Frequently Asked Questions About Cockroaches

Few pests horrify homeowners and apartment tenants more quickly and thoroughly than cockroaches. These creatures can seem practically indestructible in the face of extreme circumstances — capable of roaming houses and tracking germs even after their heads are removed.

However, you can get the upper hand over a cockroach infestation once you understand where they come from, how they live, and what steps you can take to eliminate them. Check out these answers to frequently asked cockroach questions.

Which Types of Cockroaches Infest Minnesota Homes?
You may be able to determine the cockroaches by their size. Four main species of cockroaches plague Minnesota homes: American, brown-banded, German, and Oriental cockroaches. American cockroaches grow up to two inches long, with Oriental cockroaches almost matching them. By contrast, brown-banded and German cockroaches may extend only half an inch in length.

Egg casings may also help you narrow down your specific type of cockroach infestation. Oriental and American cockroaches tend to leave relatively large, rounded, dark-brown egg casings. Brown-banded cockroach egg casings attain only about half of this size. The German variety appears light-colored and elongated.

Where Do Cockroaches Hide and Breed?
Cockroaches can enter a home through any gaps large enough to permit their passage. They may migrate from exterior hiding places such as porch undersides, firewood stacks, or lawn debris piles. American cockroaches, in particular, move through the sewer system, entering homes via plumbing pipes.

Usually, however, cockroaches come into a home through cardboard boxes or paper bags. Sometimes people borrow boxes when moving or get groceries in paper bags from a store that has had roaches. Roaches and bed bugs can even move from a suitcase to another when traveling; roaches don’t discriminate based on ethnicity or home type or even cleanliness, though eliminating food source is helpful.

Once inside a home, cockroaches take up residence in warm, moist, confined spaces. Common examples include cracks in kitchen or bathroom baseboards, cabinets, and other components. They may also seek out sources of damp heat, such as furnaces and air vents.

What Do Cockroaches Eat?
Cockroaches will eat just about any organic food source available to them. Their love for starches, meats, and sugars naturally draws them to kitchens, dining rooms, and food storage areas. Cockroaches accustomed to living in sewer systems will happily consume disposed food scraps and other matter.

Don't assume, however, that your cockroach infestation will confine itself to food-related spaces. Cockroaches may eat dander, hair, paper products, rotted wood, and other materials commonly found in various rooms of a home.

What Health Risks Do Cockroaches Pose?
Cockroaches have no stingers and almost never bite people, making them relatively harmless in terms of direct disease transmission. Even so, a cockroach could spread bacteria into a wound, resulting in a secondary bacterial infection that requires medical attention.

The real concern about cockroach disease transmission involves indirect contact. Cockroaches regularly move through unsanitary spaces such as sewer lines, garbage piles, and toxic puddles in garages. They may then track leavings of these substances onto tableware or food preparation surfaces.

How Do Pest Control Experts Eliminate Cockroach Infestations?
Pest control experts know how to look for the most likely cockroach nesting grounds in a home or commercial facility. The exterminator who visits your residence will check the interior for nests, egg cases, and the roaches themselves.

Based on these discoveries, the pest control specialists will use a knockdown product behind stoves and refrigerators. This product is a direct kill and leaves a residual chemical so if any roaches come into contact with it, they will die. Sticky traps can catch many smaller cockroaches (such as German cockroaches), allowing the experts to remove them from the home easily. These traps often use a pheromone scent to lure the cockroaches into them.

Larger cockroaches or any remaining smaller cockroaches may require other extermination techniques The technician will use a gel bait under the sink, either in the kitchen, bathroom, or both. This bait should make the roaches sterile, so they will die off with that generation. The roach service includes a first visit, 2 week follow-up, and 3 month warranty. Your pest control team may also squirt insecticide into cracks and other hard-to-access spaces.

How Can Homeowners Minimize Future Cockroach Problems?
Periodic pest treatment can help you prevent future cockroach populations from infesting your home. During these visits, your pest control experts may apply a growth-regulating substance to cockroach nesting grounds. This substance prevents any immature cockroaches from reaching adulthood.

Your pest control team may also give you a set of recommendations for modifying your home's interior or exterior to keep cockroaches away. For example, you may need to seal gaps around plumbing pipes, window casements, or doors. You may also need to remove any debris surrounding your home.

The less access cockroaches have to food sources, the better. Always clear away leftovers and wash dishes as soon as possible after eating. Don't simply put foods away inside cabinets, where their odor may still attract cockroaches. Put them in airtight containers or place them in the refrigerator.

Don't forget that attractive food sources may include paper. Store your hardcopy files securely in metal filing cabinets or other sealed containers. Place books inside bookcases with glass doors or other protective enclosures. Swap out cardboard boxes for plastics or other inedible materials to keep cockroaches out.

Paffy's Pest Control knows how to track down cockroach problems and exterminate these unwanted guests from your Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area residence or commercial facility. Contact us today to schedule our pest control services. We also have an annual plan that does include treatment for cockroaches.