The Cockroach An outcast, A creature we despise, It looks so small and tiny, And has gimlet eyes, It stalks the drains and kitchens, And scavenges in the night, And climbs upon our plates of food, Such an unwelcome sight. --Simon Clark Aside from termites, cockroaches are the number one expense when it comes to pest control in the United States. It's a huge slice of the 7.5 billion dollars spent in the US on pest control a year. With that kind of money going out, it's extremely important to make sure that your hard earned dough is being put to good use, so proper identification and treatment is essential. Biologically speaking, most of these home invaders are very similar to one another in the idea that they prefer dark hideouts. Cracks and voids are typically where these guys like to hang out. They do this, so they can avoid air movement. Roaches are not a huge fan of vibration and air moving over them. Cockroaches are omnivorous which means they don't discriminate when it comes to their dinner menu, and these little guys are hungry to eat both plant or animal matter. Have you ever flipped a light switch and been witness to cockroaches scattering about as if they've been caught red-handed in a conspiracy meeting? This is instinctual for cockroaches because for the most part they are negatively phototactic--in simpler terms, what this means is they don't like the light, and when a light is switched on quickly, these guys are frightened and go to seek out the comfort of their dark, tiny, damp homes. There are a few roaches who are drawn to light, but they still aren't a fan of being startled quickly with light. As pest control experts, knowing who we're battling is a key element in successful pest control strategies. In the United States, there are approximately 69 species of cockroaches, but less than 10 of them are what we would consider home invaders. In the Charleston area, we encounter 5 species that Champion Pest Management works to protect you from under our service agreement. It's extremely important for our techs to first identify what type of pest you may be dealing with in order to customize the best treatment for your home or business. In this post, we will discuss some basic characteristics of these 5 species and how they vary from one another. In the weeks to come, keep an eye out for our roach series where I'll devote more attention to each type of cockroach. German Cockroaches
American Cockroaches
Smoky Brown Cockroaches
Brown-Banded Cockroaches
Asian Cockroaches
Other than Being Scary Looking, Why are Cockroaches so Bad for our Homes? Alright, so maybe after all this, cockroaches don't seem so scary right? Maybe we can all live together in peace and harmony? Not quite. Cockroaches have been around for an extremely long time. There are some roach fossils that date back 320 million years! They will probably be around much longer than we will be to be honest. So what's the point? Why fight it? Well, cockroaches can be dangerous to our health as humans. These creatures are not only creepy to look at, but they can make your living arrangements downright perilous.
Why you Shouldn't be too Fearful While the idea of a roach infestation can seem quite scary, it really isn't a time to loose your composure. If you fear an infestation in your home give us a call at Champion Pest Management. We're happy to come out, inspect, identify, and treat your home. Together, we can keep your home safe and pest free. 843.860.4791
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About UsChampion Pest Management is a locally owned, family run, pest control company operating in Charleston, SC and the surrounding areas. Archives
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