cute cockroaches

cockroaches
ABOUT COCKROACHES 

• Member class of Insecta

• Has three-stage life cycle consisting of egg, nymph and adult. (incomplete metamorphosis)

 

• Hardiness species - withstand radiation doses of 50 times which can kill a human.

• Reliable source of allergens to be to many people.

• Harbor in cracks and crevices in and around human habitats.

• They travel between sources of disease pathogens (toilets, sewers, garbage) and food intended for human consumption.

• Carry Salmonella typhimurium, Entamoeba histolytica and for poliomyelitis virus.

• They carry the organisms on their feet, body hairs and mouth parts and in their intestines.

• Eat almost anything.

• Like starchy items such as cereals, bakery products and bookbinding's.

• Also feed upon beer, cheese, leather and dead animals.
•  Many people are repulsed and/or disgusted by the simple presence of cockroaches.
•  However, they are also an important public health problem by contaminating food and eating utensils.
•  Cockroaches are known to carry human pathogens, such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can result in human diseases, such as food poisoning or diarrhea
•   Occasionally, they will destroy fabric and paper products. In large numbers, cockroaches secrete a substance which can result in stains on surfaces they contact and produce disagreeable odors.
•  Finally, products of cockroach infestations, including saliva, feces and cast skins, are a source of allergens and can irritate allergies and asthma in people, especially children.

• They a nauseating liquid discharge from mouth and thoracic glands which imparts an unsavory odor and taste into infested food.

• They vomit partly digested food from their mouths and defecate while feeding, both of which are loaded with microorganisms.

• Do not fly but can move by gliding motion.

• Most cockroaches are active at night, appearing only during daylight if disturbed or very hungry.

• Prefer live in warm, moist areas such as cracks and crevices near stoves, refrigerators, hot water heaters, coffee urns and warm water pipes.
•  Correct identification of suspected cockroaches is important as there are many insects that look similar (e.g. long-horned beetles, crickets, leaf-footed bugs and ground beetles).
•  A cockroach has a flattened, oval shaped body and long antennae (about the length of their body). When looking at a cockroach from above, its head is hidden from view.
•  Many adult cockroaches have fully developed wings, although few fly. 
• Other cockroaches have short wings or lack wings altogether.
•  Young, immature cockroaches resemble adults but are smaller and wingless.
•  If there is any doubt about whether an insect is a cockroach, submit a sample to an insect specialist or a pest management expert.
•  Cockroaches are among the hardiest insects on the planet. 
• Some species capable of remaining active for a month without food. Some can go without water for 45 minutes or slow down their heart rate.
  
• Cockroaches were able to recover from being submerged underwater for half an hour.
  Have been around since the time of dinosaurs!
  
• Can live almost a month without food.
  
• Can live about two weeks without water.
  
• Some female cockroaches mate only once and stay pregnant for life!
  
• Can live for up to one week without its head!
  
• Can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes!
  
• Can run up to three miles an hour.

TYPES OF COCKROACHES

The German cockroach is the most common indoor cockroach species in Minnesota. It favors warm, humid atmospheres, especially areas where temperatures are around 70° to 75° F. It generally inhabits kitchens and bathrooms where they are found near plumbing fixtures, in cracks or crevices in cupboards, under drawers and kitchen sinks, and similar locations. These cockroaches often cluster together in favorable hiding areas. When severe infestations occur, they may be found in other sections of buildings. German cockroaches can disperse in large numbers from areas of high population densities to infest other locations.
The adult is about ½ inch long, light brown or tan, and has two dark longitudinal bands or streaks on the prothorax behind the head. This species has the highest reproductive potential of all the common pest cockroaches. Females produce about 30 to 50 eggs at a time. The female carries the egg case until the eggs are ready to hatch.
The immature nymph is smaller, dark-colored with a light-colored streak running down its back. An immature nymph reaches maturity in about 40 to 125 days. Adult females live about 200 days, producing six to eight egg cases throughout their life.

The brownbanded cockroach may also be common in Minnesota homes. Individuals can be widely distributed throughout a building, particularly in high areas, hiding behind pictures and clocks, beneath furniture, among books and in other drier areas not normally infested by German cockroaches. They seek areas that are warm most of the time including appliances such as radios, televisions and refrigerators. The brownbanded cockroach prefers warmer temperatures (greater than 80° F) than the German cockroach. The two species are rarely found together.
The adult brownbanded cockroach is about ½ inch long. An adult male is golden brown and has a narrow body with its wings extending beyond the tip of its abdomen. A female adult is dark chestnut brown, has a teardrop-shaped body, and its wings do not completely cover the abdomen. Both sexes have distinctive horizontal yellow bands. The female often glues its egg case on furniture or in appliances. Eggs take about 70 days to hatch and about 160 days for the young to reach maturity. A nymph is recognized from the two pale bands which run horizontally across its body.

