Cockroaches are creepy insects that invade many homes here in the Bay Area. These common pests often find their way into residential properties while seeking moisture and food, but once inside, they can cause serious problems for you and your family. At Bay Pest, we’ve made it our top priority to eliminate pest problems from properties and protect Bay Area homes from future infestations. To learn all about cockroaches and the issues they cause for homeowners, keep reading. If you’d like to speak with a professional to schedule a service visit, don’t hesitate to contact Bay Pest today! We provide effective pest control in the Bay Area for both residential and commercial properties.
Identifying Cockroaches In The Bay Area
Dealing with a cockroach infestation is nothing short of unpleasant, if not downright horrifying. What’s even worse is thinking you might be dealing with cockroaches but not knowing the signs cockroaches leave behind and not knowing how to get rid of them, if they have invaded! Below we’ve gathered some helpful tips on how to identify a cockroach infestation.
- Keep an eye out for cockroach droppings, which are small, black, and look similar to coffee grounds. The more droppings you find, the more cockroaches you have living on your property.
- Try and see if you can find a cockroach crawling around in your home. If you find one, it means there are probably many others (perhaps hundreds) hiding in your walls.
- Has your home started smelling bad recently? Cockroaches have an unpleasant smell, especially when many of them are gathered in the same place. If you can’t find the source of new, unpleasant odors in your home, cockroaches might have decided to move in and stay.
If you believe cockroaches are living in or around your Bay Area home, the skilled pest technicians here at Bay Pest can help. Reach out to us today to learn more about our cockroach treatment options.
Different Types Of Roaches In The Bay Area
When you’re trying to figure out how to identify a cockroach, it’s good to know what different species of cockroaches look like. Here in the Bay Area, there are three cockroach species that commonly invade residential spaces; these are American cockroaches, German cockroaches, and Oriental cockroaches. To find out what type of cockroaches are living in your Bay Area home, check out this handy identification guide.
- American cockroaches are large insects that can grow to be three inches long. They have reddish-brown or mahogany bodies with a distinctive yellow band just behind their heads. While American cockroaches do have wings and are capable of flying short distances, they rarely choose to do so.
- German cockroaches are generally less than an inch long and have flat, oval bodies. They are light brown to tan in color and have darker brown, parallel stripes on the area just behind their heads. Similar to American cockroaches, German cockroaches have wings but are not frequent fliers.
- Oriental cockroaches are about one inch in length and have pill-shaped, glossy black bodies. The males of this species have wings that cover ¾ of their bodies and females have much shorter, rudimentary wings. Despite having wings, both male and female Oriental cockroaches are incapable of flight.
Once you’ve learned how to identify cockroaches, it’s easier to understand how to treat them. Here at Bay Pest, we have what it takes to provide the right treatments for your cockroach problems, no matter what species you’re dealing with.
The Lifecycle Of The Typical Roach
In regards to the lifecycle of a cockroach, one of the most common questions people ask is: “What is the lifespan of a cockroach?” If cockroaches have access to sources of food, moisture, and proper temperature throughout their lifespan, they’re capable of living from 6 to 15 months or more. This may vary between species, as well as environmental conditions. Cockroach lifecycles are divided into three developmental stages: the egg, the nymph, and the adult stage.
The egg stage begins when a female cockroach produces an egg casing that contains several eggs. The casing is known as the ootheca. With the right temperatures and conditions, nymphs (immature cockroaches) will emerge from their eggs in 24 to 38 days. During the nymph stage, they will shed their exoskeletons up to 13 times in a process called metamorphosis. After each molt, nymphs start appearing more and more like adult cockroaches. Upon reaching adulthood, cockroaches gain wings and the ability to reproduce.
Professional Cockroach Solutions For Residential Spaces
No one wants to deal with a cockroach infestation in their Bay Area home, which is why, at Bay Pest, we handle pest problems so you don’t have to. Our effective cockroach treatments will eliminate existing cockroach problems and prevent cockroaches from infesting your property in the future. Don’t allow cockroaches to take over your home and contaminate your living space! Instead, reach out to Bay Pest and find out why our pest control services are the best in the Bay Area!