Is There Anything Good About Cockroaches?

Cockroaches have never been a favorite insect among Americans. Cockroaches, after all, are dirty, ugly, and carry with them several diseases that they willingly transmit to us, humans. And no matter how many we kill in a day, they still thrive. Cockroaches have been around since the time the dinosaurs ruled the earth. They are the greatest success story in history, in my opinion. They just would not die.

We always worry about how cockroaches could ruin our lives. They thrive in filth; they live in sewers, in trash cans, anywhere there is dirt. For them, the dirtier the better. They eat garbage, spoiled food, dead animals, fecal matter, and even they even eat their own kind. That is why they carry with them bacteria and viruses. They contaminate our food just by crawling on it, or on surfaces that come into contact with food. Another way they contaminate is through their droppings, saliva, or vomit. That is how they are able to transmit diseases to humans. Among these diseases are cholera, salmonella, typhoid fever, and dysentery.

With so much negativity about these cockroaches, is there anything good about them?

Cockroaches Are Helpful To The Ecosystem

Surprisingly, there are some positive things we can say about cockroaches. There are around 4,600 species of cockroaches, but there are only a handful of species that can be considered as pests; four to be specific. These four though, are really disgusting and really do not deserve to be near our homes. Is it unfair to consider cockroaches as pests? The answer is probably yes if you consider the very small percentage of the number of cockroaches that are pests, as opposed to those that are not.

The pests are the ones we find in urban areas. The American cockroach, German cockroach, Oriental cockroach, and the brown-banded cockroach are the ones that deserve our spite.

If you go to rainforests, however, you can find several species of cockroaches that you can even pick up with your own hands. What they do is return vegetative matter that is decaying back to the soil as nutrients for the trees and other plants. They can also be pollinators, as they eat the pollen and move this pollen around.

Cockroaches Can Be A Food Source

Again, not these four dirty ones; but it is true that they are food for many animals, including birds, mice, and rats. Now, before we react to cockroaches feeding their fellow pests the rats and mice, let us consider that these creatures are in turn food for other animals. In some cultures, humans eat cockroaches too, and it is a good source of protein.

Interesting Cockroach Facts

Aside from being helpful to the ecology, cockroaches are also very interesting creatures. Here are some facts about cockroaches:

1. Cockroaches can live for a month without food and a week without water. Now we should not wonder anymore how come they are great survivors.
2. Cockroaches can live without its head for a week. If you want to kill a cockroach, beheading it just would not cut it. Cockroaches can stay alive without its head, breathing through the tiny hole found all over their bodies. The only reason they die is that they could not drink water anymore.
3. Cockroaches live up to a year, barring any close encounters with humans.
4. If ever you see a cockroach during the daytime, your house is probably overly infested. Cockroaches are nocturnal, thus they do not go out of their nests during the day unless there is not much room for them in their nests.
5. Cockroaches also fart.
6. Cockroaches are equipped with wings but are very clumsy fliers. The American cockroach uses their wings to glide from a higher point to a lower point, but not really to fly the way birds do.
7. Cockroaches can live without air for 40 mins.
8. Cockroaches bleed too. They have colorless blood. Female adult cockroaches occasionally have orange colored blood.
9. Cockroaches are very fast moving. They can run as fast as 1.7 miles per hour.
10. The adult female cockroaches can lay as many as 150 eggs a year.

The Most Common Types Of Cockroaches In The United States

Here are the four common types of cockroaches in America.

1. American cockroach - The American cockroach actually came from the Middle East, coming over to America through the seas. They are the largest of all the common types of cockroaches, and also the largest in numbers. Their length is about 2 inches long, oval in shape and has wings that are well developed. Like we mentioned earlier, they are not good flyers. They live in moist, dark, and dirty places like drainages, pipes, and in the garbage bins. They contaminate our food either through direct contact or by crawling on surfaces that are in contact with food.
2. German cockroach - This is the most troublesome species of all. The German cockroach is size is 1.1 to 1.5 inch long. They are usually found in restaurants, hotels, warehouses, and offices. They prefer sweet, fatty, and starchy food.
3. Oriental cockroach - They are said to be the dirtiest species of cockroaches. Oriental cockroaches are larger and darker compared to other cockroach species. They thrive in dirty, cooler places. They create a strong smell, which tells us of their presence. They eat garbage and organic material.
4. Brown-banded cockroach - A brown-banded cockroach is 10 to 14 mm long. They are almost the same width as the German cockroach, only smaller. They like to live in warm, dry places. The adult female brown-banded cockroaches hide their eggs under the furniture, clothes, cracks on the floor, or wood. The adult life span is about 200 days.

Control

Yes, we did say that cockroaches can be good for the ecosystem; but that is if you live in the rainforest. Obviously, you do not live there, and the cockroaches you are living with are definitely pests that you should get rid of. You might need some help, and you may consider calling in the best pest control management in North Carolina. After all, we definitely deserve the best.

You may also want to try these DIY control methods first. Here are some ways to get rid of cockroaches:

1. Cleaning up around the house is a good start. This will help diminish their numbers. Wipe off food and drink spills. Clean stovetops and kitchen sinks. Do not leave unwashed dishes and other kitchen utensils in the sink overnight.
2. Put your food inside sealed containers. This will keep your food from being contaminated by cockroaches, and diminishing their food source as well.
3. Seal off cracks, crevices, and holes by caulking. These are possible entry points for the roaches.
4. Use cockroach baits and poisons. These are always effective in catching the cockroaches. Put these in places you know are frequented by cockroaches. The cockroaches do not die at once, but instead, carry the poison back to the nest. This would greatly affect all the other coaches in the nest and kills them too.
5. Regularly dispose of your garbage. Put a tight cover on your trash cans. The garbage bins offer a lot of food source for the cockroach.
6. Take away clutter inside the house, clutter which they can use as hiding places. Do not keep old and useless boxes, cardboard, newspapers, or magazines around the house.

If all else fails, and you still have those pesky cockroaches in your home, then it is time for reinforcements. It would be great to have the professionals to help. Naturally, you would not want just any professional; you want the best! For the best in pest control management here in North Carolina, then it is Go-Forth Home Services you want. Go-Forth Home Services is a company that has been around since 1959, so you are assured of the best pest extermination experience there is.

Go-forth Is Simply The Best

Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned commercial service solutions provider of modern pest control services and techniques, using the latest and most advanced technology in the business, making our service to you more efficient, safer, and more convenient. We have a team of expert professionals who can provide the best pest control services to residents and business establishments all throughout North and South Carolina.

We bring in a new and fresh approach to the pest control industry, using family-friendly and pet-friendly methods of extermination that caters to your specific needs. Our expert experience in exterminating pests like cockroaches, weevils, mosquitoes, mice, flies, termites, ants, moths, wasps, silverfish, rats, mice, centipedes, and spiders can really make you say goodbye to these pests in your home. You may check us on Facebook or Google us to see what our satisfied customers have to say about us.

Go-Forth Home Services has earned the trust of residents and businesses in North Carolina for more than 50 years. For more information, or to set an appointment, just dial (877) 274-1475. Our friendly operators are standing by.