No one wants to go into their kitchen at night, turn on the lights, and have to deal with the disgusting sight of cockroaches. Some may even scream when they see these filthy creatures running around on their counter tops!
Cockroaches can also have a serious impact on human health. They are known carriers of many diseases and have the potential of spreading pathogens via contamination of our food and kitchen utensils. Some people become allergic to these pests – cockroach allergies are a common trigger of year-round allergies and asthma attacks.
To learn how to keep your home free of these pests, let’s start by examining three of the most common roaches that Orange County home and business owners have to deal with.
German Roach
The German roach (Blattella germanica) is the most prevalent species in apartments, homes, and restaurants. Of all of the roaches, this is the most difficult roach to control.
If you take a close look at the photograph, you will see two dark longitudinal lines on the pronotum (just behind the head). This is the easiest way to identify this roach. German roaches are pale brown, and about 1/2 to 5/8 inch long.
The female produces four to eight egg capsules in a lifetime, and each egg capsule contains 30-40 eggs. Do the math and you’ll see that one single roach can produce between 120 to 320 baby roaches in less than a year. It is no wonder that these roaches are so hard to control!
As a homeowner, you should note that German roaches normally won’t be found walking up and down your street. They are usually imported from another place, or they may be entering from a neighbor’s unit, such as an apartment or condo. This is why you need to be careful when you bring anything new into your home, and why you need to know if any of your adjoining neighbors have complained about roaches.
American Roach
American roaches (Periplaneta americana) are the largest of the common species (1½ to 2 inches long). They are about reddish brown in color with a pale brown or yellow band around the edge of the pronotum (just behind the head). The adults will fly!
The female will produce egg capsules at the rate of one per month, for ten months. Each egg capsule will contain 16 eggs. Do the math and you’ll see that one roach can produce about 160 baby roaches in a year!
American roaches prefer moist and shady areas. They are often found in basements, crawl spaces, hollow trees and palms, around plumbing, and in sewers.
Oriental Cockroach
Oriental roaches are dark brown or nearly black in color. The males are about 1 inch long. Females are a bit larger, at 1 ¼ inch long. The female will produce an average of 8 egg capsules, and each will contain about 16 eggs. Fire up your calculator and you’ll see that just one roach will produce about 128 babies.
Oriental roaches prefer dark and damp areas. They are often found in sewers. Please note that if you find them in your home, there is a very good chance that you have a plumbing leak or a moisture problem.
Here Are 7 Tips For Cockroach Prevention
1. Watch out for hitchhiking roaches! Even if you have the cleanest home, all it takes to start a roach infestation is for you to bring in one item that contains live roaches or their eggs. That is why you need to check everything before you bring it into your home. Do you have a box that has been in storage, or that you just had shipped to your home? If so, you may want to open it outside of your home, bring in the individual items, and then throw the box away. Even grocery bags may have roaches hiding in them!
2. A clean home is always a great way to prevent roach infestations. Pick up any food crumbs, clean up any spills, and vacuum on a regular basis.
3. Pay special attention to your kitchen. Here are just a few areas you need to focus on:
a. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink.
b. Take out your trash every night.
c. Keep your countertops and appliances clean.
d. Close your dishwasher at night.
4. Check your food. Throw out old and expired products and keep your food in sealed containers.
5. Don’t leave pet food or water in their bowls at night.
6. Keep roaches out by sealing up entry points. Check for holes in walls – especially around plumbing pipes, and seal these areas as needed. Check for gaps around doors and windows, and install weather stripping or door sweeps as needed. Also, make sure your door and window screens are sealing properly.
7. Check the outside of your home. Here are some important places to look:
a. Make sure your trash cans are kept closed with tight fitting lids.
b. Look for excess moisture. Do you have leaky faucets, or are you overwatering your lawn and plants?
c. Keep your plants cut back two feet away from your home.
d. Remove excess clutter from around your home.
You’ll find that these 7 tips will help you prevent a lot of problems in the future. If you see roaches in your home and you would like to do your own treatment, research has shown that bug bombs, liquid pesticides and spray products are not very effective.
Your best bet would be to use insecticidal dusts and roach baits. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, carefully.
Have a roach problem that is getting out of hand and you need some help? Call us at (949) 631-7348 and we’ll be happy to schedule an appointment at your convenience.
