All About Cockroaches

american roach
American Roach

Cockroaches win the prize for most repulsive household pest. In some areas of the US, like in Texas and Florida, cockroaches (also known as roaches) are a way of life, frequently making their un-bashful way into homes. There are many ways to prevent cockroaches, although in cockroach-prone climates (such as in damper climates), preventing roaches does not always work to keep them out all of the time.

Here is a little roach information for you to help understand just who exactly these disgusting creatures are. I refer to cockroaches as disgusting because they carry disease and could potentially make us sick. Roaches can contaminate food and transmit many diseases such as staph, strep, salmonella and more. Since they eat pet and human feces, it's no wonder they are carriers of such bad germs.

Interesting Cockroach Facts

  • A roach can live a week without its head! It will only die once it has no mouth because it can no longer drink.
  • Roaches can run up to 3 miles per hour. No wonder they are so hard to catch!
  • Young cockroaches need only a crack as thin as a dime (about .5 mm wide) to crawl into. Adult males can squeeze into a space of 1.6 mm., or the thickness of a quarter.
  • There are 4,000 species of roaches
  • Cockroaches are nocturnal and will usually run away when exposed to light. This translates into: Wear your slippers when getting out of bed at night!
  • American cockroaches have been known to live up to 3 months without food or water.
  • Cockroaches can survive in freezing temperatures.

The Four Types of Common Roaches

1. The German Roach - One of the smallest and most common roaches around the world.

2. American Cockroaches - The largest sized household roach. They are light brown with yellowish wings and can glide, but not fly.

3. Oriental Cockroach - These are dark, reddish brown and shiny and typically live in sewers or other places where there is a large amount of decaying matter. They are sometimes called "water bugs" because they come out of drains, and "black beetle cockroaches" because of their smooth, dark bodies. Males are about 1 inch long, with wings that cover only about 3/4 of their abdomen; females are about 1 1/4 inch long, and have only short stubs of wing pads. (Source: National Pest Management Association)

4. Brown-banded Roaches - Brown-banded cockroaches get their name from the two lighter bands they have across their dark brown bodies. Male brown-banded roaches have wings.

Remember: Killing the roaches you see will not get rid of a cockroach infestation. For that you will need to hire a professional exterminator.

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