If there are unfamiliar tiny black balls lying on certain spots, probably German roaches has found places to breed in the house. This pest could turn into a whole colony only with one egg to begin with. Since the smell might be overbearing, the house owner has to learn about the options to get rid of them.
What Is German Roaches?
It is the pest that could be found in almost all residences. Its length is about half an inch with brownish color that almost look like black color. On the body, there are two streaks, dark colored which make almost parallel line. In general, it is what people have in their mind when they hear the word “cockroaches”. However, it is a little bit different from its brother.
German roaches have wings, but they cannot be used to fly. However, the species could glide when they are in great threat. The one that could fly and scare the house owner is the Asian cockroaches. Without years of experience, anyone could not differentiate these two species. The German roaches baby has darker skin, but they are easy to notice for the double streaks.
When the house owners notice the pest for the first time, there might be a doubt whether the animal belongs to cockroach family. The size is the smallest among the other family members. The tiniest German roaches could reach 0.43 inches or 1.1 cm while the biggest is only 0.63 inches or 1.6 cm.
Is German Roaches Dangerous?
First of all, having them running around in the house concludes that the house owner has low hygiene. Why? Because the pest live off the food waste and could not grow well without dampness. In the night, the roaches will feast on the garbage and come back to the nest to rest and breed. When the number of manifested roaches is bigger than the source of food, they will chew on human skin.
In the morning, the bite mark will appear as red dot and swollen. Even after the scar healed, it doesn’t mean the person is safe from further infections. Considering the living environment of the roaches, several pathogen have been closely connected to them; salmonella, shigella, e.coli, and streptococcus. These bacteria might cause pneumonia on humans.
In addition, worm infection such as hookworm, pinworm and tapeworm could enter the body through the pests. Not only the species. The feces left behind could also harm the house owners. The popular side effects are allergy and asthma. Check whether any of the family has the following symptoms; skin rashes, watery eyes, sneezing uncontrollably, or nasal congestion.
How Do German Roaches Behave?
It might be surprising, but German roaches are afraid of lights. Thus, they prefer to take a walk at night, keeping them close to the wall crack. When the house owners turn on the lamp, they would slip into the closest hole within seconds. After the host leaves, the pests will continue their food hunt, digging into the garbage. Roaches are omnivorous, therefore they could eat pretty much everything.
When the population exploded and the food is rare, they usually opt to nip on human skin. In some extreme cases, German roaches would eat each other wings and legs to feed their stomach. There are two favorite areas for the pests to live in the house; kitchen and bathroom. Both places provide food and water source. Plus, there will be damp corners for them to hide.
What Are The Signs Of German Roaches Manifestation?
When the house owner cleans corner area of the house, there might be droppings near the drawer or countertops. This is the first sign of roaches manifestation. Dropping is a material similar to paper. Beside the droppings, the house owner may also see stain caused by the fecal materials. Inspecting the corners and wall openings, you might also find dark spots and smears.
One obvious sign of German roaches existence is empty egg capsule. It is usually carried by female pest and left alone in certain area. The baby the hatched, leaving the capsule hollow. When these capsules are seen in several areas in the house, then there must be mushy smell as well. It comes from the secretion product. There is no way the feces don’t smell, since the food consumed is the rotten one.
How Is The Reproduction Cycle?
Even though German roaches are the smallest one among the other members of the family, it has the fastest reproduction cycle. Instead of slowing down the process, warm weather speeds up the egg production and hatching process. It only takes fifty to sixty days for eggs to hatch the newborn roaches. Carrying the egg capsule is the duty of female roaches.
The egg seed or ootheca develops inside the female abdomen. The initial form is transparent with faint cloud on the surface. After several days, it turns into white, then change again into pink colored egg capsule. When the egg finally leaves the abdomen, the color would be brown and dark red. If calculated by using the normal production cycle, a female could produce around 30.000 cockroaches in the whole year!
Fortunately, in reality the population growth is not as quick as mentioned. Cannibalism and the lack of food are two among many reasons for the roaches number to decrease. Still, the expected number after a month breeding is quite worrying, especially for family with children and pets.
How to Get Rid Of German Roaches?
Now that you have learned the potential danger brought by the German roaches, it is time to find out how to kill German Roaches. Remember that there are several things any house owners should take care of: cutting the food source, limiting the production cycle, and terminating the newborn as well as the adult pests. Only then, the roaches problem could be solved.
