Beginners Guide To Pest Control For Roaches

Roaches are pests commonly found in homes. They are known to be more active in the night time. The scientific name is derived from the Latin word Blatta, which means “an insect that shuns the light.” Close to 30 species are associated with human habitats. The most common are the German cockroaches, Australian cockroaches, American cockroaches, and the Oriental cockroaches.They are classified as insects but do not have adaptations like sucking mouthparts of other insects. They are often seen as unclean pests. They can withstand freezing and humid weather, and some are aquatic. They are omnivorous as they eat anything ranging from dead insects, leather, clothes, paper, glue, etc. They do not have lungs, and roaches are quite tough, they don’t give up easily, they continue to respire even when their head is cut off. They can take a few months to over a year to develop. They live up to four years

Methods of controlling Roaches:

Keep your environment clean all the time. Roaches can go through the tiniest spaces available so seal up any crack in the walls. They are usually found in damp places that’s because they can’t survive without water, so it’s advisable to seal leaking pipes. There are various methods in controlling these fast-breeding pests. Below are a few;

Chemical Control

Sodium bicarbonate has been suggested to eliminate the pest, but there is no proof for their effectiveness. Most herbs like bay leaf, mint plants most especially have been known to be good repellants.

Boric acid is an effective chemical to eliminate roaches usually with a combination of sugar to attract them and the acid to kill them.

Although, this is not the safest solution in the book, but any insecticide that contains pyrethrin and also deltamethrin are effective in reducing the population of the species. But instead of “DIY do it yourself,” its best you call in fumigation or pest control company. They are professionals and will know the proper approaches to go through.

Biological Control

Some predators can be used for the biological control of roaches. One of those is the Ampulex wasps, it temporary paralysis and passes a string into the brain of the cockroach. It then holds the antenna with its mandibles drags the roach into a burrow and feeds on it. But I doubt you would want a wasp to be your “roommate” just because you want to eliminate a roach. Moreover, birds feed on insects; they will be happy to be of help!

Physical Control

In this aspect, you can decide to face them on the battleground yourself, that means staying up late since they are nocturnal creatures, depriving yourself of your precious sleep just for your kill but you have to be wiser than that!

Sticky board traps can also be used to reduce their population especially when they are very much in a particular area. However, it is good practice to always keep your environment clean, to minimize roach infestation. If you live in a roach prone area, it is mandatory to hire a pest control company for regular inspection and access to professional and more reliable advice.