Cockroaches are a common pest, infesting both indoor and outdoor areas. Effective control of pest cockroaches involves thorough inspection, reducing sources of food, water and shelter, pesticides or baits, and ongoing maintenance. Several species of cockroach are common in Victoria.
Certain species of cockroaches have co-inhabited with humans in many areas such as homes, ships, food production & storage facilities. These common household cockroaches were introduced into Australia over the last 200 years and are the most commonly encountered household pests in Australia.
There are around 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide and about 450 species in Australia, but very few are pests. The three main types of cockroaches commonly found in homes and businesses in Australia include the German cockroach, Australian cockroach and American cockroach.
No, we don't have any special species here in NSW, despite the nickname in Rugby League circles. We have the same cockroaches, like everywhere else in Australia that flee under your cupboard at the first sign of light. If you get the creepy crawlies from their antennae and irregular movements, then you're not alone.
Cockroaches are attracted to the food and shelter that comes with filth. Cleaning your home is the easiest way to keep roaches at bay. You need to be incredibly thorough in this effort—unfortunately, roaches can survive for 2 weeks without water and 3 months without food.
Once a roach has found and consumed bait, it typically dies within 1-3 days. A substantial reduction in the infestation overall should be apparent within a few weeks. With cockroach baits, it usually is not necessary to empty kitchen cabinets or cover food preparation surfaces before treatment.
Cockroaches only approach humans when they are not awake. They are usually timid creatures that avoid humans as much as possible.
The Australian cockroach drops the ootheca in sheltered areas of your home, close to food sources. The female hides the egg casings in holes and tight crevices.
After all, cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. But when the pests become persistent and begin making a home out of your home, you've got a problem. If you don't take care of the roach you find in your house, you could end up with a whole infestation. Cockroaches have the ability to multiply quickly.
Physically Seeing a Roach
You may be wondering: "I saw one cockroach, should I be worried?" If you spot even one roach during the daytime, it can mean the infestation has been going on for some time or that it has progressed to the point where drastic action must be taken immediately.
Roaches are most active at night, during which time they forage for food and mate. Outdoor cockroaches in the northern United States enter a period of hibernation in winter, experiencing a suspended state of development in autumn. When spring arrives, they resume their activity.
As long as the temperature indoors is above 50 degrees, roaches can remain active year-round, although they are more prevalent in the spring and summer months.
Color: They are reddish-brown to dark brown with yellow markings on the top of their head and the front edge of each wing. Size: They are slightly smaller than American cockroaches. Their wings are about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches long. Characteristics: They are also known as shad roaches.
Final thoughts. Cockroaches are one of the most common insects around Australia, and in extremely rare circumstances they are known to bite humans.
Although many adult cockroaches have wings, most species do not fly. Adult American and Australian cockroaches will fly, but only in warmer weather.
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Practice exclusion techniques; prevent the entry of these roaches into structures. Seal any cracks, gaps, or openings with caulking compound, putty, or plastic wood. Eliminate pet food outside. Maintain tight-fitting screens, doors, and windows.
The short answer is yes. Cockroaches can lay eggs in clothes. Cockroaches prefer nesting in areas that are more likely to absorb their strong odor — places where you store paper, cardboard or wood.
Cockroaches in food can cause second-hand poisoning
If you consume this poison second-hand through a cockroach, you could be in danger. The more so if you consume the entire pest by accident. Keep an eye out for poisoning symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, lack of concentration, and stomach pain.
You don't have to call an exterminator immediately, but take proactive steps to diagnose the scale of the issue: search for possible hiding areas and look for any signs of infestation (roach droppings, eggs, skin casks). Once you see 2 roaches, you have an infestation—contact an exterminator as soon as possible.
Cockroaches can contaminate food, spread disease-causing germs and even trigger asthma attacks. If you see even a single cockroach in your home, you may have an infestation on your hands. Getting rid of cockroaches can be challenging, because they're hardy creatures that can live without food for a month.
Don't forget to spray and seal entry points.
Cracks, crevices, and holes in and around baseboards, flooring, walling, foundations, doors, windows, screens and seals are how roaches usually get inside our homes. It's crucial to spray these potential entryways weekly, every 3-4 days, or more often as necessary.
The presence of baby cockroaches usually indicates there is a nest nearby. Once a nest is established in or near your home, the odds are likely that you either have a full blown infestation already or one is in the process of starting.