Do Cockroaches Eat Wood?

“I found small bite marks on my furniture. Do cockroaches eat wood?”

Yes, some cockroaches eat wood, but they’re unlikely to chow down on structural timber. Outdoor species like wood roaches prefer old, decaying wood for food, not solid interior beams, flooring, or furniture. 

More common domestic cockroaches certainly don’t eat wood. American and German Cockroaches prefer decaying organic matter, as well as paste, paper, or cardboard. Oriental Cockroaches, meanwhile, usually go for garbage or rotting debris in sewers and drains. 

If you’re finding evidence of wood damage caused by insects, you are more likely to have a termite problem. Signs of termite damage can include:

• Wood suddenly sounds hollow.
• Small, pencil-sized mud tubes found along foundations, joints, and walls.
• Bubbling or peeling paint.
• Droppings in the form of wood colored, powdery pellets.
• Piles of small clear wings left behind by swarming termites.

If you find any signs of insects near damaged wood, be sure to contact cockroach control services as soon as possible to confirm which species is responsible. If it turns out to be termites, and they’re not dealt with, they can cause serious structural damage to a property.