Those tiny hair-like figments on their legs. The scurrying sounds you hear when there is a pack of them. Those wings! Yes, I am talking about cockroaches! Cockroaches are more common insects that come into mind whenever someone mentions the word “pest.” The reason is that cockroaches are some of the more frequently treated pests in homes all around the nation.
Cockroaches can inhabit homes and infest them in a relatively quick manner. What may seem like a few encounters at first can quickly triple the more you let them fester in your home. Let’s go over some more information regarding cockroaches.
The Cockroach
The German cockroach, known scientifically as Blattella germanica, is a large insect that can grow over one and a half inches long. It gets its name from how it forces air out of small holes in its body while walking.
Cockroaches are perhaps the most reviled pests worldwide due partly to their unsightly appearance and their tendency to feed on human food. They were thought to be native only to Africa but spread to the Americas early in history by hitching rides on ships departing European ports.
They can fit through tiny cracks (less than 1/32 of an inch) and often hide in cluttered areas that are difficult or impossible for humans to clean properly. While they prefer warm weather, they thrive even in cold climates, where they will remain active all winter long if there is no snow cover. The largest cockroach species have been recorded at over three inches long, as big as a human hand, and it reportedly lives up to 10 years.
Cockroaches are omnivores with a broad diet, capable of digesting materials, either plant or animal in origin. Most are scavengers that will eat dead animals wherever they can find them, but some species prefer living prey over carrion.
They lead solitary lives and only come together for breeding purposes. A cockroach female can carry around as many as 40 eggs simultaneously, which she glues into a protective pouch inside her body until they hatch.
Adult male cockroaches do not work on building nests or looking after their young. They spend most of their time hiding away from predators, so they live for no more than six months at the most. Females usually remain close to where they were born, but males are more adventurous.
The presence of cockroaches is often an indicator of poor sanitary conditions in homes or commercial buildings, especially if they are found near drains or other parts of the building’s drainage system.
Cockroaches are among the most adaptable animals on Earth. They have been around since before the time of the dinosaurs, survived millions of years of changing conditions, and have evolved to live just about anywhere, from deserts to urban sewers.
Unfortunately, they also seem adept at living among humans with their disease-carrying bodies and cockroach droppings in our food.
Cockroaches reproduce quickly and can infest a home within days if there is even one cockroach present. If you see cockroaches in your home, contact a pest control company to rid your house of them immediately.
Cockroaches: Quite The Pest
Cockroaches are quite a nuisance when you allow them to thrive and live at your home or property. This is why proper pest management is needed to treat them. However, if you put off the problem too long, you might begin to develop an infestation, which is never good news when it comes to pests.
Here at Meers Pest Solutions, we are at excerpts in pest management, including treating cockroaches. Contact us here today so we can take the first steps to treat your home or property and rid it of cockroaches.
