Insect Control is really a two-part system of eliminating the pest at hand and then establishing a barrier treatment so keep them from coming back. Most exterminators offer prevention treatment programs that run during the length of time that a particular pest is active. So, for some pests, the exterminator may have a three-month service, and for others they may offer a year-round treatment program.
A pest that everyone knows about and no one wants is the cockroach. There are actually more than 3,500 different cockroach species, and they’ve been around in one form or another for over 300 million years. Typical cockroach species that Insect Control services deal with in the United States are the German Cockroach, the American Cockroach, the Brown Banded Cockroach, Oriental Cockroach, and Smokey Brown Cockroach.
The most common cockroach found in homes, hotels, restaurants, and nursing homes is the German Cockroach. They are light brown in color and can grow up to 5/8 of an inch long. They have wings, but they can’t actually fly. Females only live from 20 to 30 weeks. In that time, they will lay 4 to 8 egg capsules, and each capsule will contain anywhere from 30 to 48 eggs at a time. They eat the residue from human food and beverages, but they can live a month without eating. They emit an odor than can change the taste of our food, and their bodies carry all kinds of viruses and bacteria that causes illnesses like dysentery. Their excrement can cause us to get skin rashes, asthma, congestion, and sneezing.
The American Cockroach is also known as the flying water bug. They can grow up to 1.5 inches long. These cockroaches do fly, and they’re attracted to light. You might find them on your patio at night, particularly if you have standing water after a rain, or if you have a hot tub outside. They are attracted to porch lights, and will fly into the house if the light is on inside. These cockroaches live on organic matter and paper products. Females live up to 15 months. In that time, they will lay 15 to 90 egg capsules, each containing 14 to 16 eggs. While the bugs themselves do not bite, their bodies can pick up bacteria which contaminates any surface they touch.
