Pest of the Month: Cockroaches

Cockroaches are known for being some of the most resilient pests around. They’re creepy, crawly, and all around unpleasant. Identify the signs of cockroaches within the walls of your home before a full on infestation has the chance to take root. By learning more about this pesky bug of the month, you will more easily clear your home of the problem.

For Your Health

Not only are cockroaches unappealing to see, if left their presence can begin to have a dangerous impact on your healthy. Both asthma and allergies can be made worse by the allergens associated with cockroaches. In addition to this, these are not clean bugs. They are vehicles for bacteria and germs, spreading these problems far and wide.

Extreme Survival Skills

 The cockroach is the ultimate survivor. Scientists believe cockroaches have been around for about 350 million years. During this time they have adapted, developing skills to help them live. These skills include:

• Withstanding extremely low temperatures, surviving in temperatures dipping down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
• These pests can survive for a week while missing their head. This is possible because of the open circulatory system, as well as the fact that they breathe through holes in the segments of their bodies.
• The cockroach can hold its breath for long periods of time, as long as 40 minutes.

Each of these survival skills makes the cockroach difficult to get rid of. Because of this, a cockroach infestation needs to be met with just as much force and determination.

Thousands of Species

 There are over four thousand types of cockroach species identified around the world. The most common types that we are familiar with include the brownbanded cockroach, German cockroach, and American cockroach. Each of these have different habits, appearances, sizes, and more. In Utah the cockroaches that present the biggest problem are the German, Oriental, and Brown-banded. Become familiar with each of these species to more easily identify an infestation.

Keep Them Out

 Before cockroaches have a chance to enter your home, make the changes necessary to keep them out. This includes moving wood piles away from your home along with other waste in the yard, sealing any cracks to the windows and doors of your home to take away an easy bug entrance, and being diligent during each season, watching for the signs of cockroaches.

Cockroaches are some of the strongest pests, but our defenses should be stronger. If you see the signs of a cockroach infestation in your home, don’t wait. These obnoxious critters are strong and stealthy, leading to larger problems the longer they are allowed to stay.