German Cockroach

Overview:

Kitchen areas are warm, have food and water sources. They are natural places for some pests to thrive. This is the perfect enviroment for german cockroaches, unsavory creatures that disgust nearly everyone.

Many people mistakenly believe that only "dirty" people get cockroaches, but this is a myth. Every home or commercial kitchen has the potential to have a cockroach problem.

Once a cockroach infestation gets started, its severity is usually determined by the resources available for cockroach survival--food, water and harborage factors we often control. The biggest cockroach problems are often in homes where there is a clutter problem because, the more stuff people have, especially in the kitchen, the more hiding places for roaches. But, clean, neat and tidy kitchens can still have cockroaches. For example, cockroaches can hide underneath the labels of canned goods and eat the paste off the labels.

Because cockroaches tend to frequent garbage cans, sewers and other disease-laden locations, germs attach to their body that can transfer to food contact surfaces (utensils, plates) during the normal course of roach activities. These include disease-causing bacteria: Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Streptococcus (pneumonia), several helminths (hookwoorm, pinworms, tapeworms), and even viruses (poliomyelitis). If this hasn't convinced you they are bad to live with, cockroaches also produce a powerful allergen that causes allergies and asthma.

Facts:

• Cockroaches have been around for over 200 million years, since the time of dinosaurs!
• A cockroach can live almost a month without food.
• A cockroach can live about two weeks without water.
• A cockroach can live for up to one week without its head!
• Cockroaches can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes!
• Cockroaches can run up to 3 miles an hour.

Identification:

• Pronounced parallel stripes along the pronotum (or head), sometimes extending the length of the body.
• Adults are about 1/2 to 5/8 inches long, light brown to tan except for the parallel stripes running along the pronotum (or head). These “racing stripes” sometimes run the length of the body.
• Nymphs go through a series of molts or “instars” in which their size and color will vary, but essentially they look like smaller versions of the adult.

Biology:

• Life cycle: egg - nymph (several stages) - adult.
• Female carries the egg capsule (ootheca) on her back until just prior to its hatching, she deposits it in a protected area, close to food, moisture and suitable shelter.
• Ootheca contain an average of 35 nymphs, she will produce about 5 during her lifetime.
• Egg to adult development time is about 103 days (average) can be 3 to 4 generations per year, depending on environmental conditions (heat/humidity, food, moisture, shelter, etc.).
• Adults will live about 100-200 days.
• Mature, established populations are typically comprised of at least 75% nymphs.
• Spend 75% of their time in their harborage areas which are usually cracks and crevices --- they feel secure when they can touch all sides of their body when at rest.

Habits:

• Prefer heat and higher relative humidity.
• Need food, water/moisture, heat/humidity, and shelter to survive.
• Usually found in kitchens, bathrooms but not limited to these areas. Also found in appliances such as radios, clocks, TV’s, phones, stoves, refrigerators etc.
• Will eat anything with nutritive value, including all food, soap, glue, toothpaste etc.
• Are prolific “hitchhikers” in that they are generally brought into a new environment on paper products, cardboard boxes, grocery bags, used or 2nd hand appliances and in some cases people.
• Rarely will migrate from building to building or be seen outside.

Treatment:

Generally a successful treatment consists of using an approved cockroach bait or residual insecticide applied directly into cracks and crevices where the roaches harbor. Good sanitation is helpful and reducing harborage areas is even more helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do I have to do all of the preparations?
A: The landlord is paying a lot of money to get rid of this problem and in order for us to guarantee our work we need 100% cooperation in preparing for our service.  We need to have access to ALL the areas that roaches could be hiding. This ensures a more thorough service, faster results, and better long term results.

Q: I’ve never seen roaches in my unit… why do I have to prepare?
A: Roaches can freely move from unit to unit by means of water lines, heat ducts, etc. Just because you are not seeing or experiencing roaches at this time, doesn’t mean that you won’t in the future.  In order for us to guarantee the service, we need to inspect and possibly treat your unit, along with all the rest.

Q: What about my animal?
A: Your animals may be in your unit during the treatment. They would have to eat the material in order for it to affect them (quite a bit of it too!). It is best if they can be kept in a room like the bedroom (if it doesn't have any roaches) until the service is completed.

Q: I’m sick of these roaches… how long ‘til I don’t see any more?
A: It usually takes about 1-5 days before you will see any dead roaches, there will be about an 90+% reduction in the roach population after 1 week.  Total elimination can be expected in about 4 weeks. If you continue to see roaches after 4 weeks, please let your manager or us know.

PLEASE, DO NOT SPRAY ANY AEROSOL INSECTICIDES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, DOING SO WILL JEOPARDIZE THE EXPECTED RESULTS AND PERHAPS CAUSE THE WARRANTY TO BE VOIDED.