What Causes Roaches?
There are several answers to Where Do Roaches Come From, however, the most common cause of roaches is food and trash being available for them to eat. Cockroaches love kitchens and other rooms that store open food.
Roaches In Multifamily Homes
In some cases, roaches can infest apartments simply because it is located near another apartment with a bad infestation. We always recommend treating each unit individually to eradicate the issue.
How Do Cockroaches Find Food?
Cockroaches have the second-largest genome of all insects studied in that regard, so when comparing them to other house-infesting insects they have an advantage when it comes to hunting down spare food. The American Cockroach, for example, has 150 olfactory receptors which allow them to smell the food and crumbs left behind after cooking or eating. American Cockroaches also have over 500 gustatory receptors which give them the ability to taste the food ingested.
American Cockroaches
American Cockroaches are a large species of winged cockroach, despite the fact that they can hardly fly. They prefer warm, moist areas with sufficient heating such as boiler rooms and basements. American Cockroaches are 1 to 1 1/2 inches in size.
Brown-Banded Cockroaches
Brown-Banded Cockroaches can understandably be identified by the brown bands on their back. Brown Banded roaches prefer elevated areas of buildings that are warm and dry. Brown Banded Cockroaches are 5/8″ in size.
German -Cockroaches
German cockroaches are the most common structure-infesting cockroach. They damage food, books, household items and carry diseases and bacteria. German roaches are 1/2″ to 5/8″ in size.
Oriental -Cockroaches
Oriental Cockroaches, sometimes called the “water bug,” prefer dark, moist areas for shelter. They often live in floor drains that deposit outside the home. Oriental Roaches are typically 1″ in size.
How Long Can Cockroaches Go Without Food?
Cockroaches are able to go without any food for 2-3 months which makes them a particularly tricky insect infestation to handle. Even if the home has been thoroughly cleaned out in an effort to mitigate the problem, it is always recommended that the home be treated by a professional with insecticides.
How To Monitor Cockroaches
The Pest Detective often utilizes sticky traps during the initial inspection so that the source of the issue can be identified. Cockroaches can hide in many places that untrained people would not think to investigate. Knowing the way the roaches are moving throughout a home significantly aides in providing a more effective service.
