German Cockroach
Size: The German cockroach ranges in size from about one-eighth of an inch in length when it hatches to a little over one-half of an inch as an adult.
Colour: Adult German cockroaches are light-brown and have two stripes on their pronotum, which is the “shield” just behind their head.
Behaviour: Adult German cockroaches have wings, but they cannot fly. If they fall, they can flutter their wings enough to break the fall, but cannot use their wings to get around. They are fast runners and move very quickly in their environment. Their antennae are relatively long, a little longer than the length of their body, and serve as powerful sensory devices for evaluating their environment, finding food and receiving messages from other roaches.
Male adult German cockroaches are slender and a little smaller than the females, who are a little larger and wider in the abdomen. When female adult German roaches are ‟gravid” or pregnant, they have an egg capsule or ootheca, that can be seen protruding about one quarter-inch from the end of the abdomen. The egg capsule contains about 40 German cockroach eggs, more or less, that will be carried with her until about 24 hours before the new roaches are ready to hatch. She then drops the egg capsule in a concealed location. When the new roaches open it and crawl out, they are on their own.
German cockroaches are usually found living and breeding indoors. They prefer a warm, humid space with food and water nearby. They typically first appear in the kitchen and bathroom, but since they spend about 80 percent of their time in the wall cracks and voids, infestations are almost always larger than they appear.
Despite their name, German cockroaches are found all over the world. In fact, they’re not even originally from Germany. In Germany, they’re often referred to as “French” cockroaches. This common species of indoor roach was previously thought to have originated in Europe, but later research showed they came from Africa. Currently, many researchers believe they probably originated in Southeast Asia.
The best advice for German cockroach control is to practice good sanitation. To prevent German cockroaches from infesting any premises, people should maintain a clean environment, mainly in the kitchen by cleaning up crumbs, wiping spills and vacuuming often. Avoid leaving dishes to pile up in the sink.
Ensure all cracks and crevices are sealed to discourage easy harbourages for the pest.
Due to the size, aggressive nature and breeding rate of upto six generations per year, the German cockroach infestation is hard to get rid of on your own hence it’s best to leave it to pest management professionals like us.
Cockroaches have been recognised as a major cause of asthma and potential vectors of Human Pathogen. The diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, food poisoning etc. are associated with cockroach infestation owing to their potential for mechanical transmission of pathogenic organisms.
American Cockroach
Size: The American cockroach measures about 1.5 inches in length, but can grow up to 2 inches long.
Colour: This cockroach has reddish-brown wings, light, circular or figures eight markings on its thorax and a light-coloured band around the pronotum.
Behaviour: The American cockroach is the largest house-infesting cockroach across the country. Female American cockroaches can be very productive, producing a sack of 16 eggs after mating. Without mating again, the female roach, which has a lifespan of about a year, can continue to produce egg sacks, or oothecae, using saved sperm.
In ideal circumstances, a female can produce an egg sack every six days, although she has the capacity to produce up to two in one week. Presumably, to protect her young, a female American roach will glue her egg sack in closed-off hiding spots and attempt to camouflage it by scraping up paint and cardboard and covering the sack. On average, a female American cockroach will produce six to 14 egg capsules in her lifetime. Under perfect conditions, such as those in a laboratory, she could produce up to 22 egg sacks – that’s over 336 nymphs. Once ready to break free, nymphs in the ootheca put up a synchronized effort to break through the sack.
The American cockroach prefers habitats where food and water supply are plentiful and they are generally found outdoors. Roaches communicate with one another through the use of pheromones to decide what location is best to settle in.
They are known to settle among family, and it is not uncommon for multiple generations of roaches to live within the same area. They particularly enjoy environments above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and despite its name, the American cockroach is found all over the world. When they do go inside, you can find them in crawl spaces. But they’re generally found in places like drainage (sewage) chambers, shafts, ducts, wood piles, dead logs, hollowed-out trees and other outdoor locations.
Long-term roach control typically requires a pest management professional. To limit the number of roaches in and around your property:
- Practice better sanitation and garbage disposal.
- Eliminate points of entry and debris around your property.
- Don’t leave food lying around in the open.
- Ensure drain lids/ drain cover in bathrooms are intact.
Cockroaches have been recognised as a major cause of asthma and potential vectors of Human Pathogen. The diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, food poisoning etc. are associated with cockroach infestation owing to their potential for mechanical transmission of pathogenic organisms.
Brown-banded cockroach
Size: An adult male brown banded cockroach measures about a half-inch long and has fully developed wings. Adult females are shorter and stouter, with smaller wings.
