Top 10 Cockroach Facts

Anyone who has ever encountered cockroach infestation faced the same problem. At first you win the fight and exterminate the insects completely, but after a while, their smug snouts reappear in the same spots as before. Such comebacks occur with varying frequency: the infestation may relapse monthly, every six months or annually. Why does this happen?
Our apprehension is caused by the lack of knowledge about cockroaches and their behavior. Here are some facts which will arm you with valuable knowledge against these whiskered pests.

1. Cockroaches love wet and damp places. They are especially active in the summer in humid regions. Nevertheless, they can also feel quite well in temperate climate as well given that they have access to moisture and food which are usually both available in any household.

2. The insects’ habitat is usually defined by their preferences. Most often you’ll come across them near sewage and behind the sink, near stoves and any heating systems, as well as in the kitchen or bathroom. They also inhabit darker secluded spots such as floor gaps, closed vegetable boxes, loose floorboards, wall holes, niches for the furniture, loose wallpaper, etc.

3. Cockroaches love darkness and shade. Their activity peaks when humans are asleep. Come to the kitchen at night, turn the lights on and you’ll see dozens of these pests.
4. They are disgusting. Unlike many other insects, they actually defecate, leave debris of their food, saliva and skin in the least accessible spots. These debris can cause allergies and other uncomfortable diseases.

5. As much as cockroaches love heat, they hate cold. When the temperature falls below -8 °C, they begin to die. A day of intense ventilation in winter can actually help combat these pests. At the same time, they can easily survive mild winter in a warm place.

6. Cockroaches feed irregularly. Female roaches can survive up to 45 days without food while males need food a bit more often. Sometimes this reduces the effect of poisoning by ingestion and gels and doesn’t entail immediate results.

7. Cockroaches live in large colonies and rarely leave them for food. They neither have strict hierarchy like ants nor do socialize like bees. As a rule, some two or three clusters of cockroaches inhabit an apartment. If you destroy them, there would be far fewer insects in the house. They “communicate” by exuding pheromones, group together along these “fragrant paths” and pave the rim

8. Cockroaches are omnivorous but they still have certain preferences.They avoid products containing fat, spoilt food, and mold. They love everything sweet and smelly, rich in carbohydrates. They also feed on carrion and feces, according to the Woking Environment Service. By the way, they can also consume their own dead. The manufacturers of poisonous gels use this peculiarity to provoke chain reaction when exterminating these insects.

9. Cockroaches can’t smell. They can only identify food and attractant a few centimeters away. That’s why they have to constantly move around and hope to accidentally bump into some food. However, if their nest is located near trash or kitchen table, the issue is resolved, and they may not leave it at all in case there is sufficient supply of food.

10. They breed fast and live long. During its lifespan of 170-180 days, a female roach can lay 30-40 eggs each 2-3 weeks. In this way, the cockroach population can increase by 27 times in a year!