COCKROACHES
With great adaptability and survival skills, cockroaches thrive in warm, humid, urban environments. They are drawn to food sources and areas that are dirty, sticky, or damp. A vast range of material can be sourced as food, including cardboard, glue, and faeces. Cockroaches are known to hide inside cupboards, under fridges or in ceilings and are deterred by bright lights; this is why their eggs are often difficult to spot.
A cockroach infestation is irritating as they not only lay a single egg, but multiple at once. On average, an egg case can lay about 40 cockroaches. So, if you’ve seen a cockroach crawling around your home, there is a good chance that plenty more are hiding in dark areas of the house.
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Not only do they fly, crawl, and bite, but they also pose a significant health risk. Cockroaches have been proven to spread diseases like salmonella, gastroenteritis, and food poisoning which can lead to fevers, vomiting and diarrhoea. They can also cause allergic reactions and enhance asthma sensitivities as they are known to leave behind pieces of shedded skin containing allergens.
If you think that you have a cockroach infestation, it is crucial to involve an expert immediately. Store bought fixes are a temporary solution as they do not eradicate cockroach nests. The technicians at Annual Pest Management can detect cockroaches in all stages of life and use cutting-edge methods to reduce the risk of future infestation.
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TYPES OF COCKROACHES
American Brown Cockroach
The American Brown Cockroach is the largest of the 6 most common species - they can grow up to 53mm in length. They have a yellow band around their head, and a reddish-brown coloured body. These cockroaches often hide in warm, dark humid spaces during the cooler months, and migrate back outside when the weather warms up. The American Cockroach is very fast and active, and often flies.
Smoky Brown Cockroach
As the name suggests, the Smoky Brown Cockroach has a smoky brown coloured body. This species will grow up to 38mm in length with wings that are longer than their bodies. These cockroaches often infest outdoor areas where the humidity is high. They are also attracted to light and can fly into homes towards a source of light.
Australian Cockroach
The Australian Cockroach is slightly smaller than other species (25-35mm long) and are brown in colour with a yellow line around their head. This species commonly hides away in cracks and crevices during the day and comes out at night to find a source of food or water. They love a damp climate.
German Cockroach
The German cockroach, colloquially known as the croton bug, is a species of small cockroach, typically about 1.1 to 1.6 cm long. In colour it varies from tan to almost black, and it has two dark, roughly parallel, streaks on the pronotum running anteroposteriorly from behind the head to the base of the wings.