Cockroaches have been on this planet for hundreds of millions of years and are expected to be here way after the human race has left. Fossil evidence shows early forms of cockroach present in the record from approximately 280-320 million years ago! Here are five interesting facts that you didn’t know about the cockroach.
- Cockroaches are nature’s perfectly adaptable pest, they can even survive with its head being cut off for up to 7 days.
- What actually causes a headless roach to die? Water loss, as it has no way in ingest water into its gut and circulatory system.
- How can it survive without a head? Cockroaches are not like humans as their brain is actually along its back in little neural packs that allow the roach to adapt to not having a head.
- Why wouldn’t a headless roach bleed to death? Well, because of the cockroaches ‘skin’, which is not like our skin, it can close the wound that was created and seal it up, therefore saving any water in its system until it dies of water loss approximately 7 days later.
- But what about food? A cockroach can live without food for approximately 30 days, depending on conditions. That means that if it’s getting water at reasonable intervals, and its warm and comfortable, then the cockroach can survive easily until a food source can be found.
Did you know that cockroaches spend approximately 75% of their time in very small and tight cracks and dark crevasses? That’s why if you walk into your kitchen or bathroom and turn on the light, the cockroaches will quickly scatter back into their hiding spots. It’s important to see where they go because you can determine their hiding spots or harbourage areas.
As a Pest Management Professional, this kind of information will help us destroy the cockroach problem in your home. We follow procedures and policies that will rid your home of these pests quickly and effectively using an integrated pest management program. This program includes making your home unhospitable to cockroaches by removing any food, water, or other sources of materials which allow cockroaches to spread. This includes the use of vacuums to remove as many cockroaches as possible before either a gel bait treatment or a chemical treatment occurs. This way any remaining cockroaches will be exposed to the non-allergenic gel bait or to the permethrin based chemical treatments. A Poulin’s professional will return as soon as 7-10 days to follow up and re-treat or re-bait your home to quickly remove the cockroach problem. Remember this, cockroaches can literally get into anything as long as there is a water and food source and its room temperature.
To find out more about our integrated pest management program give us a call at 888-768-5467 or find a location near you and visit us in store.