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There are three species of problem cockroaches that are common to Australia: the German, the American, and the Oriental cockroach.
GERMAN COCKROACHES (Blatella germanica)
German Cockroaches are by far the most common cockroach pest in Australia Their presence can be a source of embarrassment and disgust. More importantly, they are a significant health concern. A roach can travel through waste, faeces, sewers and drains and then contact food preparation surfaces, plates, utensils and foodstuffs. They carry disease-causing bacteria including salmonella and typhus and they trigger allergies and contribute to asthma.
German Cockroach
Cockroaches reproduce quickly: The female German roach has the highest reproduction rate of all species of roaches. Egg capsules (ootheca) contain more eggs (around 45 eggs) eggs hatch in a shorter time, and nymphs reach maturity quicker than any other roach. It is this rapid reproduction rate that allows roach populations to rebound so quickly after chemical treatment. Treatment applications must be thorough and frequent in order to stay ahead of the growth curve. Home-generated treatments seldom work effectively.
The German cockroach is a relatively small cockroach, but is certainly the most successful, adaptable and widespread of all cockroaches. Adults are amber in colour with two darker longitudinal bands on the pronotum. Females produce 6 to 5 egg cases, each containing between 30 to 40 eggs. Nymphal stage is between 6 to 12 weeks and the adult lifespan is 4 to 6 months. Almost exclusively an indoor cockroach, they seek conditions with shelter, moisture and food. The majority of infestations are associated with kitchens and food handling areas.
For optimal control, they must be kept starved, thirsty and homeless.
Cockroaches show a strong preference to remaining close to their food sources. Remove that food source, and they will likely seek a more hospitable home. Food should be stored in tight containers; practice strict sanitation - tolerate no grease or crumbs; empty and secure trash daily; repair leaks and keep baths and kitchens dry; always rinse and dry eating and drinking utensils, never leave them in the sink overnight; never leave pet food exposed; remove clutter and debris; regularly inspect electrical appliances and heat-generating devices such as microwave clocks, videos and telephones, and then, vacuum regularly and seal gaps, cracks and crevices.
Female German cockroaches carry their egg capsules: Unlike other roaches, the female German roach carries its ootheca dropping it just before it hatches. The ootheca is a lighter coloured, sometimes crescent shaped and about the size of a nail clipping. While the female is gravid, she is less active and remains hidden in protective voids and this makes her less susceptible to insecticidal treatments. The capsule has a hard covering that protects eggs from predators and parasites. Most pesticides cannot penetrate the egg capsule. Often, the egg capsule survives treatment and emergent nymphs appear weeks after an insecticidal application has been performed. It is imperative to treat deep inside cracks and to schedule follow up treatments within a month where heavy infestations are present, particularly so with commercial establishments.
German Cockroaches will nibble on just about anything, from bookbindings to film, to starched linen and leather. German cockroaches can survive a whole month without food, but last less than two weeks without water.
Under optimum conditions, one female cockroach can be responsible 35,000 offspring.
German cockroach mobility: As populations increase, roaches move to new areas in search of food, water and harbourage. They may move from the kitchen to living areas, closets and furniture. In apartments and office buildings, they follow utility lines into adjacent units. Roaches can also hitchhike in furniture, shopping bags and clothing. Anything brought into the house should be inspected carefully. This dispersal tendency means that the entire structure must be treated and inspected on a regular schedule. Professionals must also expand their search for roaches into sites not typically associated with roaches.
German cockroach adaptability: Roaches can detect insecticides and may escape the effects of the chemical before picking up a lethal dose. The insecticide treatment may even drive roaches away from their normal habitat into other areas. All the more reason to pinpoint cracks and crevices where the roach will be forced to contact the product. Even so, roaches can develop a resistance to insecticides. When insects are exposed to a chemical, the least susceptible ones may survive to pass on their resistance to their offspring. If the same insecticide type is applied constantly, a population of resistant insects can emerge. That is why a variety of products and techniques must be employed including using growth regulators, baits and even vacuuming. Rotation of insecticides with a differing active ingredient (AI) is vital.
German cockroaches spend most of their lives in cracks and voids: Cockroaches are nocturnal and secretive. They venture out only occasionally to forage for food and water. For every roach seen in plain sight, potentially hundreds can be hidden inside wall and ceiling voids, behind cabinets and inside appliances. Roaches are thigmotactic (they like to have something touching the top and bottom of their bodies simultaneously) and that is why they prefer cracks and crevices. Effective control requires sealing cracks and gaps, using flushing agents to remove roaches from their harbourages and targeting cracks and crevices with long-lasting residuals.
Cockroaches aggregate: Oddly, roaches are not social insects and do not establish colonies, but they do crowd together. Faecal points usually indicate aggregation sites. These spots should be cleaned off to monitor future activity and the area should be treated with residual insecticides or baits. Pheromone traps can also be useful.
AMERICAN COCKROACH (Periplaneta Americana) American cockroaches are possibly the largest that invade dwellings. Adults have a red/brown to black body with a pale yellow border around the pronotum (the section that joins the head to the thorax). Egg cases containing up to 16 eggs a re usually glued close to areas where food and water will easily be found. The stage from nymph to adulthood can take between 6 and 12 months and adults can survive up to 12 months. The female can produce up to 50 egg cases. Will live indoors in cooler regions, but prefers outdoors in warmer regions. Has a preference for decaying organic matter, but will happily eat virtually all human and animal food. Likes glue from wallpaper and bookbindings.Adults with a water source can survive 2 –3 months without food.
ORIENTAL COCKROACH (Blatta orientalis) The Oriental cockroach is a medium sized roach. Colouring ranges from dark brown to black. The female has somewhat reduced wings (present as buds). The male has larger wings that almost cover the abdomen. Egg cases are glued and usually contain up to 16 eggs. Development from nymph to adult can take from 6 to 18 months. Adult lifespan is somewhat shorter (from 3 to 6 months). The female may produce up to 14 egg cases during her adult life. Has a preference for cooler conditions that is reflected by its more southern distribution in Australia. Seems to prefer damp, decaying conditions under leaves and bark and it is not unusual to find them in subfloors. Feeds on a variety of decaying organic matter and is often found in garbage disposal areas. Seems to like the glue from wallpaper and bookbindings.
Cockroaches thrive in warm, humid environments: Since roaches originated in the tropics, their preference still leans towards higher temperatures and humidity levels. That's one of the reasons why they infest kitchens and baths and why they congregate where there is heat-generating equipment like stoves, refrigerators, pipes and hot water heaters, etc. With higher heat and humidity levels, their reproductive rates are also accelerated. Unfortunately, high temperatures also reduce the effectiveness of most pesticides. At high temperatures, the technician needs to choose formulations that don't break down easily (Suspension Concentrates etc.). Whereever possible, heat and moisture sources should be regulated to prevent excessive levels of heat and humidity. Although this will help, roaches do quite nicely at normal room temperature. They are even known to congregate around the seals of cool room doors.
Australian Cockroach
Cockroaches are coprophagous: Roaches will eat anything that is organic but they have a particular predilection for each other’s faeces. Insecticidal baiting utilises this logic with excellent results. Cockroaches will feed on the bait, ingest a lethal dose and pass along the poison in its faeces. The faeces are in-turn consumed by his colleagues, who also are poisoned. This "domino effect" explains the success of the insecticidal baits that have been introduced in the last few years.
Rid Pest Control has years of domestic and commercial experience in both cockroach elimination and prevention strategies.
Why not give Rid Pest Control a call today?
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