and how to get rid of them quickly.
Why Are Cockroaches So Hard to Get Rid Of?
Cockroaches are hard to get rid of for two reasons:
- They are very clever insects and know how to keep themselves away from danger.
- Second, they are experts in hiding.
These tiny insects are so clever that they can even play dead when a danger, especially a human, comes.
That means cockroaches can fake their death until the danger goes away. And once there is a safe environment, cockroaches turn to scurry away.
However, when cockroaches are dead, they will turn upside down.
What To Do If You See a White Cockroach?
Seeing a white cockroach in your house means there might be chances of roach infestation, and you need to take action immediately to get rid of them.
As mentioned earlier, you must inspect your home for infestation, and depending on the severity, you can start taking action.
Are White Roaches Dangerous?
White roaches may look terrifying and horrible, but they are not dangerous or the same as any other cockroach species.
White roaches are also not known to bite and don’t have any stingers.
Instead, a white roach is in its vulnerable stage.
However, a white roach may carry diseases and bacteria like any other roach or cockroach in your house.
Therefore, you must get rid of them as quickly as possible.
FAQs
If you observe a white cockroach anywhere in your home, it is a clear sign that you might have an infestation of roaches.
With cockroach infestation, there can be a lot of trouble for you. Therefore, treating this infestation becomes essential because cockroaches can be problematic for your health and household.
A molting cockroach is a white roach that is the same as the usual ones; therefore, they are no other separate species.
Usually, white roaches do not bite, and even if they did somehow, white roaches biting is not harmful at all.
(However, in case of severe symptoms, consider going to the doctor immediately.)
It’s just that they have recently shed their exoskeleton leading to becoming white.
They are harmful only for carrying diseases, just like any other cockroach.
A typical cockroach sheds its exoskeleton several times in its whole life until the cockroach doesn’t become an adult.
However, a cockroach sheds its exoskeleton only in a safe place to hide from enemies and predators; therefore, spotting a white roach becomes rare.
Therefore, it is uncommon to find a white roach, and there are numerous misconceptions and rumors about these white cockroaches.
Conclusion
White cockroaches are just usual brown cockroaches but with new skin.
As there is no existence of an albino cockroach, therefore, you also don’t have to confuse it with white cockroaches.
The old cockroaches shed their exoskeleton several times in their whole life cycle before becoming adult roaches.
Therefore, whenever they shed their old skin, the new skin color remains white, making themselves white roaches.
However, it may take several minutes to a few hours for white roaches to turn into the typical brown cockroach.