Cockroaches

Cockroaches are one of the worst household pests you could ever encounter. Although there are 4,000 known cockroach species in the world, not all of them are going to impact residences. Only 30 species have been known to enter and live in residential structures. These cockroaches thrive by consuming the food left behind by people. Roughly 5 of those 30 species can be found in your area. Nevertheless, those five species can create immense problems for our clients. Before you can deal with the issue at hand, you need to find out which cockroach species you have.

You’ll find that each cockroach is unique in many ways. For instance, the species will help determine how the cockroach is entering your home, what they’ll do in your home, and how to get rid of them. Unfortunately, most of our clients can’t identify the species on their own. Instead, they need assistance from a qualified exterminator. We understand this wholeheartedly and we’re here to help. Our technicians are always eager to help locals. When you work with us, we’ll quickly help you determine which species you’re dealing with.

Then, we’ll work swiftly to find a solution to the problem. Some species will not enter or reproduce in residential buildings. Below, you’ll learn more about the most common cockroach species in your area.

When Species Are Found In Your Area?

Locals are going to encounter several cockroach species. Although the most common are American cockroaches and German cockroaches, there are more. They’ll be explored in greater depth below.

German Cockroaches

First and foremost, your area is home to German cockroaches. Adult German cockroaches range in size from half an inch to 5/8ths of an inch in length. They’re light tan or brown and have a unique set of racing stripes on the back of the cockroach’s head. German cockroaches and others are prolific breeders. Therefore, a German cockroach infestation will quickly worsen. If you ignore it, you’re going to pay for it. A female German cockroach can create egg cases containing 30 to 40 eggs. During her lifetime, she can lay as many as 5 egg capsules. Unfortunately, you’ll need to get rid of these cockroaches or they’ll quickly take over your home.

German cockroaches are going to live and reproduce in residential structures. When they enter a local residence, they tend to live under hot appliances, including dishwashers, ovens, and refrigerators. German cockroaches develop full wings as adults but they do not fly.

American Cockroaches

You cannot ignore American cockroaches once they’ve decided to invade your residence. They’re too large to ignore with some American cockroaches growing up to two inches in length. In terms of appearance, they’re reddish-brown and have a light color around the darker center on their head plates. These cockroaches are easy to identify because they’re one of the largest species. The American cockroach is the largest common species that can fly. In addition to this, the American cockroach has a long lifespan when compared to other cockroach species. In some cases, it’ll take this cockroach up to two years to fully mature. Once this happens, the American cockroach can live for another year or so.

It takes American cockroaches a long time to fully infest a structure. They generally prefer infesting sewer systems, steam tunnels, and old buildings in the Northern portion of the United States. If you’ve found a handful of American cockroaches near your home, there is a good chance that you have a problem. It is time to begin looking for broken sewer pipes or dried plumbing traps. Something had happened.

These are two of the most common cockroach species in our area. There are more. For instance, you may encounter Pennsylvania wood cockroaches, Oriental cockroaches, Surinam cockroaches, Brown-Banded cockroaches, and others.

Pennsylvania Wood Cockroaches

Pennsylvania wood cockroaches are unique because adult males look remarkably different than adult females. You may not realize that they belong to the same species. When males reach adulthood, they’re going to grow up to 1 inch and they develop full wings. Females are smaller with some reaching three-quarters of an inch in length. Another difference is the fact that female Pennsylvania wood cockroaches never develop full wings. Their wings are shorter than males. As you’ve likely guessed, these cockroaches are native to Pennsylvania and other eastern portions of the United States.

Although you may encounter them at some point, these cockroaches are rarely pests. They are found in large numbers in certain areas. If you leave the lights on at night, the male Pennsylvania wood cockroaches may fly to them. They’re not considered pests since they don’t reproduce indoors. However, they are attracted to woodpiles, wood shingles, and clogged gutters. If you find these cockroaches around your home, you know what to look for.

Spotted Mediterranean Cockroaches

From time to time, locals will encounter Spotted Mediterranean cockroaches. Although these cockroaches are smaller than others, they’re still hard to ignore. They tend to grow up to a third of an inch in length. These cockroaches are light tan with many dark specks. One thing to know about Spotted Mediterranean Cockroach is that they’re native to Europe. They were introduced to North America in the middle of the 1900s and they’ve been spreading rapidly since then. Their population has constantly grown during the past few years. Today, Spotted Medication Cockroaches can be found in many states, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, and New York.

They’re rarely pests since they usually do not enter homes or reproduce inside residential dwellings. However, they can found around the foliage. In some cases, you’ll find a lot of them around your property. Since they’re attracted to lights, Spotted Mediterranean Cockroaches may fly to your property after dark.

Oriental Cockroaches

Our area is also home to Oriental cockroaches. These roaches are usually over an inch in length and sometimes grow up to an inch and a quarter. These roaches are black or dark brown and female cockroaches are much different than males. One thing to know is female Oriental cockroaches do not develop wings. Male members of the species develop wings that cover three-quarters of their bodies. It is easy to identify the gender you’re dealing with. In our city, these cockroaches have a lot in common with American cockroaches. For instance, they’re primarily going to infest sewer systems but they may live in old structures downtown. Oriental cockroaches are unique because they can handle cold weather much better.

