They are usually only active at night that they can go unnoticed by humans. During the colder months, cockroaches breed, which can become a serious infestation really quickly. These pests will usually be hiding under the kitchen sink, near garbage disposal bins, and the back of cupboards.
Similar to other winter pests, cockroaches invade your home in winter looking for food and shelter. Often you will find cockroaches close to food sources. This could be in your kitchen or around your common dining areas. If you find a cockroach in your home you need the team at Pesky Possum Bird & Pest Control.
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.
Natural predators of cockroaches are various arthropods (including spiders), frogs, lizards, birds and mammals. Some wasps parasitise cockroach egg cases.
Seal any cracks, gaps, or openings with caulking compound, putty, or plastic wood. Eliminate pet food outside. Maintain tight-fitting screens, doors, and windows. If practical, bring only enough firewood indoors for a day or two to prevent insects from later emerging in the house.
Roach Repellents
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.
Raid Max Cockroach Baits Traps, six pack
Using these Raid cockroach traps are one of the more common ways to trap and kill the creepy crawlies. The pack comes with six child-resistant baits to place around the house and can last for up to three months, helping you keep your infestation at bay.
The ootheca is dark brown in colour and can be up to 11mm long. The Australian cockroach drops the ootheca in sheltered areas of your home, close to food sources.
Boric acid is a powerful natural home remedy for getting rid of roaches overnight. Mix equal amounts of boric acid, flour, and sugar until it becomes a dough-like consistency. Place small pieces where the roaches can feed on them.
How Long Do Cockroaches Live? All cockroaches go through three stages of life: egg, nymph, and adult. While these insects usually live about 6 to 15 months, the cockroach lifespan varies based on species, moisture, and temperature in each of these phases.
When it comes to roaches, there's usually more than what's visible hiding in your home. If you spot one of these pesky insects, it's best to call your local Terminix technician right away to get rid of the cockroaches. There are, however, some steps you can take to prevent a cockroach infestation.
Spiders instinctively know to find shelter as it gets colder, such as leaves or inside crevices in tree bark. Those small, sheltered places, combined with their antifreeze, keeps them alive until spring.
Cold can also be used to kill cockroaches, but it takes a prolonged exposure to low temperatures to kill egg cases. Appliances or furniture can be left in a garage when temperatures are below 0o F for several days. If moving, leaving possessions in a truck or van will do the same thing.
Look for Shed Skin and Egg Casings
One of the most obvious signs of an active cockroach nest is shed skin, which cockroaches molt as they grow. Another sign is egg casings, which look like small brown capsules. Look for these items near baseboards, cupboards, and other areas where roaches might be nesting.
Cockroaches are one of the most common insects around Australia, and in extremely rare circumstances they are known to bite humans. Cockroaches transmit harmful bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, but are not venomous.
Although many adult cockroaches have wings, most species do not fly. Adult American and Australian cockroaches will fly, but only in warmer weather.
If the bait you have been using has been around for a while, as time goes by the effect of the bait will be less and less. Roaches can quickly evolve and adapt and so they require new fresh batches of product. If you're using old product, they may avoid it entirely or even consume it and it won't kill them!
It may seem like you are seeing more cockroaches out in the open when you apply a roach bait to your home, but roach bait will not attract more roaches. If you follow the appropriate steps to eliminate other food sources and do a deep clean, the bait should be the only food source available for the roaches.
Some suggest crushing bay leaves and placing them in areas where they hide to repel them, Essential Oils - A general idea that cockroaches dislike the smell of essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, and tea tree as they disrupt and musk their scent trails in food finding.
Distilled vinegar does not kill or repel roaches, making it completely ineffective. Distilled vinegar will help keep your kitchen clean, giving cockroaches less to snack on. However, roaches can live for months at a time without any food at all, and they will eat almost anything to survive.
Sugar is by far the most attractive substance to a cockroach. They love sugar and can smell it from anywhere. This means you'll want to keep your sugar containers, fruits, and other sweeteners sealed in air-tight containers that are up off the floor.