Asian Cockroach Swarms - What You Can Do About Them

As August and September heat up in Alabama, homeowners often notice a sudden influx of what seems to be cockroaches flying around their porches and lights after dusk. These aren’t typical German roaches—they’re Asian cockroaches, known to swarm outdoors for mating. While they seldom inflict harm or spread diseases, their sheer numbers can be unsettling.

Why This Happens

• Asian cockroaches thrive in shaded, mulched, and leaf-littered areas, with populations peaking in late August.

• They’re primarily outdoors and attracted to bright, light-colored surfaces like screens, glass doors, and porch lights.
  

What You Can Do

• Switch to lower-intensity, motion-activated, or yellow “bug” lights on porches to reduce attraction.

• Keep mulch and leaf debris trimmed back from home foundations and seal nearby entry points to deter them from gathering near your house.
  

Sipsey Pro Tip - We recommend a targeted exterior spray during peak swarm season to keep these unwelcome visitors at bay—while they may not be dangerous, they don’t belong buzzing around your home.