What attracts cockroaches?
Cockroaches are omnivores. Although they can survive several months without food, Cockroaches will eat anything that has nutritional value for them. They are especially attracted to starch, sugar, grease, meat and cheese. Decaying food items are particularly delicious for a hungry cockroach in search of his next meal.
What do Cockroaches eat?
A cockroach will always prefer organic food sources such as food scraps. However, in times of an organic food shortage, cockroaches will also eat items, such as book bindings, cardboard, toothpaste, leather, glue, paper scraps, solid soaps, starch-based paints and wallpaper, dried human skin flakes and nylon clothing. These insects have a digestive tract with a variety of protozoa and bacteria that allows them to also feast on these non-food items.
How do I prevent a Cockroach Infestation?
To help prevent a cockroach infestation, ensure all food items are in sealed containers and ALWAYS wipe down any surfaces that have come into contact with food. Wash dirty dishes immediately and make sure to keep food preparation areas clean and dry. Cockroaches love dark, moist environments, so fix any leaky taps and pipes and make sure there is no damp or rotting wood in your home. Regular Pest Control treatments every 6-12 months is one of the best preventative measures you can take to protect your home. Check your home regularly for cracks or gaps – especially around entry points for pipes and utilities. These gaps will serve as entranceways for cockroaches to make your home, their home.
Do Cockroaches bite humans?
Yes, it is possible for cockroaches to bite you, however it is extremely rare. Cockroaches are nocturnal, omnivores insects, and they will eat anything that is edible, and humans are not an exception. They particularly like fingernails and eyelashes! But they are very timid, so they don’t like to come out of hiding, especially when big, live, moving, humans are about! It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that a cockroach will bite a living human, except perhaps in cases of extreme infestations where the cockroach population outgrows the normal food. If you do experience a cockroach bite in your home, it will most likely be when you are asleep and will usually mean that the Cockroach has come across the scent of food left somewhere on your body and been game enough to bite you for a little taste.
Do Cockroaches spread disease?
It is believed that the cockroach may be a carrier for a range of dangerous bacteria including salmonella, staphylococcus and streptococcus. A cockroach can also harbour viruses such as the polio virus. Like the household fly, the cockroach will eat virtually anything ranging from food spills on a kitchen floor to faecal matter. If the Cockroach eats bacteria, the bacteria can survive in the cockroach’s digestive system for months or even years, and is passed in its droppings. Cockroaches will vomit and defaecate on food and it is believed that disease is transmitted to humans when humans eat food contaminated by cockroaches. Recent research suggests that the cockroach may also be associated with human allergies.
What is the life cycle of a Cockroach?
- A female cockroach lays between 10 and 40 eggs at a time. On average, the female can lay around 30 batches of eggs in her lifetime. The hatched young look the same as adult cockroaches, but smaller and without wings. A one-day-old baby cockroach, which is about the size of a speck of dust, can run almost as fast as its parents. Depending on the conditions and type, a cockroach will usually live for up to 12 months. So that means a female can lay up to 1200 eggs in a year!! Cockroaches are cold-blooded and thrive in warm, dark humid conditions.