What do Cockroaches looks like?

There are more than 300 species of roaches, but the most concerned are:

American Roaches:

• American Cockroaches are more common in warmer climates.
• They prefer to nest outdoors, yet close buildings and are very common in sewer systems of many American cities.
• American Cockroaches can fly.
• They are reddish-brown in color
• American Cockroaches are considered large roaches and vary from 1.1 to 2 inches in length.
• They can squeeze into a space no thicker than a quarter.
• Female American Cockroaches can produce up to 150 offspring per year.
• They’re very fast runners and can move up to 50 body lengths per second (comparable to a human running 210mph).
• American Cockroaches are nocturnal and mostly active at night.
• They will eat just about anything, including paper, hair, cloth and dead insects.

German Roaches:

• German cockroaches are prevalent in houses, apartments, restaurants & hotels and are known for infestations
• They’re considered small roaches and range from 1/2 of an inch to 5/8 of an inch long
• They eat sweets, grease, meat and garbage.
• Their lifespan is about 200 days
• One female can produce up to 100,000 cockroaches in one year, the fastest of any common pest cockroach species
• Newborn German cockroaches become adults in as little as 36 days
• They can fit into a crack as thin as a dime
• Although German cockroaches have fully developed wings, they do not fly

Where they live?
Cockroach prefers to live in damp but warm places and generally found in kitchens, hotels, bakeries, restaurants, warehouses, grocer’s shops, sewage, ships and public latrines, etc., where plenty of food is available.

• It is a nocturnal animal hiding in holes and crevices during the day and coming out at night when it tastes diverse objects like clothes, shoes, books and human food to feed upon.
• It is omnivorous in diet.
• It is a fast runner, i.e., cursorial in habit.
• It can also fly but it flies very rarely.
• It is dioecious and oviparous and exhibits parental care.

Are Roaches cause of concern?
Nuisance Cockroaches are important pests because they spread filth and ruin food, fabrics and book-bindings. They disgorge portions of their partially digested food at intervals and drop feces. They also discharge a nauseous secretion both from their mouths and from glands opening on the body which give a long-lasting, offensive cockroach smell to areas or food visited by them.

Diseases Cockroaches move freely from building to building or from drains, gardens, sewers and latrines to human habitations. Because they feed on human faeces as well as human food they can spread germs that cause disease . Cockroaches are not usually the most important cause of a disease, but like houseflies, Cockroaches can spread disease by contaminating human food with germs they pick up in latrines, garbage dumps, etc. they may play a supplementary role in the spread of some diseases. They are proven or suspected carriers of the organisms causing: — diarrhoea — dysentery — cholera — leprosy — plague — typhoid fever — viral diseases such as poliomyelitis. In addition they carry the eggs of parasitic worms and may cause allergic reactions, including dermatitis, itching, swelling of the eyelids and more serious respiratory conditions

Life Cycle
The cockroach life cycle is composed of three developmental phases namely egg, nymph and finally adult. The female cockroach produces an egg case called an ootheca. This case contains anywhere between 6 and 40 eggs. Depending on the species, the ootheca can either remain attached to the cockroach until the eggs are ready to hatch or deposited in a hidden place where the eggs will hatch. After 6-8 weeks, immature cockroaches known as nymphs emerge from the case. They are mostly white in color and will gain their brown color as they age. These nymphs will feed and undergo a series of molting over a period of one year as they develop into adults. The adult cockroach can live for up to one year (1).

5-What can I do to prevent Roaches infestation?
Eliminate Roach Snacks.
Kitchens provide ideal cockroach habitats for the German and brown-banded cockroaches. Cockroaches eat anything that is organic--even cardboard. Clean all surfaces there, especially between appliances and counters. Scrub under refrigerators and stoves. Scrape food deposits from corners. Keep garbage in closed waste containers that you can empty and clean regularly. Store compost buckets in the refrigerator until they are emptied. Keep fruit and other "counter food" in covered containers.
Feed pets at scheduled times and do not leave bowls of food on the floor.
Wipe up cockroach feces with a disposable cloth. Feces contain a pheromone that attracts roaches, and newly hatched roaches feed upon feces of older roaches.

Reduce Moisture.
Cockroaches require water, although the brown-banded can live for several weeks with minimal water. Repair leaks, insulate pipes, and caulk gaps around sinks and tubs to prevent water from getting behind walls. Repair worn grouting; install a moisture barrier on the wall behind dishwashers; remove water with wet vacuums or mops. Don't let water stand in houseplant dishes or in the pan under the refrigerator.

Destroy Harborages.
Cockroaches live inside cardboard and paper bags and can eat the glue that binds them together. Do not store boxes, cardboard, paper, clothes, or containers on the floor, and don't wedge paper bags between appliances or inside cabinets. Replace wooden shelving with plastic or stainless steel, or caulk gaps between pieces of wood shelving, after cleaning and vacuuming. Try to keep shelves 12 inches off the floor and 8 inches away from walls so you can inspect them easily from behind. Eliminate clutter, especially on the floor or in cabinets under sinks.
Cockroaches also live in cracks and crevices. Fix holes in walls and floors. Clean surfaces and seal gaps with inexpensive silicone caulk. Repair damaged door seals in refrigerators.

Use Temperature Extremes.
Heating to 115°F for 45 minutes kills all life stages of the German cockroach. Freezing at 23°F is also reported to kill all life stages of cockroach species, and can be used to disinfest items. Try this method in the winter when it is cold: vacuum roaches and immediately seal the infested vacuum cleaner bag inside a plastic bag. Place the bag outside in a tightly fitting garbage can.

Prevent Access.
Cover drains in the basement and floors so that openings are inch or smaller. Repair cracked basement walls or floors with caulk or grout. Inspect shopping bags, backpacks, and boxes coming into your home from other locations. Doing so prevents cockroaches from "hitching a ride".
Limit room-to-room movement of cockroaches. If you live in an attached dwelling, use heat-tolerant caulk to seal gaps around heat registers, and other caulks to seal gaps near air ducts, electrical chases, false ceilings, interior/exterior water and heating pipe, and wherever roaches can move from unit to unit.
Replace missing or damaged baseboards. Encircle legs of tables, beds, and other furniture with 1-inch Teflon tape to prevent cockroaches from climbing up. Roaches can't grip the smooth tape.

Contact a Flora Termite Professional
Call Flora Pest Control Professional an experienced, responsible pest control professional can increase your chance of success in getting rid of Roaches.