As a result, you may find them outside in large groups. They tend to stay around garbage, decaying matter, and feces. Once you’ve found them on your property, call a qualified exterminator and deal with them.

Smokey brown Cockroaches

Smokey brown cockroaches aren’t common in our area, but they will approach your property from time to time. These cockroaches grow over an inch with some reaching an inch and a half in length. In terms of color, these cockroaches are reddish-brown with a deep, shiny hue. Although these cockroaches might be found in our area, they’re not common. Instead, they prefer staying in the southern portion of the United States. Occasionally, they’ll travel north in shipping containers. They’re similar to American and Oriental cockroaches.

They’re different than American cockroaches because they’re one color. Plus, adults have full wings so they’re easy to distinguish from American

Surinam Cockroaches

Surinam cockroaches are roughly three-quarters of an inch at the maximum length. Although they have light tan wings, they have a solid black plate on the back of their heads. Ultimately, the Surinam cockroach is one of the most unique cockroaches on the planet. They’re different than others because there are no male Surinam cockroaches. Despite this unique attribute, Surinam cockroaches can reproduce profusely. These female cockroaches carry eggs internally. Once they hatch, they’ll give live birth. These cockroaches prefer living in warm locations so they’re likely not going to find them up north.

If you do, they’ll be found in your greenhouse. Still, it is a good idea to learn more about these cockroaches.

Brown-Banded Cockroaches

It is common to find brown-banded cockroaches in our city. These roaches often reach half an inch in length so they’re smaller than others. They’re light brown or tan and are frequently confused for German cockroaches. Although they look like, there is one noticeable difference between the two. Brown-banded cockroaches have a dark band instead of racing stripes on their heads. They can live in structures but they rarely do.

Why Cockroaches Have Picked Your Home

Cockroaches are going to enter residential structures for several years. Most people think cockroaches are searching for unkempt homes. Some cockroach species are, but others are not. As mentioned above, some cockroaches species will not infest residential dwellings. Some species are looking for unclean homes, but others are attracted to broken sewer pipes, steam tunnels, and dried plumbing traps. You’ll need to identify the species before you can find out why they’ve approached your home.

Primary Cockroach Dangers

As the cockroach infestation grows, the dangers are going to climb higher. With more cockroaches in your dwelling, the risk of disease and illness will be much higher. Cockroaches aren’t physically dangerous since they don’t bite or sting. They won’t spread illnesses by biting you, and they don’t inject venom. However, these pests are often incredibly dangerous because they spread illnesses by contaminating food. Cockroaches tend to crawl through waste, feces, and trash. Once they invade your home, they’re going to crawl through your food and spread pathogens and bacteria. Unfortunately, you might eat contaminated food due to a cockroach infestation.

If this happens, you could develop food poisoning, dysentery, salmonella, and other illnesses.

Eradicating A Cockroach Infestation

Cockroaches aren’t easy to eliminate because they’re elusive and fast. Once they’ve found a way inside, you’ll want to work quickly to deal with them. Otherwise, the pests are going to reproduce and the infestation will rapidly worsen. Keeping your home clean and tidy can help. You may also contemplate using do-it-yourself methods. Although this is one possibility, we cannot recommend it. The problem with DIY methods is they’re ineffective. Some of these methods help, but few of them can eliminate the infestation. Plus, you have to worry about using unsafe chemicals. It is best to hire a professional because doing so will give you greater peace of mind.

We use the latest tools and techniques to quickly deal with such problems. We’ll start by carefully inspecting your dwelling. Once we’ve done that, we’ll assemble a plan to take care of it. We’re going to work with the client every step of the way to guarantee satisfactory results.

When Can You Begin?

Don’t delay calling our local office. Once you’ve done that, we’ll get back to you within 48 hours.

We Offer Safe Cockroach Exterminations

We’re proud to say that we can provide our clients with safe cockroach exterminations. We always do what we can to protect our clients. We would never use dangerous methods in our homes so we’re not going to use them in your home either. Instead, we aim to fix the problem using non-toxic tools to eliminate these pests. We use insecticides that have been tested extensively and approved by the EPA. Therefore, we know that these products are going to work. Plus, they’re minimally toxic so we can use them without danger. If you’re serious about protecting the ones you love, contact our office and we’ll take care of it for you.

Stopping Future Cockroach Invasions

It is wise to take steps to prevent these pests from invading your home in the first place. Do that and you won’t need to eliminate them. Nevertheless, it isn’t easy to keep them out. Start by scheduling thorough cleanings of your home. Get rid of food sources to prevent them from thriving in your home. Also, take the time to properly seal your exterior walls. If you do this, you’ll prevent these pests from finding a way to enter your dwelling. Don’t hesitate to call us when you find cockroaches around your property.

If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.