A Quick Guide about Cockroaches and Top Secrets for the Most Effective Winter Cockroach Pest Control

Common Questions On Roaches

To keep them out of your household (not only during winter but all year round), let us share with you the facts that will help you understand them well to properly devise the preventive measures to take.

Question #1: Do cockroaches like the winter season more than summer?

Cockroaches love to live in the tropics and they are more prevalent during summer. But they are also considered all-year-round pests. Generally, most species of cockroach don’t like the cold weather and prefer an environment with comfortable thermostats. So where do they go during winter? They typically target your home for shelter and foraging purposes. Many of the roaches enter a hibernation-like state and the residential houses are an ideal environment for them to remain active and able to survive the cold winter. Among the various species of roaches, the most likely to visit you in winter are American Cockroach, German Cockroach, and Oriental Cockroach.   

Question #2: Can cockroaches survive the cold temperature? 

One of the common misconceptions about cockroaches is that they can’t die out due to the cold weather. They can somehow manage during winter but it doesn’t mean it is also bad news for them (because it actually affects their behavior!). When the temperature drops below 7°C, they limit their reproduction and growth activities. Instead, they’ll spend more time searching somewhere they can hole up to spend the winter. ( Cockroach infestation in winter )

Typical places they find to be good sources of warmth are in a garage, underneath piles of woods, attic, basement, or any comfortable area inside your home that will help them survive. However, once the temperature drops below -10°C and without any place, they can take shelter, the condition will be too much for the cockroach thus leading to their death. Another fun fact that may spike up your interest is the hearsay relating to a cockroach’s ability to withstand a nuclear blast. It is one of the misconceptions about their survival capacity.

The truth is, they can’t survive a nuclear event. However, according to some research studies, they can withstand radiation doses 10 times higher compared to the level that humans can handle. 

Question #3: What attracts cockroaches to your home? 

The most common attractants for cockroaches are leaky pipes and faucets. However, it is more directed towards the amount of moisture they can get from such an environment. Even the cleanest house can potentially be visited by cockroaches. As long as they are in search of water, your home is at risk for pest infestation. The moisture found in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms is quite appealing not only to cockroaches but also to other kinds of pests such as mosquitoes and even rodents. Read more on our Safe Cockroach Pest Control Treatments.

Other reasons that also lure cockroaches are the accessibility to food and they indulge in nesting in forgotten areas like trash cans that aren’t cleaned regularly. But now that it is winter, they are most likely drawn by the need to find a warm shelter to survive the cold.

Question #4:  Can cockroaches play dead? 

If you are wondering if there are any particular facts about cockroaches you should know, that will be their ability to play dead.

It will surely make you wonder how they can pull such an act but the reason why they are extremely good actors lies behind their innate skill to hold their breath – that’s up to 40 minutes to be exact! They can also survive up to 30 minutes underwater. What makes it more believable is the way they can stay completely still until they flip back on their feet once they’ve detected that there are no threats anymore.

After they’ve ensured that the close is clear, you’ll see them scuttling away to hide. Plus, here’s a ghoulish fact: roaches can live for a week without a head!

Question #5:  Does killing a cockroach attract more into your home?

Cockroaches have a reputation for being omnivorous scavengers who can eat almost anything. They are most likely to consume every available food they can find and even if it is their own dead species.

In compelling situations, dead cockroaches may draw more roaches because they see it as potential food, and several species like the German and American Cockroaches are attracted to this kind of food preference (whether it is wounded or already dead roach).