You’ve been killing a couple of roaches lately, bringing down a fly swatter hard on their backs, but you’re not sure if you have a cockroach infestation on your hands… you could just be really good at spotting and swatting cockroaches. The odds aren’t in your favour, unfortunately, where there’s one, there’s more, meaning you need to strike soon before things get out of hand. If you’re still not convinced, keep your eyes peeled for the following signs of a cockroach problem – even one can be all the indicator you need to act on a fumigation plan.
You Saw One
This point is worth repeating. The most obvious sign of a cockroach problem is seeing a cockroach in your home– while you’re pondering how long do cockroaches live for, they’re very likely making thousands more to replace the existing population after they die in 6 to 12 months. Reaching maturity in 30 to 45 days, the average roach casing contains up to 50 babies. In another month, those babies will have babies of their own. You can see how cockroach infestations get out of hand quickly!
Roach Poop
Cockroaches have voracious appetites. The garbage disposals of the insect world, they chow down on garbage, dead skin cells, faeces, plant matter and people food every day, leading to a lot of roach droppings. Ranging from tiny pepper specks of brown or black to pellets and dark brown stains, concentrated amounts of faeces in plain site is a good indication that you have numerous cockroaches living under your roof. That said, these patches aren’t always in obvious places, so check behind the fridge, TV units, kitchen areas and cupboards for roach faecal matter.
Egg Casings (oothecae)
Roaches are efficient little busy-bodies, producing a single oothecae to hold a cache of roach eggs until they hatch. These caches are not guarded by adult roaches, but they are hidden, often in places people and their DIY sprays have trouble getting to – until the babies hatch and the casing ends up on the ground. By then, it’s too late and you have tens of extra live roaches on your hands. Check your bookcase for signs of cockroach breeding activity – they slipping their casings between the tightly pressed pages. Pantries and cracks in the wall are also popular.
Roach FAQ: How many eggs do roaches lay?
Anywhere between 20-50 per oothecae, depending on the breed and the conditions of the nest.
What’s that Smell?
Is it true? Do cockroaches smell? They do. Roaches have a musty BO that only worsens as their numbers grow and the infestation reaches new levels. While Australian and American roaches must congregate in high numbers to really bring the smell factor home, a single German roach can have the same effect, entering the roach race as the smelliest of them all. Dead cockroaches also release oleic acid as they waste away. The smell of roaches can be overwhelming if nothing is done about the infestation, even infecting the flavours of a carefully prepared dinner.
Get on top of roach activity before it gets out of hand. Canberra Pest Control have years of experience in delivering quality services to local families, renters and homeowners. Call 62427779 and exterminate the problem.