Cockroach Identification

Cockroaches are pests that have been around for ions due to their adaptability and ability to survive in almost any indoor or outdoor environment. Most of the world’s cockroaches live outside, well away from people. Still, several species have learned the benefits of living near people and, like other common household pests, know how to take advantage of the food and water our properties offer them. Our region is home to several different species of cockroaches, each with unique appearances and behaviors, but all share the same ability to spread diseases, contaminate food, and be difficult to control and eliminate from homes and businesses. Cockroaches that live in our region include:

• American cockroaches
• German cockroaches
• Oriental cockroaches
• Smoky brown cockroaches
• Turkestan cockroaches

Cockroaches are dangerous and should never be a presence in any home or business. Cockroaches and their shed skins and excrement will trigger asthma attacks and allergies. These insects are also responsible for contaminating food and surfaces with pathogens and diseases that cause dysentery, E. coli, giardia, dysentery, and salmonellosis. Another problem with cockroaches is that they invade spaces in such large numbers. If you spot one roach in your home, there are many more hiding close by. Cockroaches will chew on and stain surfaces, clothing, and upholstery with their excrement. The more that are present  in your home, the more damage they will cause.

Cockroaches feed on a wide variety of food and non-food materials, making our yards and homes an ideal place for these pests to forage for food. Moisture and warmth also attract cockroaches to structures where they can find a way inside through small cracks and crevices, drains, and vents they discover. While many cockroaches may come in from the outside, others, like German cockroaches, mainly live indoors and move from location to location by hitchhiking in boxes, furniture, appliances, and deliveries.

Cockroaches like to be in our homes because they provide them with food sources and many places to hide during the day. Cockroaches are thigmotropic; this means that they want to feel contact with something solid on the front and back of their bodies. Being thigmotropic is why they love to squeeze their bodies into tight cracks and crevices they find in our home’s walls, floors, ceilings, cabinets, and furniture. Kitchens, basements, bathrooms, and areas of your home that tend to be naturally warm and humid are where you are most likely to find these pests.

Protect your Manteca home and family from unwanted cockroaches with the help of the experts at Next Generation Pest Control. Our professionals will take the time to get to know you and understand your property’s exact pest control needs. We will solve your pest problems in a safe and timely manner through our customized pest control solutions, ensuring your property becomes free of cockroaches and other household pests. To discover more about our residential or commercial pest control solutions, reach out and call us today. We do pest control the right way!

We have put together a list of tips that you can utilize to prevent future problems with cockroaches.

• Seal spaces around plumbing entering through walls to stop cockroaches from being able to get your home easily.
• Place covers in electrical outlets.
• Do not leave pet food or their water out overnight.
• Never keep leftover food out on counters or tables; put it away in the fridge.
• Wash dirty dishes daily.
• Regularly wash out and keep clean your indoor and outdoor trash cans.
• Vacuum your floors regularly and wipe down counters to get rid of crumbs and sticky spills.
• Remove cardboard boxes, paper bags, newspapers, and other clutter from your home where cockroaches can hide.