Cockroach infestation in winter

Trusted Pest Control in Sydney

Have you seen a cockroach around your home? Once you sighted one, it is best recommended to take quick action! Looking for reliable pest control near you would be the most sensible solution. However, getting the right knowledge about the pests beforehand can help understand the right pest management you need – most especially now that it’s winter!

Any homeowner would be at risk for winter pests and cockroach infestation is a serious matter not to be taken lightly. Generally, they don’t like the cold one bit so there’s a higher chance they’ll invade your residence to seek refuge and food.

At first, they may look the same and we know that it may appear to be quite difficult to tell them apart. But if you’ve discovered how they behave, their preferred hiding spots, and other habits, you can find out how to effectively eliminate these roaches and keep them out of your home!

Different Types of Cockroaches and How They Are Affected by Cold Weather

Have you ever wondered if there’s any specific cockroach you should look out for? In this pest identification guide, we’ll share with you the facts about particular cockroach species that are most likely to invade your home in winter (though they can be an all-year-round pest).

German Cockroach

Appearance: Compared to other roaches, it has a smaller oval-shaped body wherein the adult can grow to 13-16mm or 1/2 to 5/8 inches long. This type of roach has a light brown color with 2 dark longitudinal stripes running down from its head to its wings.

But despite having wings they can’t actually fly and instead use them to glide. In addition, they have sticky pads on their feet which allow them to climb even on smooth surfaces.

Life cycle: Female German cockroach is considered to have the highest reproductive rate so it can also multiply faster than any other residential cockroach. They can complete a life cycle for 30 to 45 days and be able to produce 30-48 eggs at a time.

While other roaches take time to reproduce, female German roaches can lay five batches of eggs and each egg only takes about a month to hatch. Basically, a single German cockroach can give birth to more than 30,000 in just one year.

Habits and Ability to Adapt in Winter: They are not tolerant of the cold weather so they spend winter invading moist and warm areas particularly the bathroom, kitchen, and near sinks or dishwashers. Since they are small in size, it makes them harder to locate as they can hide in small crevices that other roaches cannot fit into.

They are known to be highly problematic roaches because once a single roach gets inside your home, it is very difficult to eliminate and is quite fast in increasing numbers due to their fast life cycle. So a small infestation won’t stay a minor problem for long. Cockroach facts you must know.

American Cockroach

Appearance: It is considered as the largest house-infesting cockroaches with an average size of 3 inches in length. With a reddish-brown body, a yellow band outlining their thorax, and wings that can extend to 4-8mm starting at the tip of the abdomen.  However, many pest researchers cited that it is only second to German cockroaches when it comes to developing an enormous population.

Life cycle: Female American cockroaches can live more than males for more than 700 days; wherein the latter can only live up to 362 days. For about one week after mating, the female can lay 16 eggs per “ootheca” (a hardened purse-shaped egg case) and can produce up to 224 offspring. If she’s at the peak of her reproductive period, she can produce 2 oothecae per week or an average of 1 egg case for a month. Be on the lookout for a brown egg case with a size of 8mm long and 5mm high because it is most likely to be an “ootheca” that’s typically deposited near any food source. Once deposited, it may turn black in a day or two.

Habits and Ability to Adapt in Winter: Although they prefer to live outdoors (surviving by inhabiting woodpiles or decaying trees), they are commonly found in residential homes and apartments when it’s wintertime. Their favorite hiding spots are the laundry room, kitchen, sewers, steam tunnels, boiler rooms, and even water meter boxes. They like humidity and warm temperature, specifically when it is above 82°F. But they cannot survive temperatures below 15°F so they invade your homes during winter. Read more on COCKROACH INFESTATION IN WINTER

Oriental Cockroach

Appearance: This type of cockroach has dark brown to reddish-brown color and typically ranges from 1 to 2 inches in length; larger than German roaches but smaller than American cockroaches. It is easier to identify because it has no body markings, unlike the German and American cockroaches.  Adult Oriental roaches appear almost black in color and shiny. Females tend to have longer vestigial wings compared to males with short wings, but neither can actually fly.

Life cycle: On average, a single female Oriental cockroach can produce 16 eggs at a time and lay about 8 egg cases during their lifespan. However, they can only live for 35 to 180 days only; whereas adult males can live for 110 to 160 days.

The female can carry their brown (sometimes reddish in color) egg case for an entire day before depositing it in debris or some warm sheltered spot. Each egg case ranges from 8 to 10 mm in length and takes an average 60-day incubation period. It later undergoes the developmental period of 12 months but is more evident during the summer months (May, June, and July).

Habits and Ability to Adapt in Winter: These roaches mostly live outdoors but they are also commonly found in single-family homes and prefer to inhabit dark and damp areas such as basements and around water collection systems; thus mistakenly referred to as “water bugs”. They are not as fast as other roach species and can’t climb vertical surfaces so they tend to hide inside sinks and tubs.

Compared to other roaches, they are known to be more tolerant to lower temperatures. Another trivia you should know about Oriental cockroaches is that they are considered one of the dirtiest of all the species of cockroaches. It is because they often inhabit sewers and crawl over fecal or rotting matter. Also, their preferred diet mostly consists of feces, garbage, and decaying plants.

It may sound a bit gross but being keen is important and a crucial factor for you to know what type is infesting your home. With it, you can end your cockroach infestation problem. And if you are looking for the best way to secure your home to be cockroach-free, the best advice would be is to practice good (and consistent) sanitation. But to have a better cockroach counter battle plan what you’ll need is the professional Sydney Pest Control Exterminators with reliable and high-quality service you can trust – Safe Pest Control!

No matter where you are, we offer customized pest management services in various locations as your professional experts for Pest control Eastern suburbs, Pest control Hills District, Pest control Inner West and Pest Control Northern Beaches.  Talk to one of our pest control specialists today at 1300 119 085 and get to enjoy a FREE quotation!