It’s really no surprise that roaches are one of the most abhorred creepy crawlies when it comes to house invaders. They spread germs and smell awful and once you have a roach call your home or office theirs, it’s extremely difficult to get rid of them. They’re gross and annoying, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t learn about them so we can protect our homes and our offices!
There are so many species of roaches, but the ones we need to worry about are often the German cockroach. These nocturnal critters are about .5 to .6 inches long and come in a range of colours, from tan to almost pure black, and all have the distinctive markings of two dark stripes down their backs. The females are typically larger than the males and these guys reproduce fast. Females create an “egg case,” which can hold 50 indevidual eggs, and then they find a place where the eggs won’t be disturbed. It takes about a month for them to hatch and roaches mature in 2 to 4 months, ready to create their own hoard of cockroach babies.
Roaches are always searching for three things; shelter, food and water and unfortunately, our homes are the perfect place to find all three. It’s important to make our spaces as unfriendly for a roach as possible and that means keeping it clean and tidy! Crumbs and spills are a roach buffet, so make sure to sweep and mop your kitchen and dining area frequently. Clean your kitchen surfaces, inside your garbage can and tabletops with a vinegar solution. You can even add it into your mop bucket every now and then, because roaches hate the smell of vinegar! Try to keep clutter to a minimum as that stack of newspapers or that pile of laundry is the perfect place for a family of roaches to call home.
Not only are they invasive, but cockroaches can cause allergies, illnesses and can contaminate water supplies. Spreading salmonella, E. Coli, tons of bacteria and even parasitic worms, roaches continue to terrorize apartments, restaurants and other businesses while staying fairly resistant to most pesticides and eradication efforts. Chances are if you find one, there are many, many more in hiding.
And that’s where One Man and a Lady Bug comes in. We have been battling roaches for over 18 years and we’re not slowing down any time soon! If you suspect you might be dealing with a roach infestation, give us a call at 403-262-1666 and we’ll come up with a solution to rid your home or business of these creepy bugs!