Asking about pest control to the internet section would bring the house owner to a solution called baits. It comes in several forms: gel and trap. The combination of both products is great help to get rid of the harmful pests. Be careful while choosing the bait; in several reports, it is found that the cockroaches develop resistance for the ingredients in the bait.
Comparing gel bait and the trap or station one, many who have tested share that gel shows better and quicker results. The trap one is the ideal maintenance to follow up the gel bait. Just like the name, gel bait appears in paste form. Squeeze the tube and apply it on the stained holes where the roaches live. If there are some areas that could not be reached using gel, take flowable bait.
It could last up to one year and has dry features. Make sure to apply the gel bait on the safe area; out of reach from the pets and children. Then, after one or two weeks, follow up with bait station. The bait looks like a ball made from plastic which contain poison for the roaches. The pests will crawl inside trough the hole and the eat the prepared deadly meal.
Put the bait in the corner, so the children or guests won’t trip off. Several recommended areas are behind the refrigerators, next to oven, toasters, and also in the corner of the bathroom. If the bait station is not appealing enough, the house owner could also take the sticky trap. It works like the normal trap, catching the feet on sticky material and gradually suffocates the pests.
The second step in roaches termination plan is destroying the production stage of the pests. In the market, you could purchase what is called Insect Growth Regulator. This product is not ready to use; the house owner has to mix the liquid with water.
The measurement goes like this: 1 oz of the chemical product mixed with one gallon of water. The mixture should be able to sterilize around 1.500 square feet area. The ingredients inside the liquid are formulated to break the breeding cycle in two directions: the survival rate and habit manipulation. The first attack happens during molting process. There will be none of the newborn could pass the larvae state.
The later one explains the strange mating process. For the male roaches, they would be confused about the heat cycle and when to make a mate call. As for the female roaches, the agent in the liquid encourages it to eat the bait. Usually, a pregnant female is picky eater. Avoid spraying insect repellant in the area with gel and flowable bait. The chemical agent would destroy each other function.
Another option to kill the adult roaches is by applying boric acid. Unlike the other means, the house owner has to be careful when spreading the powder. Too thick and the roaches are able to detect it and walk away. One recommended tool is called duster bulb. It helps create thin layer on the surface as well as reaching the difficult spot like holes. Keep in mind not to sprinkle the acid on the counter.
How to Prevent the Infestation Of German Roaches?
The purging steps seem quite complicated, right? Well, at least they could help with the pest problem. For the house owner who loves to do something preventive instead of taking remedy action, there are several suggestion that could be applied. In general, it calls for high hygiene area.
- Sanitizing Kitchen
As mentioned previously, the most favorite place for roaches to breed is kitchen. It is kind of supermarket that provides everything for a sustainable life. To limit the feast area, the house owner has to make sure that the countertop is clean before leaving. Don’t forget to remove any food particle and spills in every corner: sink, table, stove, etc. Never leave even puddle of water unwiped.
Sweeping the food waste off the table is not the end. The floor should be swept clean also. The dust and food crumbles then go to the garbage can. Repeat the sweeping process every day and three to five times a week for mopping. Another note for the house owner is not to leave dirty plates or dishes on the sink overnight. In the end of the day, make it a habit to empty the trashcan.
- Storing Food Properly
When the waste food is nowhere to be found, the desperate German roaches might touch the fresh food stock. This includes sugar, flour, cereal, bread, cookies, etc. Since nobody wants the risk, it is suggested to keep all the fresh ingredients in safe place; the airtight containers. Without any access to detect the food, the roaches will give up eventually.
- Caulking the Holes And Cracks
In addition to cut the food source, the house owners must also limit the place where the roaches could live. The first option is sealing all the holes and cracks tightly. Prioritize the ones found on the kitchen walls and bathroom. They are the number one choices for the roaches to live. Take an expanding foam to fill the gap from local hardware store. Don’t forget the crack between walls and also the crevices under the sink.
- Fixing the Importance
When the house owners have done all the daily routines, these several aspects should also be fixed. If the faucet or draining pipe leaks, immediately fix it. Pool of water could be the source of roaches hydration. Also, make sure to install strainer on the sink. It will prevent the roaches goes through the pipe to find crumble of food and water.
Another simple mistake is leaving the trash can opened. It is good to throw away all the waste, but don’t forget to prepare a lid. Make sure the trashcan is closed tightly when you step into the house.
Clean environment is a must for all house areas. In order to prevent the roaches to breed, the prevention step includes cleaning all the waste and throws them every day. For the place that has roaches manifest, the house owner should do the general cleaning immediately