In the world of pests, cockroaches can never be neglected. As an ancient insect, they have been around for at least 300 million years. There are more than 4,600 species of cockroaches, in which more than 30 species are associated with us. They are found all over the world and are most abundant in the tropics and subtropics. They can survive even in the Arctic because of their ability to adapt to the extremely low temperature. There are many reasons why cockroaches exist widely and are difficult to eliminate. We have summarized the following points.
Really Tough Insects
First of all, compared with other home pests like mosquitoes, fleas, termites, and mice, cockroaches are tough insects. Pest killers that are suitable for killing other pests may not work on cockroaches at all. They have become tough enemies in home pest control. Some cockroaches can even survive for more than a month without any food source. If you’re trying to get rid of them by hiding food, you’re looking down on them. In addition to what we normally think of as food, under extreme conditions, cockroaches can even feed themselves on books, fur, hair, soap, and even the glue on the back of stamps. And even if a cockroach has been beheaded, you’ll find that its head can still survive for hours and wiggle its tentacles.
Incomparable Reproductive Ability
Second, cockroaches are difficult to kill because of their strong reproductive ability. Cockroaches are social insects that tend to congregate in large numbers. And when they gather in large numbers, the total number tends to multiply exponentially. In an ideal world, a pair of Blattella germanica can produce more than 30,000 offspring in just one single year.
Invisibility of Action
Cockroaches are so invisible that we can’t even notice their presence in our daily life. Cockroaches are nocturnal insects. They tend to hide in crevices, nooks and crannies during the day or when lights are on, making them hard to spot. They are also highly alert. At the slightest movement, they will quickly slip into crevices or dark corners to hide. This is why you may sometimes feel as if some cockroaches are moving around, but you rarely see them. According to one study, researchers detected cockroach allergens in about 20 to 48 percent of homes that reported no signs of cockroaches.
In other words, it doesn’t mean the non-existence of cockroaches just because you’ve never seen a cockroach around you. If you see one or two from time to time, that means that one or two can’t be the whole story. If cockroaches are common in your home, it’s likely that things are far worse than you think.
Hazards of Cockroaches
The main reason cockroaches enter homes lies in the search of food, water and shelter. Their presence is not only annoying, but also dangerous. Once they infect an area, they can multiply rapidly and threaten our health. Cockroaches carry E. coli bacteria that can contaminate food and cause food poisoning, diarrhea, allergies or rashes in people. They are also important carriers of diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis and typhoid fever.
We Are Professional
In a previous article, we have talked about some of the tips you need to pay attention to when dealing with household pests. For more information, please check DOS and Don’ts for Effective Family Pest Killing. The basic guidelines for controlling common household pests also apply to the solution of cockroaches.
