Bugs, such as cockroaches, can enter a home and can cause an infestation in a short amount of time. Cockroaches are also something that more people deal with each year than you might imagine. Insects like cockroaches make up a huge percentage of those pests that tend to come into a home undetected and make themselves very hard to get rid of. Knowing a bit about cockroaches and their life cycle may help those dealing with them better understand how to get rid of them and keep them from coming back.
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When it comes to household pest the most common tend to be the German cockroach. The average cockroach lifespan is about twenty to thirty weeks given that the roach has ready access to food and water. The first stage in the life of cockroach females and males alike is the egg stage. Eggs are produced in what are called egg capsules. Each capsule can contain around 30 to 48 eggs, which means that many little cockroaches should hatch. An adult female cockroach can produce up to eight egg capsules in their lifetime which equates to nearly 400 cockroaches from one roach during its life cycle. Cockroach life span will vary dependent on the conditions of the area where the roach is living.
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The next phase of the lifecycle starts when the eggs hatch. It takes about 28 days for an egg capsule to mature to the point of hatching and the formation of the next egg capsule starts not long after the first is deposited and hatched. The second stage is called the nymph stage. These nymphs, or immature cockroaches, are smaller and do not have wings as adults do. They may also be lighter in color and tend to move a bit faster than an adult roach would move. There are different stages of growth that all fall into the nymph stage, and they will eventually end in a fully mature cockroach that can then make new roaches themselves.
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The last stage of a cockroach is of course the adult stage. These roaches are the ones that produce egg capsules and continue to create new eggs and new roaches. German cockroaches can be identified by the two parallel black lines that run down their backs. German cockroaches tend to stink as they do put off secretions that help them digest their foods. If you have many roaches to deal with, you can often smell them.
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The last stage of a cockroach is of course the adult stage. These roaches are the ones that produce egg capsules and continue to create new eggs and new roaches. German cockroaches can be identified by the two parallel black lines that run down their backs. German cockroaches tend to stink as they do put off secretions that help them digest their foods. If you have many roaches to deal with, you can often smell them.
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They will make their home in a warm, dark, and wet area such as a basement but that is not where they will stay. Those nasty bugs will start making their way to find food and water, your food and water. Not only are these bugs gross, but cockroaches can aggravate allergies and asthma. They also carry and spread over 30 different types of bacteria. Female roaches can birth over 100 offspring in a year. If you see one cockroach just know he has a big family very nearby.
Here are some ways to help prevent these bugs from coming in:
• Keeping your home or business clean and dry
• Keeping food in tightly sealed containers
• Washing dishes frequently so food won’t sit out on counters or in the sink
• Keeping your garbage covered and taken out regularly
• Vacuuming your living and working spaces, and generally keeping things clean
• Seal cracks and crevices that allow entry from the outside to indoor spaces
• Remove anything roaches can use for shelter, such as cardboard and paper.
If you already have an infestation the best idea is to talk with a professional pest control service that can help to remove the bugs that you have, kill off eggs, and help with preventative measures to keep them from coming back. The first step is a good cleaning to remove anything that is attracting the roaches, followed by fumigation of some sort to kill the eggs and roaches that are present, and then a follow-up to prevent them from coming back.
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Pest Solutions can offer you a plan of action to get rid of even the worst infestations.
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