American Cockroach

Intro

Cockroaches are a high risk pest to have in the home; they carry a range of serious illnesses including salmonella, dysentery, gastroenteritis and typhoid. Cockroaches droppings have also been linked with increases in eczema and asthma.

Apart from the health risks cockroaches are particularly unwanted in the home. Not only are they unsightly but cockroaches produce an obnoxious odour that taints food and any objects they come into contact with.

Cockroaches breed very quickly but are also highly resilient so a speedy response is essential to ensure a cockroach infestation does not become established or spread to neighbouring properties.

Features

Also known as the palmetto bug they are not so common in the UK. They are reddish brown in colour and have a pale yellow area around the perimeter of the top part of the head. These cockroaches tend to be found in dark, undisturbed areas that are high in humidity.

Evidence of cockroaches

• Live insects – cockroaches are nocturnal and hide during the day. You will most likely see them when turning on the light in the kitchen at night
• Egg cases (oothecae) and cast skins – cockroaches shed their skin 5-8 times as they mature
• Cockroach droppings – cockroaches leave a dust of black/dark brown droppings that are cylindrical & less than 2mm wide if water is scarce. They are found on horizontal surfaces & wall-floor junctions where cockroaches run
• Smear marks – cockroaches produce these marks instead of droppings if water is readily available, they are brown in colour and irregular in shape
• Odour – established cockroach infestations produce an unpleasant, musty smell & this is most noticeable close to the harbourage
• Damage – cockroaches eat almost anything, food stuffs, organic goods including leather, books, paper, clothing and animal matter (such as hamster or rabbit droppings – as well as their food). They will also consume packaging and plastics.

Dealing with a cockroach problem is something best left to the professional at Pesky Critters. We use non-toxic gels and quite often infestations can be dealt with without the need for spraying. However every infestations is unique so we will advise you on the steps we need to take to rid your home and business from cockroaches.

If you have problems with cockroaches then let us take care of that for you.