Cockroaches, while not as common in the Pacific Northwest as in more tropical places, are still found quite frequently here. The most prevalent species, the German cockroach, can be found worldwide, and accounts for 95% of infestations in our area. Wherever there are people, German cockroaches follow, being inadvertently transported from place to place in things we carry. This even includes personal belongings and groceries, which often give German cockroaches access to residential and commercial property.
The fact that cockroaches — and other bugs — can hide away like that is why professional pest control services are important. Eastside Exterminators can help remedy your pest problems when you call us at 425-482-2100.
Despite their name, German cockroaches (formally known as Blatella germanica) didn’t actually originate in Germany. Historically, they started as a pest in Asia, where warm and tropical environments make it easy for them to thrive. But all they really need to do well is food, water, and harborage such as a crack to hide in. Generally, they are fond of confined spaces, especially like under a refrigerator, because they tend to be warm and moist. If these are available, mating cockroaches can produce an astonishing number of offspring in a short period of time. Even a single previously fertilized female can accomplish this, meaning that infestations can easily happen and grow out of hand.
Nonetheless, German cockroaches do face some challenges adapting to life in the Greater Seattle area and the Pacific Northwest. Namely, they can’t survive overwintering in the outdoors here. While those of us who live here think of our weathers as mild; for cockroaches, the temperatures are too extreme. Instead, they manage to get by because of their ability to stow away in common household goods.
Once safely inside a house, German cockroaches can breed at a rate faster than any other cockroach species. Each egg case that they produce will contain between 30 and 40 individual eggs. Furthermore, a cockroach’s development from egg to adult can occur in as little as 45 days. This means cockroaches can go through multiple life cycles in a season, which is why infestations can grow so suddenly.
If you have a German cockroach infestation, you will easily be able to identify them. Two distinct black stripes running along their thorax, which is just behind their head. Additionally, they grow to be about one inch long. And, like all cockroaches, they will eat virtually anything. They are also capable of flying if necessary, but cockroaches spend very little time doing so.
Lastly, you may have heard that cockroaches have a reputation for carrying diseases. This is true, but only in certain environments, such as at a hospital, where disease is already prevalent anyway. The bigger risk that they pose to your family at home is that they often carry allergens that trigger asthma.