German cockroaches are small insects ranging from ½ to ⅝ of an inch in length. Like all cockroaches, they have two antennae, six spiny legs, and two small appendages on the end of their abdomen called cerci. German cockroaches are tan with two black lines on the back, and their fully formed wings do not hang past the end of the abdomen. This fact can help you distinguish German roaches from Asian roaches. These two types of roaches have a surprisingly similar appearance. The key difference is that the wings of an Asian cockroach hang past the abdomen.
German cockroaches can fly, but they rarely do. When startled, these roaches will take off running—probably because their wings are very short. Asian cockroaches use their longer wings to fly when they are disturbed. This is another way you can tell the two apart. If a German cockroach does use its wings, it will likely go from a high place to a lower elevation.
Yes. Their ability to reproduce inside structures is astonishing. One female can produce 4 to 8 oothecae (egg pouches) in her lifetime. Each ootheca contains 30 to 48 eggs. Taking the averages of 6 oothecae and 40 eggs, one female can create 240 offspring. Furthermore, the new cockroaches that emerge have the same potential to produce offspring in as little as 40 days, depending on food availability, population density, warmth, humidity, and other factors. In favorable conditions, a population of German cockroaches can explode in a short time period.
Many German cockroach populations live entirely indoors. Therefore, they do not have seasonality. But, populations that live outdoors or that go in and out of structures will be more active during the warm months, marking summer as the time of year when they are most likely to invade your home from the outdoors.
There are several ways to detect if you have these insects hiding in your home. You’ll have to search for the signs at the onset of an infestation. Look for:
If you see these cockroaches out in the open, particularly during the day, this is a warning sign of a severe infestation. Contact us immediately for treatment advice or service.
Yes. There are many ways these insects can impact your health:
These are simple organisms motivated by simple stimuli. When exploring a property, they look for food, water, and harborage options.
Food for German cockroaches includes human food, pet food, decaying food in trash cans, compost, cardboard, paper, fabrics, fecal matter, glue, toothpaste, and more.
German cockroaches find water in landscaping, puddles, containers, kiddie pools, and other similar places.
German cockroaches hide underneath damp organic matter, objects that provide shade, and trash receptacles. Yard work and removing clutter can deter them.
Considering attractants can help you counteract the conditions that lure cockroaches to your property.
These cockroaches can get into a structure through tiny openings. They’ll exploit gaps around windows, doors, pipes, AC lines, vents, fixtures, etc. They can also hitchhike into a home from another location. Always check used furniture and storage boxes, particularly cardboard ones, before bringing them inside.
German cockroaches can live anywhere inside a structure but are attracted to areas containing food, water, and/or humidity. Warmth can also play a factor. These cockroaches will hide in walls and behind baseboards in kitchens, pantries, bathrooms, and boiler rooms. They’ll also hide under and around appliances.
Yes. While they won’t damage the structure of your home the way carpenter ants or termites will, they can damage wallpaper, curtains, clothing, furniture, and other items made of paper material or natural fibers. German cockroaches eat cellulose in the same way silverfish and carpet beetles do.
We recommend professional treatment for German cockroaches because they are persistent and resilient. DIY control often makes problems worse as it can cause bait aversion, dispersal, and other unwanted results. At the first sign of an infestation, contact Big Time Pest Control. Our locally owned and family-operated pest control company offers residential and commercial pest control services that eradicate cockroaches and other pests!
Weather-proofing and pest-proofing are your frontline defenses against cockroach entry. Here are some examples:
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Anderson, CA
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Anderson, CA
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Mt. Shasta, CA
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