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American Cockroaches are also known as a "water bug" or "palmetto bug".
American Cockroach Appearance: The American roach is reddish-brown,
about 1.5 inches long or longer, winged, but seldom fly.
American Roach Diet: American
Cockroaches prefer decaying organic matter, but being scavengers will eat anything. Sweets are attractive to the American
roach. They also will feed on starchy items like book bindings, and the back of wall paper.
Habits
and Biology of American Cockroaches: Females produce many egg capsules, having 14-16 eggs
hatching in 50-55 days into grayish-brown "nymphs". As the American cockroaches mature they become more reddish-brown
in appearance. Adults and nymphs can be found in a variety of places. In the North,they are commonly found in steam heat tunnels
or in large institutional buildings.They more commonly congregate in open spaces instead of small crack and crevices.When
indoors,they can be located in dark,moist areas like basements and crawl spaces.Other likely areas indoors would be around
bathtubs, floor drains,and sewers. Outside the American roach can be found in moist, shady areas like:yards, hollow trees,
woodpiles,and mulch. At times they can be found under roof shingles or attics. Usually they will live outside,but will wander
inside in search for food and water or during extremes in weather conditions.
Recommendations
for American Roach Control: Caulk all penetrations through ground level walls. Stop water leaks, screen equipment overflow drains, and take overflow water away from buildings;
keep drain traps full or capped. Remove rotting
leaves from window wells. Move garbage cans out
of preferred moist habitat. Ventilate moist spaces. Caulk all penetrations through ground level
walls. Stop water leaks, screen equipment overflow
drains, and take overflow water away from buildings; keep drain traps full or capped. Remove rotting leaves from window wells.
Move garbage cans out of preferred moist habitat.
Ventilate moist spaces. Generally
speaking, control measures should concentrate on the outside of the building and points of entry. This is called a "perimeter
or barrier" treatment.
German cockroach
The
German cockroach is one of the most common roaches found in apartment houses, restaurants, and hotels. German
cockroaches (eggs included), are "brought in", usually on man's belongings, luggage, boxes or packages. All
it takes, is bringing in one egg capsule, six months later you do have an infestation. German Cockroach
Appearance: Adults are 1/2 inch- 5/8 inch long, light to medium brown with 2 dark distinctive stripes
behind the head. The young (nymphs) are wingless, smaller and much darker in color, with a light stripe on their backs.
German
Roach Diet: Will eat anything, will stay close to food and water source.
Habits
and Biology of German Cockroaches: Females produce one egg capsule every 3-4 weeks. Each capsule contains 25-45
eggs. The female will carry the egg capsule with her until it is ready to hatch. The young(nymphs) will be able to breed in
as little as 36 days. Adult German roaches can live up to one year These roaches are mostly active at night .
Oriental Cockroach
Oriental Cockroach Appearance:
This cockroach is shiny black and is about 1.25 inches long. They have wings, but can't fly. The total
length for the female is 1 ¼" and 1" for the male. The females have small nonfunctional wings while
the males have wings that cover about ¾ of the abdomen, nether the female or male can fly. Adults are very dark brown
or black in color. Oriental Roach Diet: Decayed organic matter in mulch piles and rubbish.
The Oriental cockroach prefers starchy food, and builds up populations around garbage cans. Most of their water
consumption is gotten through their food and the moisture around them.
Habits and Biology of Oriental
Cockroaches: Females produce an average of 8 egg Capsules, containing 16 eggs in each,from spring
to mid-summer. Unlike other urban cockroaches, the Oriental roach produces only one generation per year where temperatures
are cool in winter. The female will carry the egg capsule(irregularly shaped,black,3/8" long,and 1/4"wide),
for around 30 hours and then drops or attaches it in a protected area, near a food supply. The eggs hatch in about 60
days under warm conditions. At least 75% of the eggs must hatch to open the capsule. The young become adults in
6-12 months. Nymphs(young) are active from about March through much of the summer. During this period they molt
seven to ten times, and are reddish-brown to black in color, except in the first stage when they are pale tan. The older brown
Oriental cockroach nymphs are very difficult to distinguish from the American cockroach nymphs. This type of roach
will have seasonal cycle in it's development. They peak to adults during the spring and early summer, dwindling
in numbers by the late summer/early fall. Nymphs(young) are active from about March through much of the summer. During
this period they molt seven to ten times, and are reddish-brown to black in color, except in the first stage when they are
pale tan. The older brown Oriental cockroach nymphs are very difficult to distinguish from the American cockroach nymphs. In
early spring, only adult Oriental cockroaches are found. By late spring, nymphs are abundant. As nymphal numbers increase,
the adults die off and by August any adults are new ones. By fall, almost the entire population is adult. Inside they
can be found in damp areas such as basements, crawl spaces,and kitchens, indoors and outside. They are usually found
at or below ground level in yards, beneath leaves, in dumps, in the mulch of flower beds and in high moisture situations such
as sewers, drains and dark, damp basements. They favor crawl spaces, spaces between the soil and building foundations, the
undersides of stoops and sidewalks, landscaping mulches, water meters, basements and their floor drains, and other such moist
places. These cockroaches frequently live in floor drains that drain directly outside; these drains are also used as
entrances to homes. They tolerate lower temperature ranges than other roaches and may winter in rock walls or such protected
sites. During times of drought there may be movement towards the inside of the home, but generally speaking they are
found outdoors during the warmer months. They may also move inside if it is unseasonably cold.
Recommendations
for Oriental Roach Control: Caulk all penetrations through ground level walls. Stop water leaks, screen equipment overflow drains, and take overflow water away from buildings;
keep drain traps full or capped. Remove rotting
leaves from window wells. Move garbage cans out
of preferred moist habitat. Ventilate moist spaces. Caulk all penetrations through ground level
walls. Stop water leaks, screen equipment overflow
drains, and take overflow water away from buildings; keep drain traps full or capped. Remove rotting leaves from window wells.
Move garbage cans out of preferred moist habitat.
Ventilate moist spaces. Generally
speaking, control measures should concentrate on the outside of the building and points of entry. This is called a "perimeter
or barrier" treatment.
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