COCKROACH EXTERMINATION PHILADELPHIA, PA

Cockroaches are some of the most invasive and adaptive pests all over the world. Despite their small and fragile body, they have little defense mechanisms but have survived and are constantly invading homes to continue existing. The word cockroach comes from the Spanish word which they call the insect the “cucaracha.”Cockroaches belong to the insect family of Blattaria or Blattodea. Unlike what many people believe not all cockroaches are house hold pests. In fact, there are about 4,500 known species of roaches of which only 30 are known to thrive in human homes. Of these thirty species, four are widely known pests which live in households. The largest cockroach which is considered as a pest is the American cockroach. Other common household roaches are the oriental cockroach and the Asian cockroach and the German cockroach.

ORIGIN

The four roaches which are classified as pests generally originated from Africa despite their given names. (American, German and Oriental) They may have migrated via ships that would dock in Africa and later became carriers of these pests.
 

LIFE CYCLE:

The lifecycle of cockroaches fall in three stages namely; the egg stage, nymph and adult stage. The time, length and lifespan are generally different per specie. Generally, nymphs become adults after molting several times. This takes about six to twelve months depending on the environmental conditions. They lay egg cases which contain around fourteen eggs in average. Roaches generally have a two year life span wherein female roaches can produce an average of one hundred and fifty eggs.
 

CHARACTERS AND TRAITS OF COCKROACHES

Most cockroaches are about the size of a thumbnail though some species can be big. Of the known species, the Australian Giant Burrowing Cockroach is considered the world’s heaviest cockroach and reaches a total of nine centimeters in length and weighs about thirty grams. Another cockroach which is just about the same size is the Central American Giant cockroach which is the same length but is lighter.

The general anatomy of the cockroaches is that that they have flattened bodies with small heads. Roaches have large compound eyes, mouthparts which are at the bottom of their head and chewing mandibles for eating. They also have long and flexible antennae and two ocelli.

Roaches normally have two pairs of wings. The first are tough and acts as a form of shield which covers their hind wings. The abdomen of the roaches has ten segments along with several cerci. They have spines on their legs which help then in locomotion and movement on difficult terrains such as sand.

Roaches are mainly nocturnal wherein they are more active at night. There are cases where household cockroaches wander around in the morning or in broad daylight in search for food. Of the many household cockroaches the Asian cockroach is known to be attracted to light where as other cockroaches will runaway once exposed to the light.

Like other insects, roaches also leave chemical trails in their feces. These chemicals transmit bacteria on food and water sources. The reason why they leave these trails is for swarming and mating.
 

HABITATS

Roaches live and adapt in a wide range of environments around the world. They are able to adapt in a large range of environments but would usually prefer warm and humid conditions within buildings, households, and other man-made facilities. Many cockroaches found in tropical countries look for even warmer environments and do not fare well in a typical household.
 

DANGERS

The dangers faced when dealing with these insects are their capability to carry diseases, leave bacteria’s on the food they touch and even on surfaces such as tables, chairs and utensils.  They can also trigger asthma attacks from the chemicals found in their feces and are known carriers of around  thirty three kinds of bacteria such as the E. Coli bacteria and Salmo