The Oriental cockroach prefers dark, damp places. Often called a water bug, it is commonly found in damp basements, cellars, crawl spaces, and sewers. It may also be found near drains, leaky water pipes and under refrigerators, sinks, washing machines, and floors. It prefers temperatures under 84° F. The Oriental cockroach can tolerate cool environments and people have even found it surviving freezing outdoor weather. An Oriental cockroach forages mostly on the first floors of buildings. Occasionally, this pest will thrive in the landscape immediately adjacent to structures and may enter if a disturbance occurs, such as a change in the seasons, excess rainfall, or lawn mowing. It can be found occasionally outdoors under sewer covers. It feeds on all types of garbage and other organic material. An Oriental cockroach produces a strong smell and is considered one of the dirtiest of all the cockroaches.
An adult Oriental cockroach is about 1 to 1-1/4 inches long and dark brown, almost black. A male has fully developed wings which are shorter than the body. A female has very short, rudimentary wings. A nymph is similar in appearance to a female only it is smaller and wingless. A female deposits an average of eight egg cases during its lifetime; each capsule produces about 16 young. It takes 300 to 800 days, depending on conditions, for Oriental cockroaches to hatch from eggs and develop into adults.

The American cockroach is occasionally found in homes, although it is more common in restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries and other sites where food is prepared. It favors very warm, moist places (temperatures in excess of 82° F). An American cockroach has a fondness for fermenting foods, e.g. bread soaked with beer. Their foraging is confined mostly to the basement and ground floor of a building unless suitable conditions exist in higher locations. Sewers and drain lines may help this pest invade new areas.
This is the largest cockroach species to infest buildings in Minnesota. Both the adult male and female is about 1-1/2 to 2 inches long, reddish brown and possesses long wings that cover its abdomen . A female typically produces 9 to 10 egg cases which are deposited carefully in a crack or crevice. Eggs hatch in about 45 days with each case producing about 14 young. An immature nymph is reddish brown and wingless. A young nymph matures in as little as 215 days to as long as 400 days. The average life span for adult females is about 440 days.

The Pennsylvania wood cockroach lives in wooded areas in rotting logs and under loose bark. It can accidentally invade homes, cabins, cottages, and other buildings in or near wooded areas. This cockroach is not a persistent household pest and it doesn’t reproduce indoors. Because of its association with wood, a Pennsylvania wood cockroach can be brought indoors on firewood. It may enter buildings if suitable harborage (trees and logs) is close to open doors and windows. The males are strong fliers.
The adult male is one inch long, dark brown, with light-colored bands on the edge of the body near the head . Males also have long, well-developed wings. The adult female is similar, but with very short wings, measuring about 1/2 inch long. Adult females and immature nymphs can be confused with the Oriental cockroach. However, the Oriental cockroach lacks the light bands on the edge of its body near the head. If there is any doubt, submit a sample to an insect specialist or a pest management expert for identification.
Manage Pennsylvania wood cockroaches by reducing their breeding places. Remove decayed and fallen logs within a few hundred feet of a building. Physically remove an occasional Pennsylvania wood cockroach that you find indoors. If larger numbers are entering the home, you may wish to treat the exterior of the building, particularly around doors and windows, with a residual insecticide. Common products include permethrin, bifenthrin, or cyfluthrin.

 Australian cockroaches, Surinam cockroaches, and Madeira cockroaches are examples of subtropical cockroaches that are rarely seen in Minnesota. When they are found, it is because they have been accidentally transported into the state. These insects are not accustomed to Minnesota conditions—it is too cool and dry for them to establish themselves indoors. However, these cockroaches can survive if they are accidentally introduced into a greenhouse or other location where there is sufficient warmth and humidity. Australian cockroaches will infest similar areas that the American cockroach will inhabit. The Surinam and Madeira cockroaches can sometimes be found in potted plants associated with contracted indoor landscaping and indoor arboretums. If there is any question whether you have encountered such a cockroach, submit a sample for identification to an insect specialist or a pest management expert.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Cockroaches can be carried into homes in bags, boxes, and luggage. Corrugated cardboard boxes are a particularly good source of infestations. Examine containers that are brought into your home carefully for the presence of cockroaches or their egg capsules, especially if they are brought in from locations known to be infested with cockroaches.
If you suspect cockroaches may have been brought into your home, set out sticky traps to monitor their presence. Place sticky traps so they are tight against edges, e.g. where walls meet floors. Place them in areas where cockroaches are likely to occur, e.g. in cupboards and around refrigerators, stoves, and sinks.

Sanitation

Sanitation is very important to reduce cockroach infestations. Cockroaches need water and food to live. By limiting their access to these resources, you reduce their ability to survive and reproduce. It is difficult to make your home and other buildings completely unacceptable for cockroaches, but you can minimize an existing infestation when improving sanitation.

• Do not leave food out over night; keep all food stored in a refrigerator or in insect-proof containers made of plastic, metal, or glass with tight-fitting covers.
• Do not leave pet food and water out overnight.
• Wash your dishes, pans, and utensils as soon as you are done using them.
• Remove all food or spilled drinks from counter tops and clean counters, sinks, and tables with soapy water.
• Vacuum all cracks and crevices to remove debris and food. Also sweep or vacuum any food and debris on floors.
• Take garbage out daily in closed plastic containers; keep waste containers washed and clean.
• Repair any leaky water pipes or faucets.
• Recycle cans and bottles on a regular basis; wash and clean containers that hold recycling items.
• Increase ventilation where condensation is a problem.