Common Pest: Cockroaches

Cockroaches have lived with people since before language was even developed. The name cockroach is thought to be Spanish in origin because it shares sounds with the word “cucaracha.” The song “La Cucaracha” brings to mind the vigorous stomping of the Flamenco Dancers feet. Which could refer to the stamping of your feet if you are a homeowner who has a cockroach infestation.

Cockroaches are nocturnal, omnivorous, aggregate, pre-social, adaptable, can survive on very little water, and because of their short and highly reproductive life cycle, they have developed resistance to many pesticides. In Missouri, residential and commercial structures are plagued by about five species of cockroaches. The American cockroach, brown banded cockroach, Oriental cockroach, German cockroach and the smokey brown cockroach. The German roach will infest any and all structures, particularly food-handling establishments. The brown banded roach tends to be more concentrated in bakeries, hospitals and nursing homes. The Oriental roach (water bug) is found in areas of heavy moisture, like basements, sewer drains and mulch beds. The American roach, the largest of the cockroach species, and the smokey brown roach are primarily outdoor pests.

On average, the lifespan of a cockroach is anywhere from six months to a full year and a half. The four elements necessary for their survival are water, food, shelter and warmth. Cockroaches do not do well in cold temperatures, they prefer a comfortable 68 to 86 degrees. Female cockroaches carry their eggs in a purse-like appendage called an ootheca and can be deposited (hidden) or carried with them until they hatch. A female can produce between five and eight egg sacs in her lifetime, each carrying up 40 eggs each. A female cockroach can produce from 240 to as many as 300 to 400 total offspring in her lifetime. They have two sets of antennae, one pair on their head the other pair (called cerci) is located at the base of the abdomen. They are used to detect wind currents, like the rush of air that precedes being hit with a shoe. Roaches do not venture far from harborage areas, being “thigmotropic” they like to be touched when hiding. They can eat almost anything and do not have a defined social structure, which means they can live independently of a central colony. A roach survives on nutrients extracted from the moisture found in the food matter consumed. Digestion is limited to this process. The rest of the material consumed is excreted as the insect moves from place to place. Food matter passes through the insect, remaining mostly undigested. In short, whatever bacteria were on the food source before consumption are now being relocated onto every surface that roach walks on.

In a commercial kitchen cockroaches can hide in food preparation areas, table legs, deep fryers, stoves, food storage & sanitation areas, sinks, pipes, conduits, appliances and electric outlets. In a residential structure, cockroaches can be found in places like picture frames, under baseboards, wall voids, light fixtures, electronics, basements, sewer drains, cabinets, many crevices in the kitchen area and the exterior perimeter of the building.

Cockroaches are aptly thought of by most cultures as vile organisms that spread disease and contaminate human environments. (Like the giant cockroaches depicted in the movie Men In Black, who crash landed his space ship on earth, ate a farmer and made a suit out of his skin so he could hide among the population.) Cockroaches have been around since the dawn of mankind, are easily relocated with migratory populations and suspected to be able to survive a nuclear holocaust. Cockroaches can hide their young, detect you coming and going, spend most of their lives in hiding, eat virtually anything and resist pesticides. If you don’t have time to learn Flamenco and Will Smith is not handy with his tazer, you need to call a pest control professional right away to eradicate a cockroach infestation. Bugs by Brian, the St. Louis cockroach control professionals, will rapidly assess any cockroach job upon arrival, focusing our attention on critical locations that need to be targeted immediately. We apply the correct chemicals and bait in precisely the right areas to ensure expedient and cost effective cockroach elimination.