Disgusting Pests

Roaches are one of the most disgusting pests out there. Roaches can be a health concern to children and families. Roaches leave behind old roach body shells, droppings, saliva, and lost body parts. The cockroach’s debris causes respiratory problems in children and adults that are allergic to these roach antigens. And cockroaches can spread many diseases. Plus, roaches themselves can smell bad. So you have good reason to get rid of roaches.

A clean home doesn’t solve a roach problem.

Roaches have often been associated with poor housekeeping, but even the cleanest home could have a roach problem. In fact, a roach can live off of the oil from one fingerprint for a week! Do you really think you can maintain a home with zero fingerprints are just prone to roach infestations no matter how clean or dirty a home is.

Is there a roach control solution?

The good news is, if treated properly, a professional can get rid of roaches inside your home, and fairly quickly. Plus, our roach control solution doesn’t end with just getting rid of roaches inside your home, but extends to protecting the outside of home in a way that prevents cockroaches from ever infesting your home again. There is a real roach control solution, and we can help.

Common Roaches in the Texas Panhandle are the German roach, Oriental roach, American roach, and the Brown Banded roach.

German Cockroach

Characteristics

Size: German cockroaches reach about one inch in length.

Color: The German cockroach is tan to brownish in color with two dark, longitudinal stripes. Wings reach the end of the abdomen in females and extend just beyond the tip of the abdomen in males. Neither males nor females are capable of flight.

Habits: The German cockroach is a nocturnal animal that avoids light and is almost always found indoors. Indoor infestations are typically started when roaches enter the home inside of packages. This cockroach has a higher moisture requirement than many other species, and is therefore most likely to be living in kitchens or bathrooms.

Diet: German cockroaches are not picky eaters and will consume just about anything including human hair, fingernails and toenails. Germans are also fond of wall paper glue and other adhesives.

Reproduction: The German cockroach reproduces faster than any other cockroach. Females produce an average of five egg capsules in their lifetime, each holding an average of 30-40 eggs. It takes an egg three months to mature to adulthood, which means there can be up to four generations of cockroaches each year.

Other Information: German cockroaches spend most of their time hiding in cracks, voids and crevices. They can pollute food, damage wallpaper and books, consume the glue from furniture, and often produce an unpleasant odor. Some adults and children are allergic to roaches.

Oriental Roach

Characteristics

Size: The Oriental cockroach is a large roach reaching about 1 inch in length.

Color: They are very dark brown to black. Females are oval shaped and have short stubby wings. Males have wings that do not reach the end of the abdomen.

Habits: Oriental roaches are commonly known as water bugs and can be found living outdoors in damp locations such as underground water and sewage systems. Their travel through such unsanitary habitats increases their potential as disease vectors. They often enter structures by crawling under doors or through other exterior openings and often take up residence in damp basements, cellars, crawl spaces, near drains, leaky water pipes and beneath refrigerators, sinks and washing machines, under floors, and inside walls. Oriental cockroaches are nocturnal, avoid light, and, although the male has well developed wings, neither sex can fly.

Diet: These insects feed on garbage and decaying organic matter and are often considered the filthiest of the house-infesting roaches.

Reproduction: Females carry their egg capsules for about one day, and then deposit the capsule in a secluded place. Each capsule has an average of 15 eggs. Eggs hatch in about 60 days and nymphs develop in about one year. Adult females live one to six months.

Other Information: Oriental cockroaches can live without food for up to a month if water is present, but will die in two weeks without food and water.

American Cockroach

Characteristics

Size: The American cockroach can grow to as large as 1-1/2 inches long and is by far the largest cockroach infesting homes and buildings.

Color: The American cockroach is reddish brown in color and often has yellow markings around the prothorax, which is the shield on the front it its body.

Habits: American cockroaches usually live outdoors, but often live in human structures and are frequently found in restaurants and grocery stores or anywhere food is prepared and stored. In residential and commercial buildings, American cockroaches infest basements, bathrooms, crawlspaces and landscaping areas. They prefer warm, moist environments but can live in dry areas if water is accessible. Although adults have fully developed wings, and are capable of some flight, they are awkward fliers and prefer to run away very quickly when disturbed. Infestations often overtake storm drains and cockroaches use manhole covers to escape under cover of darkness to search for food in nearby buildings.

Diet: American cockroaches feed on a wide variety of materials including human hair, fingernails and toenails. They also feed on things like cosmetics, beer, potted plant shoots, wallpaper paste, soap, postage stamps, and fermenting fruit.

Reproduction: Females produce an egg case three to seven days after mating which protrudes from the tip of their abdomen. The egg case is soon deposited in a hidden location and glued to a surface with the female’s saliva. Each female produces ten egg capsules containing an average of 15 eggs per capsule. In warm conditions, these egg capsules take approximately 45 days to hatch. It then takes six to twelve months for them to mature and become reproductive. An adult female will produce six to fourteen egg cases during her lifetime.

Other Information: American cockroaches contaminate just about anything they touch with their feces and body parts. They also emit a strong and very unpleasant odor, which can be transferred to items, they crawl across while looking for their next meal. Some members of this species carry bacteria on and in their bodies, which can contaminate food and other items. American cockroaches also produce allergens in their fecal material, which may contribute to allergic dermatitis and childhood asthma.

Brown Banded Cockroach

Characteristics

Size: Adults grow to 1/2 inch in length.

Color: The brown banded cockroach is named for two wide stripes running side to side on its thorax and abdomen. Males are usually yellowish brown in color and females are darker brown.

Habits: This roach species is found primarily indoors, where it may be as common in dry areas of the structure as it is in the kitchen or bathrooms. It has a low moisture requirement, allowing it to survive in many locations. It often hides in cracks and voids. It comes out under cover of night to search for food and water.

Diet: Brown banded cockroaches prefer starchy materials but will eat anything that possesses organic matter including book and cabinet glues.

Reproduction: Females stick their light brown egg capsules to a hidden surface such as closet corners, behind drawers, within corrugated cardboard, or behind objects on the wall. Each egg capsule contains an average of 15 eggs, and development from egg to mature adult takes about six months. Because of the manner of hiding the egg capsules on materials, this species is easily relocated to new habitats.

Other Information: Males have wings that completely cover the abdomen, while the females wings are shorter, exposing the last few segments of the abdomen. Both sexes can fly. Brown banded cockroaches are often found in apartments, motels, and long-term care facilities. Because brown banded cockroaches can survive in both moist and dry environments, they are difficult to control.