Cockroaches are among the most widely recognized bugs in Texas. They like to eat the same things we do and are particularly troublesome wherever food is prepared and/or served. They commonly carry many disease causing organisms. Luckily, cockroaches can be controlled by a combination of:
- Attention to sanitation – preventing breeding and feeding areas.
- Exclusion – preventing access from the outside.
- Effective, professional treatment – licensed exterminators, like us, have access to the proper chemicals to safely treat your property.
Cockroaches have flattened bodies and heads that, when seen from above, are covered by a plate-like structure. Cockroaches can be black, brown, tan, reddish-orange, or light green. Most have wings but they are usually short and non-functional. They are often called a palmetto bug or waterbug.
While there are many species in our area, the hardest to control and the most prolific are the German cockroaches which spend their lives indoors. American cockroaches are seemingly perpetual pests, achieving adulthood and sexual development in a normal of 600 days.
As grown-ups, they typically live 1 to 2 years. Females lay about 30-40 eggs every 100 days which is why early treatment is important to help control them. This is also why it might be necessary to start with monthly and then quarterly treatments to control them.
American, oriental, and smoky-brown cockroaches live for the most part outside however may move inside looking for nourishment or water. Cockroaches can re-infes homes when brought in with groceries or boxes and, once settled, can promptly move from room to room or apartment to apartment.
American cockroaches, otherwise called waterbugs or palmetto bugs, are more typical in commercial properties and are most commonly in sewer systems making them especially prone to carry diseases. Both the adult male and female can fly. They are commonly about 1-2” in length.
German cockroach adults are ½ to ⅝ inch long and are light darker with two dull stripes. Both males and females have wings but they don’t fly. They carry germs and are associated with some allergies and asthma.
At normal indoor temperatures, it takes a German cockroach 50 to 60 days to form into a grown-up. The ideal temperature for German cockroaches is around 80 degrees F. Hotter temperatures accelerate their development time and increase the speed of infestation.
Most cockroaches are nocturnal and, in the event that you see cockroaches in the day, it is probably because there are so many they can’t hide.
While there are many D.I.Y home treatments, the only way to QUICKLY and effectively control them is to have a professional help you.
Call us, we will help you by:
- Identifying type and size of infestation
- Blocking access points
- Showing you favorable conditions that you should eliminate
- Treatment with low-toxicity insecticides
- Follow-up treatments to kill the ones that were still eggs at the first treatment