Colour: Brown banded cockroaches are light brown. They get their name from the two distinctive brownish bands running around their wings and abdomen.
Behaviour: These cockroaches, like all other roaches, are scavengers that will eat almost anything organic, including bodily fluids and decaying matter. The brown banded cockroach sometimes eats glue or paste as well as starch or colour dyes, so you may find them nibbling on stamps, envelopes, books and wallpaper. They also search for body oils and skin cells and can be found eating non-food items that contain traces of these cells, like nylon stockings.
Infestations can get out of hand as these roaches reproduce and spread. The female brown banded cockroach attaches a tiny (5 millimeter), yellowish-brown egg capsule to walls, ceilings or an object inside your house such as a table, bedding or other furniture. When you move the infested furniture, the brown banded roaches spread to other areas of your property.
Brown banded cockroaches live inside buildings, feeding on food and household items and spreading disease-causing bacteria. They can be found in apartments, houses, hotels, restaurants, stores and hospitals.
They don’t require as much moisture as other roaches, so they tend to live in drier places, such as bedrooms and living areas. They avoid water and prefer high locations like the upper cabinets in your kitchen or bathrooms. They avoid light and are usually seen only at night. Brown banded cockroaches thrive in warm temperatures, ranging from 77 degrees to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. They may often spread to an entire structure as they travel throughout furniture.
The best way to tackle roach infestation is to call a pest management professional to treat the area. Here are some additional ways you can help decrease their population:
- Vacuum often. This not only keeps your carpet and floor free of debris so you can more easily detect the presence of pests, it could also suck up cockroaches and their eggs.
- Keep a spotless kitchen. Pick up spilled food and crumbs immediately. Don’t leave dirty dishes out overnight. Store dry foods such as cereal in airtight containers.
- Put garbage in a sealed container.
- Seal cracks and crevices to help keep roaches out.
- Discard empty cardboard boxes.
Cockroaches have been recognised as a major cause of asthma and potential vectors of Human Pathogen. The diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, food poisoning etc. are associated with cockroach infestation owing to their potential for mechanical transmission of pathogenic organisms.
Oriental Cockroach
Size: An Oriental cockroach generally ranges from 1 to 2 inches in length, but can seem much larger when the intruder is up close and personal.
Colour: The Oriental cockroach is typically dark-brown to reddish-brown in colour, though it can also seem to appear as a black cockroach in the dark places where this type of roach is generally found.
Behaviour: In many cases, these large cockroaches find the inside area of buildings to be exactly what they are looking for in a shelter. This is especially true during extreme weather conditions. When very hot, cold, dry, wet or even windy conditions occur outside, these roaches become distressed, and our homes and buildings, unfortunately, often provide the comfort they are looking for.
They have no distinctive markings other than the disproportionately small size of their wings, which is the easiest way to identify them. The male’s wings only cover a little over half of the abdomen, failing to reach the tip. Males generally don’t fly, but may be able to fly just enough to avoid danger, if the need arises. On the other hand, the female adult Oriental cockroach cannot fly at all. In fact, her wings are so small that they are barely visible, almost appearing as if they were attached to the wrong insect.
Many people call Oriental cockroaches “water bugs” because they like very damp areas. (They might also be referred to as a ‟black cockroach.”) One of the most likely indoor areas you’ll find Oriental cockroaches is in the basement, especially around sump pumps and water collection systems.
Condensation in walls or around air ducts may also create the damp environment they prefer. Plumbing leaks that are not promptly repaired, damp crawl spaces and any other areas in and around your property with a constant supply of moisture are also all very attractive to Oriental cockroaches.
Likewise, Oriental cockroaches also require very wet areas when living outdoors. They are commonly found in storms and sanitary sewers, heavy vegetation, tree holes that collect water, under mulch beds and other similar areas.
For effective control, typically a pest management professional is required. The following measures can be taken to limit the number of roaches in and around you:
- It’s imperative that dampness must be reduced when Oriental cockroaches are infesting a structure. This usually involves fixing leaks, properly ventilating areas or locating other issues that result in trapped moisture inside the structure.
- Eliminate potential harborages outside of the home.
- Seal cracks in the outer walls and install screens on vents that lead indoors.
Cockroaches have been recognised as a major cause of asthma and potential vectors of Human Pathogen. The diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, food poisoning etc. are associated with cockroach infestation owing to their potential for mechanical transmission of pathogenic organisms.
