Most people find cockroaches disgusting. If you’ve ever had the displeasure of running into these creepy-crawlies around your home or at a commercial premises, you’ll most likely agree that this pest is one you’d rather not see again. These pests don’t just scuttle around basements and hide in cracks—they can carry germs, trigger allergies, and sneak through the tiniest crevices in your home or business.
If you’ve noticed signs of cockroaches, don’t wait around. Call your local Western Exterminator team, and our technicians can help identify the species and recommend a treatment plan to help protect your property.
Read on to learn more facts about cockroaches that might make your skin crawl, but will help explain why you need to act quickly when it comes to dealing with roaches.
Humans find cockroaches gross for a reason: they can carry over 30 types of bacteria, several parasitic worms, and other known pathogens. But the real concern for many people is the allergens they produce. Cockroach feces, saliva, and body parts can trigger allergies, especially in children and those with asthma. If anyone in your household has breathing issues, cockroaches can make them worse.
A cockroach doesn’t use its mouth to breathe. Like many insects, they use a network of tubes connected to spiracles — small openings along their body segments — to take in oxygen. This system is part of their open circulatory system, which is very different from ours and helps them survive in tough conditions. Cockroaches are tough; they can even survive for a few days without a head because of how their circulatory and nervous systems work.
In some cultures, cockroaches were used in home remedies. The Greeks and Egyptians used ground or boiled cockroaches for medicinal purposes, and even some New Orleans cultures used boiled cockroach tea as a medicinal remedy. While this might not be something you’d like to see on your local coffee shop menu, it does highlight how long humans have been dealing with cockroaches. With these insects dating back to the Carboniferous era, roaches have been around for a very long time, though they are perhaps now considered more a feared pest than an ingredient for tea.
Cockroaches are not fussy when it comes to food. While the idea that cockroaches "eating children while they sleep" is more urban legend than fact, these pests aren't exactly picky eaters. They are attracted to anything with protein or moisture: think pet fur, shed skin, and nails. The American cockroach has been documented to eat toenails, eyelashes, and hair.
Roaches are, however, more likely to be found near bins, damp spaces, or areas providing plentiful food sources, like kitchens, where crumbs might have been left behind on countertops. German and Oriental cockroaches, in particular, like to lurk in dark crevices near trash bins or damp basements. There, they’ll happily snack on everything from leftover food and spilled drinks to paper, glue, and other surprising household materials. So, your children might be safe from being eaten by cockroaches, but not much else is!
Cockroaches can scurry into tight spaces and are very resilient. Certain species of cockroaches can go without air for 45 minutes. They can remain active for a month without food and can survive being submerged in water for half an hour. They can also withstand radiation up to 15 times the lethal dose for humans. Thanks to their exoskeleton, they can squeeze into cracks as small as the width of a coin and withstand pressure that would crush softer-bodied pests.
Even baby cockroach nymphs are fast and tough to catch. Female cockroaches also produce an ootheca, or egg case, that protects developing eggs from harsh conditions and many over-the-counter treatments.
DIY pest control may offer a temporary fix, but roaches can hide in the smallest spaces and are therefore very difficult to fully eliminate. For long-term peace of mind and the safety of your home, it's best to rely on professional pest control.
Whether you're dealing with Oriental cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches, or German cockroaches, we know how to find where they’re nesting and what’s drawing them in.
Our technicians are trained to inspect your home thoroughly, uncover hidden entry points, and apply targeted treatments designed to reach all life stages of cockroaches—from eggs to adults. We focus on solutions that disrupt the cockroach lifecycle and help reduce the risk of reinfestation.
Cockroach infestations can affect your peace of mind and your comfort at home. That’s why Western Exterminator offers expert cockroach control services to help protect your home.
To schedule an inspection, call us at 866-202-7676 or reach out online. We’re here to help.
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