German Cockroaches: The Unstoppable Menace
German cockroaches are the most challenging pests to deal with. They grow rapidly and reproduce in substantial number. Moreover, their short life cycle allows them to develop resistance to insecticide in a faster rate compared to other pests.
What are German Cockroaches?
German cockroaches are considered small compared to American cockroaches. One lucky thing about seeing them is that they do not fly, unlike American cockroaches which are capable of gliding and flying, making them what humans are afraid of the most – flying cockroaches. Nevertheless,
Despite their size and flying abilities, the appearance of German cockroaches is different compared to other cockroaches. They are brownish yellow with two longitudinal parallel stripes running down the pronotum. Their new hatch nymphs can be as small as chia seeds and run as fast as adult cockroaches.
The life cycle of German cockroaches can be completed in less than 3 months. The short duration of development allows them to breed and infest an area rapidly. Notwithstanding their life cycle, one ootheca (egg case) of them can incubate more than 20 offsprings. This further explains the reason why they are so difficult to control and get rid of.
What attracts German cockroaches?
Cockroaches do not come into your house for no reason! The first need for them is always the availability of exposed food. Unfortunately, we always make our place ideal for them: unwashed dishes in the sink, food debris or scraps on the floor, uncovered garbage and overnight exposed food.
Cultivate hygiene habit is the first step in German cockroach management. We must always remember to not only remove the food source but also make it harder for cockroaches to get the food. Food should be kept in air-tight or pest-resistant containers. One more fact for you, cockroaches eat almost everything. Don’t be surprise if you see them consuming your cardboards or paper products such as storage cartons and book covers.
Water and shelter
When food sources are plenty, the next requirement is water and shelter. Leaking pipes and standing water can always be attractive to them. These are the water sources for them to thrive. On the other hand, an unorganized or cluttered storeroom is capable to become a shelter for cockroaches to stay.
Clusters of cockroaches are most commonly found at unused cardboard boxes and newspapers. They prefer to stay and nest inside those paper products provided the place is warm and humid. Once they have established their nest, there will be a tough battle against them. It is almost impossible to eliminate all of them in a short period of time, but we can try to keep their populations under control and slowly eliminate them in a long run.
Tips against German Cockroaches
Here, we provide some preventive tips against cockroaches:
Eliminate food and water sources for cockroaches
Identify hiding places and entry points
Organize your stores
Remove the main necessities for cockroaches is the best way to deal with them. They are general feeders. So, always remind yourself to cover up food and dispose garbage on daily basis. Inspection is a critical step in controlling cockroach infestations.
Always make sure to check cracks or crevices and gaps formed around the utility lines or pipes to reduce potential entry points for cockroaches. Silicone-based caulk can be used to seal those entry points. After the inspection, keep in mind to remove, vacuum or wipe areas where cockroach eggs (ootheca), droppings and their carcasses were found. Keep things clean and tidy so that your house is easier to be inspected regularly.
Cockroaches are tough, but not impossible to get rid of. The most common method of dealing with them is residual spraying. However, it is not only about to spray! We cannot always rely on one method to get rid of them. Using the same chemical to spray and kill can contribute to have more resistance issues with the control of German cockroaches.
Management of German Cockroaches
There are plenty of ways in dealing with them. The management of German cockroaches must be carefully planned so that we will not worsen the situation. Combining two or three methods such as monitoring the breeding source and baiting are advisable in heavily infested areas. Now, the advanced technology in the pest management industry makes cockroach management easier, more efficient and eco-friendly.
If your house is heavily infested by cockroaches, preventive tips may no longer be useful for you. It would be an exhausting task to deal with a major German cockroach infestation. Fear of cockroaches is the first barrier that most people will face. To deal with them, you may need to have plenty of time to fight. However, this is almost impossible for most people. Hence, it would be easier to hand over this task to pest management professionals as they are more familiar with your enemy and they have the best technique to manage the pest.
Cockroaches in general
Cockroaches are described as the toughest living creatures on earth since they appeared 55 million years before dinosaurs. They can survive up to a week without their head. The most interesting part about cockroaches’ existence is that humans seem to be programmed to be afraid of them, while in reality, they pose no harm to people. This perception of them may be explained by their dirty living environment which make humans see them as unhygienic creatures.
Never judge a book by its cover. In fact, cockroaches are not as dirty as we think. They are quite fastidious in grooming themselves, especially their antennae part. They do not search for food and drinks, or mate with a dirty antenna. However, they can be the carriers of pathogens and harmful substances. They transmit the harmful substances to humans through their close association with trash and human food.
Cockroach species
There are more than four thousand species of cockroaches in the world. Myanmar has a few types of common cockroaches. However, only less than 50 species live in close association with human. Among them, the American cockroach is the most common cockroach in humans’ living environment while the German cockroach is the one that resides in food preparation areas where they can be in a warm and humid environment.