American Cockroaches

While cockroaches may make excellent supporting actors in a horror or crime film they are not suited for residency in your beloved home. Cockroaches can live in a wide range of environments around the world but prefer warm conditions found within buildings. This is bad news for homeowners. New Englanders should be aware of several common cockroach species including: the American Cockroach, German Cockroaches and Oriental Cockroaches. For this blog let's examine the American cockroach: identification, interesting facts. behavior, and prevention.American Cockroach identification - This critter is sometimes called the Palmetto Bug. It is approximately 1.5 inches long with full-sized reddish brown wings and a light margin on their prothorax. With a basic oval shape and antennae, the American cockroach prefers to live in warm, dark, wet areas, like sewers, bathrooms and basements.Behavior - This species of cockroach can be found in homes and are also common in larger commercial buildings, such as restaurants, grocery stores and hospitals. They enter structures through drains and pipes and will eat just about anything, including plants and other insects. Like most cockroaches, this type is nocturnal and flee for cover when suddenly illuminated. They, however, do explore rooms that have the lights on.Danger - Cockroaches crawl through dirty areas and then walk around our homes tracking in lots of bacteria and germs. They can contaminate food by shedding their skins. Their cast off skin and waste byproducts are allergens that can trigger allergic reactions, asthma and other illnesses, especially in children. American cockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. In addition, these cockroaches emit a chemical trail (pheromones) where they travel. This causes other cockroaches to follow the initial cockroaches. This means that if you see one, there are probably many more in hiding.Prevention - Implementing a customized solution that includes exclusion, baiting and insecticides can be the best plan of action for this filthy pest. Pest-End can help you identify your cockroach problem, means of entry and treat the area to eliminate the problem.