How to get rid of Arizona cockroaches in winter

Cockroaches have been a part of life for animals and humans nearly since animals and humans first appeared on the planet. Cockroaches are famous for being hearty creatures, capable of adapting to various climates and weather. Despite Arizona's warm, dry, climate cockroaches find a way to live and thrive.

While it doesn’t really get very cold in the winter months in Arizona, the temperature is low compared to say... mid-summer. This change in weather does cause cockroaches to try to find indoor places to hide. Once they get inside, cockroaches are hard to get rid of. This is why getting rid of cockroaches in Arizona starts with preventing cockroaches from getting inside in the first place.

Western Exterminator in Arizona are experts in cockroach control including roach removal from homes and businesses as well as treatments for cockroach prevention. Contact your local Western Exterminator office in Arizona for an appointment with a specialist if you think you have a roach infestation.

What are cockroaches?

The first questions most Arizona residents ask is if the insects they’re seeing around their home, scurrying around the kitchen, are really cockroaches. There are other insects which sometimes get confused with roaches, such as beetles. However, cockroaches are insects in the scientific order of Blattodea. They are actually relatives of termites.

Cockroaches are thought to be about 320 million years old. They have evolved a bit since then, but not by much.

What do cockroaches look like?

Cockroaches vary in size, color and general shape based upon the species of roach. However, all cockroaches have some of these same characteristics:

• Six legs - this means they are a true form of insect.
• Compound eyes - they tend to be large on roaches.
• Antennae - cockroaches have long, flexible antennae.
• Mandibles - the chewing mouthparts, located beneath the head, pointed down.
• Wings - most species of cockroach have wings even though few species of cockroach actually fly.
• Exoskeleton - cockroaches have a hard carapace, which is the hard outer shell of the insect.

Types of cockroaches commonly found in Arizona

Although it’s possible homeowners may find other species of cockroach in Arizona, the kind most commonly found include:

• American cockroach - reddish brown and can be up to 3 inches long. These insects commonly have a yellow band behind their head.
• Brown-banded cockroach - smaller roaches than the American. They are tan in color with the telltale brown bands on their wings.
• Oriental cockroach - larger than the brown-banded, but smaller than the American roach. These are very dark, black or reddish colored roaches.
• German cockroach - light brown in color, these roaches have long antennae, extending backwards. They have dark black strips extending down their backs just behind the head.

Cockroach prevention in Arizona

The best way to get rid of cockroaches around your business or residential property is to make sure your home or building is unsuitable for cockroaches. During the winter months, it’s a good time to start doing some of the following:

• Look for holes and openings - search for holes in foundations, siding, the roof. This includes holes made for cable television or electrical wiring leading from the outside to indoors. Vents and screens should also be repaired or installed. Seal up the holes as best you can.
• Remove vegetation - cockroaches in the wild will crawl around vegetation. Tall grasses, piles of leaves, stacks of wood, and weeds can provide easy access for cockroaches to get indoors. Trim back the vegetation to keep them away
• Remove and seal up garbage - cockroaches love to crawl around in dumpsters and garbage cans. Make sure garbage is removed and away from doorways and windows. Seal up the garbage cans and make sure they are free of holes to keep roaches out.
• Seal up dog food - if you have pets you keep outdoors, make sure their food is locked up whenever possible. Roaches will seek out any food they can find and the easier it is to find, the better they like it. Roaches will gladly eat pet food if it is easily accessible.
• Sweep up floors and store food in containers - if a cockroach does get inside, they will gladly get into whatever food they can find there. Make sure there’s no crumbs or food on the floor or within pantries or cabinets. Store food in sealed containers. Make sure you regularly clean up cabinets and get rid of old food.

Keeping your property clean and sealed up can go a long way in preventing cockroaches.

​​​​​​Contact Western Exterminator in Arizona for cockroaches

If you have roaches no matter what you try, then it’s time to call in the professionals. Arizona’s Western Exterminator specialists understand how to find and track down the cockroach infestation. They can root out the current infestation, getting rid of roaches during all life stages. Our specialists will then discuss with you the best ways to prevent cockroaches from returning.

The first step is to get one of our highly trained professionals out to your property to inspect it and find the source of the infestation. Contact us today.