If you are reading this article… you’re probably dealing with German Roaches. German Roaches can be a nuisance and difficult to get rid of. German Roaches are actually a very common problem! Common to homes as well as commercial establishments, German Roaches have forced their way into every faucet of our community. So continue reading to learn how we here at CPL Pest Control are making German Roaches dissappear
WHY DO I HAVE GERMAN ROACHES?
The German cockroach occurs widely in human buildings, but is particularly associated with restaurants, food processing facilities, hotels, and institutional establishments such as nursing homes and hospitals.[5] They can survive outside as well, though they are not commonly found in the wild.[6] In cold climates, they occur only near human dwellings, because they cannot survive severe cold. However, German cockroaches have been found as inquilines (“tenants”) of human buildings as far north as Alert, Nunavut.[7]Similarly, they have been found as far south as southern Patagonia.[8]
Previously thought to be a native of Europe, the German cockroach later was considered to have emerged from the region of Ethiopia in Northeast Africa,[9][10] but more recent evidence suggests that it actually originated in Southeast Asia.[4][11] Whatever the truth of the matter, the cockroach’s sensitivity to cold might reflect its origin from such warm climates, and its spread as a domiciliary pest since ancient times has resulted from incidental human transport and shelter. The species now is cosmopolitan in distribution, occurring as a household pest on all continents except Antarctica, and on many major islands, as well. It accordingly has been given various names in the cultures of many regions.
Though nocturnal, the German cockroach occasionally appears by day, especially if the population is crowded or has been disturbed. However, sightings are most frequent in the evening, when someone suddenly brings a light into a room deserted after dark, such as a kitchen where they have been scavenging.[12] When excited or frightened, the species emits an unpleasant odor.
WHERE DO GERMAN ROACHES LIKE TO HIDE?
The German cockroach is very successful at establishing an ecological niche in buildings, and is resilient in the face of many pest-control measures.
Reasons include:
- lack of natural predatorsin a human habitat
- prolific reproduction
- short reproductive cycle
- the ability to hide in very small refuges
- sexual maturity attained within several weeks, and
- adaptation and resistance to some chemical pesticides[17]
German cockroaches are thigmotactic, meaning they prefer confined spaces, and they are small compared to other pest species, so they can hide within small cracks and crevices that are easy to overlook, thereby evading humans and their eradication efforts. Conversely, the seasoned pest controller is alert for cracks and crevices where it is likely to be profitable to place baits or spray surfaces.
HOW CAN I GET RID OF GERMAN ROACHES?
To be effective, control measures must be comprehensive, sustained, and systematic; survival of just a few eggs is quite enough to regenerate a nearly exterminated pest population within a few generations, and recolonization from surrounding populations often is very rapid, too.[13]
Another problem in controlling German cockroaches is the nature of their population behavior. Though they are not social and practice no organized maternal care, females carry oothecae of 18-50 eggs (average about 32) during incubation until just before hatching, instead of dropping them as most other species of cockroaches do. This protects the eggs from certain classes of predation. Then, after hatching, nymphs largely survive by consuming excretions and molts from adults, thereby establishing their own internal microbial populations and avoiding contact with most insecticidal surface treatments and baits. One effective control is insect growth regulators (hydroprene, methoprene, etc.), which act by preventing molting, thus prevent maturation of the various instars. Caulking baseboards and around pipes may prevent the travel of adults from one apartment to another within a building.
As an adaptive consequence of pest control by poisoned sugar baits, a strain of German cockroaches has emerged that reacts to glucose as distastefully bitter. They refuse to eat sweetened baits, which presents an obstacle to their control, given that baits are an economical and effective means of control. It also is a dramatic illustration of adaptive selection; in the absence of poisoned sweet baits, attraction to sugars strongly promotes growth, energy, and reproduction; cockroaches that are not attracted to sugars take longer to grow and reproduce, whereas in the presence of poisoned sugared baits, sugar avoidance promotes reproduction.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GERMAN ROACHES, GIVE US A CALL TODAY AND ASK TO SPEAK WITH CHRIS FOR A SPECIAL PROMOTION!
