COCKROACH PEST CONTROL

Best Cockroach Exterminator

Cockroaches are considered one of the most adaptable pests on Earth and have been around for millions of years. Cockroaches can be found anywhere from sewers to homes to Philadelphia area restaurants and piles of leaves. They often enter structures through drains, pipes and are able to quickly invade the cracks and crevices of your home or business to build their own family.

Typically, cockroaches can be controlled with a combination of good sanitation by vacuuming often, keeping food areas clean and dry, and caulk entry points to include cracks in/around your home or business. Our approach to cockroach extermination is thorough and precise, learned from years of professional experience and education. Prodigy’s State Licensed exterminators will develop a pest solution to rid your property of cockroaches, no matter how large or small the infestation may be.

Cockroaches – An Unwelcome Nuisance

Philadelphia is no stranger to cockroach infestations. Local television and newspapers have even reported residents calling for the aid of municipal officials after thousands of cockroaches flooded sidewalks and porches from nearby manholes of a neighborhood.

You’re not alone if you think of cockroaches as the most hated pest infestation. But armed with knowledge and the expert pest control assistance of Prodigy Solutions in Philadelphia, you won’t need to fear to find them scuttling around.

Cockroaches are the perhaps the superheroes of the insect pest world. They have strong adaptation skills, having been found to exist millions of years ago. There are more than 4,600 species worldwide. Sixty-nine of those species live in the United States, though there are only approximately 30 considered as pests. Luckily, there are only four breeds that are commonly found in residential and commercial properties in Pennsylvania.

They are the American, Oriental, brown-banded and the German cockroach.

Details of a Nuisance

Knowing a cockroach species is critical for its eradication.  Their behaviors may seem similar, but without species knowledge, any treatment is waste of your time and resources.

Most cockroaches fly. But they are more fleet of foot. Their body mass versus their wing capacity makes it challenging for them to fly long distances.  They typically only make short flights when they are in stressful environments and when they need a quick vertical escape route such as when they encounter poison, crowds of people or a predator.

German Cockroaches

 Most notably German cockroaches have two parallel lines down their backs, are light brown in color and they are rapid breeders. They can produce 30,000 eggs in one year whereas American cockroaches produce up to 800 in one year.  That’s a lot of cockroaches that can potentially breed on your property. At ½ inch to 5/8 inches, German cockroaches are the smaller of the “big” four cockroaches. They can live up to 100 days and up to two weeks without water. But they are scavengers and there is very little they will not eat, including meat, sugars, soap, makeup and even each other.  They favor warm humid environments and are typically found indoors in residential properties and hotels in places like kitchens and bathrooms.

Oriental Cockroaches

Often confused with water bugs Oriental cockroaches can be found in warm dark and dank locations often close to the ground. For this reason, they are primarily found outside. They are usually black in color or very dark brown and they grow in size from 1 to 2 inches. The lifespan of a male and female are very different.  Males can live from-110-160 days, but the female lives from 35-180 days and produces about 128 offspring in its lifespan.

Many property owners will see them crawling around via sewers, gutters, and drainpipes. You may also see them near and around dark spaces of your landscaping, under rocks and mulch.  If they are inside, they are likely near locations with water access like sinks and toilets. Their primary food source is decaying organic material.

American Cockroaches

Known for its super size, the American cockroach is reddish brown.  If they’re inside, they are probably seeking a water source. These are the giants you are likely to see on the street in urban areas around manholes and sewers. It’s not uncommon to peer over train or subway tracks and see a very large one scuttling across the rails.  You may also see them around properties like supermarkets, restaurants, and bakeries. They normally favor outside environments and eat other insects, fungus, leaves and wood particles, but once inside your property they will scavenge for food like any other cockroach. American cockroaches can survive up to one year.

Brown Banded

This brown cockroach is the smallest of the four. It measures 11 to 14 millimeters. They are named after the two bands that wrap around their abdomen. They prefer warm dry air and reside in locations that tend to be higher off the ground than other commonly found indoor cockroaches like the German. In fact, these “furniture roaches” as they are called, live entirely indoors. And they are likely to be the cockroaches you see coming out of sofas, chairs and other furniture as they typically lay their eggs in furniture. They produce approximately 235 eggs in their lifespan, which is about 130-315 days, depending on the environment.

Cockroaches Transmit Disease

Cockroaches though beneficial to the ecosystem can be a nuisance, and more important, can cause serious sickness and health hazards for property owners. Their stealthy behavior and rapid movement from place to place make it easy for them to leave sick people in their wake.

Diseases like Salmonella infection stick to cockroach’s legs, leaving the poison when they trail through food. Cockroaches can also induce allergies and respiratory illnesses like asthma when their fecal matter and their dead bodies are picked up in the air. According to the Center for Disease Control, cockroach pollution is a leading trigger for asthma attacks in children and adults.

Prevention and Management

Cockroaches have three priorities—food, shelter, and water.

You can have a sparkling environment, but even the smallest speck of food can cause foraging cockroaches to stay.  Once rewarded, they will probably return and even bring others.

Top Prevention Methods

  1. Clean your property regularly. Most people know this means the kitchen, but this also includes bathrooms, sitting room and any other place you might be likely to eat.

 

  1. Store it or toss it. Proper food storage is critical. Cockroaches are masters at finding crumbs and they don’t discriminate between moldy food, five-star meals or your pet’s food.

 

  1. Seal it up. Cracks in windows and underneath doors and in between floorboards. Also, repair leaking drains, Cockroaches will slip through any opening they can in their search for water. Remember they won’t die if they don’t eat for a few days, but they can’t survive if they are dehydrated.

 

 

Cockroach infestation is stressful enough without attempting to solve the problem with amateur remedies. Prodigy Solutions in Philadelphia are the expert you should call when you want quality and long-lasting results.

 

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Did You Know?

  • There are about 70 cockroach species found in the U.S.
  • Cockroaches are commonly found in buildings and homes because they prefer warm environments close to food and water.
  • Some of the most common roaches include the American, Oriental and German cockroaches.
  • Cockroaches are known to spread 33 different types of bacteria which include E. coli and Salmonella.
  • Are known to cause allergic reactions, trigger asthma attacks and other illnesses, especially in children.

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