If you see something scurry across your kitchen, you might be dealing with a cockroach infestation. Cockroaches can create serious sanitation problems because they can contaminate food and food-preparation surfaces. If you think you’re having a problem with cockroaches, it’s important to contact a good Broken Arrow Pest Control company to deal with the infestation as soon as possible. Let’s take a look at cockroaches and how they develop.
Cockroaches develop through incomplete metamorphosis. Their life cycle has three basic stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Female cockroaches produce eggs inside a protective egg case known as an ootheca. What happens to that egg case depends on the species. Some deposit or attach the ootheca in a protected location, while German cockroach females carry the ootheca protruding from the end of the abdomen until shortly before the eggs hatch.
Once the eggs hatch, the young cockroaches are called nymphs. Nymphs resemble smaller, wingless versions of adult cockroaches and usually remain in protected harborages near food and moisture. They forage for food themselves rather than depending on adult cockroaches to carry food particles back to them. Oklahoma State University Extension provides information about cockroach biology, identification, sanitation, and management.
As cockroach nymphs grow, they molt several times. During a molt, the old exoskeleton is shed and a new, softer exoskeleton is exposed. The new exoskeleton then hardens as the insect continues developing. An important structural component of an insect’s exoskeleton is chitin. After a series of molts, the cockroach reaches adulthood and can reproduce, continuing the life cycle.
Cockroach infestations can also affect indoor air quality. Shed skins, body fragments, and fecal material can become part of household dust and contain cockroach allergens. For people who are sensitive to them, these allergens can aggravate asthma and other allergic symptoms. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identifies cockroaches and their droppings as indoor asthma triggers and recommends reducing food, water, and hiding places.
Sanitation is an important part of cockroach control. Removing accessible food, cleaning spills and crumbs, managing garbage, repairing moisture problems, and reducing hiding places can make the environment less favorable for cockroaches. However, sanitation alone may not eliminate an established infestation.
If an infestation has developed, it’s important to contact a good Broken Arrow Pest Control company. A professional can identify the cockroach species, locate harborages, and choose appropriate control methods. TermMax Pest Control can help if you think you’re having a problem with cockroaches. Contact us today.
