Roaches

According to Census.gov, an estimated 14 million housing units reported seeing roaches in their home over the last year. That is 14 million housing units of 124 million surveyed homes. This doesn't include the amount of homes and homeowners/tenants that do not yet realize they have a cockroach infestation. Roaches tend to hide in the cracks and crevices of homes, more specifically, in all of the dark, damp areas of your home where they are least noticeable.

Adding to the confusion, there are various types of roaches which require different treatment methods. For example, one of the hardest pests to control in this industry is the german roach. Why? Their ability to hide out in electrical components and wiring allow them be be elusive much longer than most roaches. They also reproduce at a rapid speed compared to other roach species. One egg sack can have 46-48 eggs in it, and each female roach lays about thirty of them. These eggs will hatch in 21-28 days, resulting in an infestation large enough to cause chaos in just a matter of weeks. In addition to being a nuisance, german roaches have the ability to spread diseases like salmonella, and cause allergic reactions, which they are best known for. These scavengers make their way into your home in boxes, bags and used furniture/appliances. You will find these pests in warmer, humid areas, which tend to make them an unwelcome but common house guest in North Carolina. Once they make their way into your home, they like to harborage in electric panels in refrigerators, behind dishwashers and even in coffee machines. Aside from the kitchen, german roaches can commonly be found in the bathroom where they will feed on soap and scum. These are one of the most difficult pests to control because by the time you realize you have them, you normally have a large infestation, because these roaches are particularly elusive and avoid human contact at all costs. These are the roaches you typically see in the movies when they flick the kitchen light on in the middle of the night and a few hundred roaches scatter.

Enough about german roaches, let's talk about another commonly found roach in our area, the American Roach. American roaches are the largest species of common roaches, they are also known as 'palmetto bugs' or 'water bugs'. These reddish brown roaches can grow up to an inch and a half long! The females of this species of roach lay typically up to ten egg capsules, or oothecas, and about 90 eggs will hatch in total. These roaches also typically take a little longer to develop, generally 6-8 weeks. These pests can be found almost anywhere in the home as they are not picky eaters and are not as afraid of humans as the german roaches are. They feed on beer, cheese, leather, baked goods, even the glue on the back of postage stamps. These roaches can also spread disease and allergic reactions in humans, although they do not do so as frequently as the german roaches do.

Another common roach we find in homes in our area is the oriental roach. These roaches tend to look 'shiny' or 'oily' and are a dark black color. These roaches are sluggish, and they are poor climbers, which make them a little lazy in the department of travel. For this reason, you can find congregations of roaches in mulch beds, in gutters, especially clogged gutters, on open porches, and in many other damp, darker areas. These roaches have a strong filthy odor about them and are considered the dirtiest species of roach. In addition to spreading salmonella, they can spread E Coli, dysentary and food poisoning. 

In this area, we tend to come across is the brown banded roach. They have two tan lines on the wing area. These roaches are interesting because they do not require nearly as much moisture as most other roaches do. Because of this, they are found in areas many other roaches are not found, but they do avoid daylight, so they are more commonly observed at night. These roaches can carry microorganisms and various parasites, posing health concerns for humans. 

These are the most common roaches found in our area, although there are several other species, including Pennsyulvania wood roaches, Australian roaches and smoky brown roaches. The most important thing to understand about roach infestations, regardless of the type of roach you are dealing with, is that the need to be professionally treated, and that your pest professional should manage the infestation using several methods, including chemical and no chemical approaches, and incorporating the tenant/homeowner into the treatment process by giving professional recommendations to aid the treatment. If you have any questions or need help identifying a roach infestation in your home, give us a call today. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you in the elimination of these unwanted pests.