Cockroach Removal & Control in Edison, Somerset, Lakewood, NJ
Residential infestations of cockroaches expose their occupants to cockroach fecal material, saliva, and body fragments; all are potentially severe asthma triggers, especially for children.
For those seeking pest control services in New Jersey, it's important to be aware of the common types of roaches that can infest our structures. The "big four" include the German, brown-banded, American, and Oriental cockroaches, with occasional sightings of the Pennsylvania wood cockroach in our area.
Among these, the German and brown-banded cockroaches are known as colonizers, preferring indoor environments once they've found a suitable spot. They tend to stay put unless conditions change. On the other hand, species like the Oriental and American cockroaches are invaders, typically seeking shelter indoors when outdoor conditions become unfavorable, particularly in moist and humid areas.
Cockroaches are primarily nocturnal, preferring dark environments whenever possible. Spotting them in the open or in the light often indicates a significant infestation. They tend to hide in narrow spaces where surfaces touch both above and below, making them difficult to eradicate.
In terms of diet, cockroaches are opportunistic feeders and will consume virtually anything with nutritional value, including dog food, human food items, and even household items like soap and glue. Understanding these behaviors can help homeowners take proactive steps to prevent and control cockroach infestations effectively.
When considering pest control services, it's important to recognize that cockroach infestations can occur in any structure throughout New Jersey, including homes, schools, restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, and offices. Any building with food preparation or storage areas is particularly susceptible to infestation.
eyond being a nuisance, cockroach infestations pose serious health risks. These pests contaminate food and eating utensils, damage fabric and paper products, and leave behind stains and unpleasant odors on surfaces they contact. Additionally, cockroaches can transmit harmful bacteria such as salmonella, which causes food poisoning. German cockroaches, in particular, are capable of carrying disease-causing organisms like Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and hepatitis, and have even been linked to the spread of typhoid and dysentery.
Understanding the potential consequences of a cockroach infestation underscores the importance of prompt and effective pest control measures. By addressing infestations swiftly, homeowners and business owners can safeguard against health hazards and protect their property from damage.
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German Cockroach
understanding the characteristics and behaviors of German cockroaches is essential. These are the smallest of the invading roaches, measuring only about ½ inch in length as adults. They're identified by their light brown coloration with two dark stripes on their shield.
German cockroaches are notorious for infesting indoor spaces, particularly in multiple-family dwellings. They're often the primary suspect in cockroach infestations reported to pest control services. Their resilience makes them challenging to eradicate, often requiring multifaceted approaches to control.
These pests gravitate toward food preparation areas, kitchens, and bathrooms due to their preference for warm, humid environments near food and water sources. Severe infestations can quickly spread throughout buildings, posing significant challenges for homeowners and businesses.
One of the most concerning traits of German cockroaches is their rapid reproduction rate. A single female and her offspring can produce over 30,000 individuals in just one year. Egg-laying occurs more frequently in warm weather, with each light tan egg case containing about 30 young. Females can produce a new egg case every few weeks, exacerbating infestation problems if left unchecked.
By recognizing these characteristics and behaviors, individuals can better understand the urgency of addressing German cockroach infestations promptly and thoroughly with the assistance of pest control professionals.
Brown Banded Cockroaches are often found in offices and other places where the paper is stored, apartments or homes that are not air-conditioned, and over-heated office buildings.
Brown Banded Cockroach
Brown-banded cockroaches are about the same size as German cockroaches but are not as widespread. Males are golden tan; females are a darker brown. Both have light-colored bands on their abdomens.
They seek out warm areas and favorite locations include near the warm electrical components of appliances. Brown-banded cockroaches prefer starchy food including the glue on stamps and envelopes.
We have also found brown-banded roach infestations in kitchens and hospitals. Females glue light brown egg cases to ceilings, beneath furniture, or in closets or other dark places where eggs incubate for several weeks before hatching.
Oriental Cockroach
The oriental cockroach is a larger cockroach, over an inch long, and is sometimes referred to as a water bug or black beetle. It lives in dark, damp places like indoor and outdoor drains, water control boxes, woodpiles, basements, garages, trash cans and damp areas under houses. It is most likely to occur in single-family dwellings that are surrounded by vegetation. It is also common to find them in ivy, ground cover, and outside locations where people feed pets.
Oriental roaches prefer cooler temperatures than the other species do and populations of this species often build to large numbers in masonry enclosures such as water meter boxes. At night, oriental cockroaches may migrate into buildings in search of food. Females deposit dark red-brown egg cases in debris or food located in sheltered places.
American Cockroach
The American cockroach prefers warm and humid environments. They are also common in sewers, steam tunnels and masonry storm drains. Occasionally they forage from sewers and other areas into the ground floor of buildings. Adult females carry the egg cases around for about 6 days and then cement them to a protected surface where they incubate.
Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach
The Pennsylvania wood cockroach can be brought inside eastern homes when firewood is brought indoors or when it moves into homes from the surrounding wood. Adult males are about 1 inch long and the females only grow to about ¾ inch. Once indoors, they wander around, looking for a food source. They can also be found in rain gutters, under shingles (especially cedar) and in garages. If the home or building is near a wooded area, the Pennsylvania wood cockroach may see a cedar-shingled home as a fallen tree and a new, potential nesting area.
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Cowleys Pest Services proudly offers pest control services throughout the Mercer, Ocean, Monmouth, Somerset, & Middlesex County area, including Edison, Somerset, Lakewood, Toms River, Brick, Bridgewater, Piscataway, Old Bridge, Middletown, Princeton Junction, and nearby in New Jersey. Call or contact us today to schedule a Free Estimate or to learn more!