Cockroaches

Cockroach Behavior

Cockroaches are largely nocturnal and tend to forage for food and water. In natural environments, cockroach activity peaks 2-4 hours after sunset.

Cockroaches are social creatures. They tend to communicate with each other through chemicals in their feces. Cockroaches like to live in large communities and will also live among multiple generations of family members. However, they do not mate with relatives, unlike some other insects.

Cockroaches are very successful at slipping into the smallest crevices. They can fit under gaps as thin as 1/16 of an inch, so be sure to seal gaps and cracks along the exterior of your home.

Food

Cockroaches are omnivores that eat a wide range of plants and animals. They are not picky eaters. They particularly like starches, greasy foods, sweets, and meats. They also like to eat a variety of non-typical foods, such as cardboard boxes, book bindings, wallpaper glue, stamps, leather, toothpaste, soap, fingernails, hair, and even other cockroaches.

Cockroaches will eat just about anything, but they can go a long time without food. American cockroaches can survive 2-3 months without food, but only one month without water.

Reproduction

For the American cockroach, there are three life stages:

• Adulthood. The nymphs mature and become adult cockroaches that mate and lay new egg sacks. On average, the lifespan of the American cockroach from egg to adulthood is 168 to 786 days. Females live the longest, at up to 786 days. Adult males live less than half as long, at 362 days at most.
• Egg. American cockroaches lay eggs in dark brown capsules. They are small, only about 5/16 inches long. The females can produce one capsule a week after mating. Females can also store sperm, so they can mate once and produce multiple egg cases.
• Nymph. Nymphs will hatch from the eggs in 4-8 weeks. From then, it takes 6-12 months for them to mature into adults. They will molt several times as they mature, changing from a light grayish brown to a reddish-brown color.

Signs

If there are cockroaches in your home, you’ll likely see various signs. Some signs of a cockroach infestation include:

• Droppings. Cockroach droppings resemble pepper or coffee grounds. However, these droppings are very small — less than 1 mm wide — and can be difficult to find.
• Smear marks. Smears and streaks are also common. They are dark, irregular smears. Cockroaches leave these markings on walls in areas where they are most active.
• Unusual odor. Cockroaches leave pheromones behind in their droppings. It is a damp, unpleasant, and musty smell that can attract other cockroaches.
• Eggs. A surefire sign of a cockroach infestation is finding their egg capsules. These capsules are dark brown in color and can hold up to 30 nymphs.
• Shedded skins. Cockroaches go through several lifecycle stages before they reach adulthood. As they grow, they may molt 5-8 times. If you have a cockroach problem, you will likely see shedded skin.
• Sightings. The most obvious sign of cockroaches is seeing them in your home. You may see them scurrying after turning on a light. If you see one or two live cockroaches, there are probably a lot more.

Dangers

Cockroaches contaminate homes by defecating on surfaces. They also spread diseases and bacteria, causing E. coli, salmonella, typhoid, urinary tract infections, and digestive problems. Cockroaches can also aggravate allergies and asthma. Cockroaches can both cause and aggravate respiratory problems due to their saliva, which contains hundreds of allergens that can cause rashes, sneezing, and itchy eyes.ia, as they are too scared to sleep for fear of being bitten.