Cockroaches Control

Cockroaches are common in commercial premises associated with the production or handling of food. Gregarious and nocturnal, they spend the day hiding in cracks and crevices around such areas as sinks, drains, cookers, the backs of cupboards and in refrigerator motor compatments. They especially favour buildings with service ducts and complex plumbing installations. Infestations may be introduced as egg cases or adults in incoming laundry, on raw materials, in crates and packaging, or arise as the insects enter buildings via such routes as drains or refust chutes.

The Australian cockroach :

is a large species of cockroach, winged, and growing to a length of 1 1/4"-1 3/8". It is brown in colour. It is very similar in appearance to the American cockroach and may be mistaken for it easily. However, it is a bit smaller than the American cockroach, has a yellow margin on the thorax, and yellow streaks at its sides as the wing base. Despite its name, the Australian cockroach originated in Asia. It is very common in tropical climates, and can be found in many locations throughout the world due to its travels via shipping and commerce between locations.

The insect can travel quickly, often darting out of sight when someone enters a room, and can fit into small cracks and under doors despite its fairly large size. It is known to be very mobile, it also has wings which allow it to be quite a capable flier.

It prefers warmer climates and is not cold tolerant, however, it may be able to survive indoors in colder climates. It does well in moist conditions but also can tolerate dry conditions as long as water is available. It often lives around the perimeter of buildings. It appears to prefer eating plants more than its relatives do, but can feed off a wide array of organic (including decaying) matter like most cockroaches, it is a scavenger.

It may comes indoors to look for food, and even to live, however, in warm weather it may move outdoors and enter buildings looking for food.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) :

is a large species of cockroach, measuring about 1 inch in length at maturity. It is dark brown to black in colour and has a glossy body. The female Oriental cockroach has a somewhat different appearance to the male, it appears to be wingless at casual glance but has two very short and useless wings just below its head. It has a wider body than the male. The male has long wings, which cover a majority of its body and are brown in colour, and has a more narrow body. Neither the male or female can fly, apparently.

The oriental cockroach tends to travel somewhat more slowly than other species. They are often called waterbugs since they prefer dark, moist places. They can often be found around decaying organic matter, and in sewers, drains, damp basements, porches, and other damp locations. They can be found outside in bushes, under leaf groundcover, under mulch, and around other damp places outdoors.

The Brown-banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa) :

is a small species of cockroach, measuring about 5/8" long. It is tan to light brown. It has two light coloured bands across the winds and abdomen, they may sometimes appear to be broken or irregular but are quite noticeable. The bands may be partly obscured by the wings. The male has wings that cover the abdomen, while the female has wings that do not cover the abdomen completely. The male appears more slender than the female, the female appears wider.

The brown banded cockroach has a fairly wide distribution. They need less moisture then the German cockroach so they tend to be more broadly distributed in the home, such as in living rooms and bedrooms. They can often be found in homes and apartments, but are less common in restaurants. They tend not to be found in the daytime, since they avoid light.

The Brown-banded cockroach eats a wide variety of items. Cockroaches are usually, and thus can eat a wide array of items, often almost anything organic, including decaying matter.

German Cockroach (Blatella Germanica) :

Adult, 10-15mm long; colour, yellowish brown with two longitudinal dark marks on the top surface behind the head, wings well developed in both sexes but rarely flies, can readily climb polished surfaces. A prolific breeder, one pair can generate up to 30,000 offspring in one year (including subsequent generation). The female produces egg capsules, each capsule containing up to 30 eggs.

Where to find them - They are usually found in areas close to moisture and food, which means kitchens and other food areas. They prefer to rest on wooden surfaces but will nethertheless be found on stainless steel and similar smooth surfaces. Essentially, any crack or crevice can provide harbourage. They require warmth, moisture and food. Thus, any part of a building providing these requirements must be treated.

American Cockroach (periplanta americana) :

Adult 28-44mm long: colour redd brown with yellow border around the top surface behind the head. Wings well developed. Will glide but rarely flies. Often enters buildings from outside areas. The female produces egg capsules which are often glued to surfaces.

Where to find them - American cockroaches are found in dark moist areas around bathtubs, sewers, wood piles and garbage areas. They are common in basements where they generally congregate high up in the corners. Also around manholes in sewers, grease traps and on the underside of metal covers of large sump pumps in boilers.

Smokey-Brown Cockroach (Periplaneta fulignosa) :

Adult, 30-40mm; colour, a uniform shining brownish black or mahogany. Wings well developed. A good flier and will fly towards a light source.

Where to find them - This species has very similar habits to the American cockroach and has in some areas supplanted the American cockroach as the most common variety.

Life Cycles

The female cockroach will lay eggs in an egg case. Each egg case will contain up to 40 eggs. The eggs hatch into nyphs, which resemble the adults though they are much smaller.

Each life cycle takes around 3 months for the German cockroach and about 12 months for the larger species.

Large infestations are hidden during the day but the marks left by regurgitated food and faeces are evident on surfaces where the cockroaches walk. These marks are usually brown, irregular in shape, often in the forms of streaks 1-3mm in size. They are usually most dense around cockroach harbourages.

The excreta of cockroaches are generally minute, cylindrical pellets, 1-2mm long, usually brown or black. They are much smaller than mouse droppings.

Top