When living in a highly populated city, you are sure to encounter a roach or two. These creatures are a nuisance that needs to be kept in check. Identifying the type of roaches you are dealing with will help you protect your home and your family from roaches and the negative aspects associated with an infestation. Here are a couple of common cockroaches you may find living in large cities or climates with high humidity.
German Cockroach
This roach may be the most common roach of all. It prefers living inside of buildings and houses over its natural habitat. It also reproduces faster than any other roach species, allowing it to become an overwhelming problem in apartment buildings or any other shared residence type. They are extremely dangerous to humans due to their ability to spread diseases by contaminating cooking surfaces, toothbrushes, and food.
About German Cockroaches
This type of roach is small, with adults growing to be only 0.5-inches in length. They are light brown and have two dark stripes running the length of their thorax or middle section of their bodies. Nymphs or juveniles are darker browns, have a tan stripe the length of their backs, and are smaller in stature.
How They Get In
They can enter your home in furniture, grocery bags, shipping boxes, and other items. Once inside an adjoined living area, they can crawl through shared ductwork and pipes, quickly infesting entire buildings. Quick action must be taken to rid your home of German cockroaches before they become a large scale problem.
Oriental Cockroaches
Though Oriental cockroaches prefer living outdoors in their natural habitat, they can find their way into your home to forage. This type of roach can be concerning due to their disgusting diets. They feed on feces, garbage, and decaying animal and plant matter. This diet introduces them to numerous bacteria and diseases that can be deadly to humans. They are rather cumbersome compared to other roaches and can’t fly, are slower, and tend to get stuck in sinks and bathtubs due to their inability to climb smooth surfaces.
About Oriental Cockroaches
Not only do Oriental roaches spread disease and illness, but they also give off a very unpleasant odor. The smell they leave behind may be noxious, but can be an indicator that they are present and have contaminated food and other areas of your home. Adults can grow up to 1.25-inches in length. They range in color from black to dark reddish-brown. Nymphs are the same color as an American penny and are just as efficient at spreading filth throughout your home.
How They Get In
They will enter your home through cracks around windows and entryways, drains, sewer pipes, and hitchhiking on firewood. If you find that you have Oriental cockroaches plaguing your residence, contact an exterminator and help you take back your home.
Keeping your home clean, especially your kitchen can help you prevent a roach invasion. You will want to seal any cracks, holes, and crevices where roaches can gain access to your living space. Having the aid of a professional pest control agency will help give you peace-of-mind that your family is protected.