About Arizona Cockroaches

About Cockroaches 

If we were to see a cockroach in a restaurant or hospital, the immediate reaction would be to panic…but why is this the case? Why are they dangerous? What kind of cockroaches are found in Arizona, how do you get them, what do they eat, where do they live, why they are dangerous, signs you may have them, and how to prevent them. All of this will be covered in this article about Arizona cockroaches.

What Are Cockroaches?

Considered a ‘scavenging insect’, cockroaches are often mistaken for beetles and boast long antennae and legs. According to most specialists, there are around 4,600 different species of a cockroach but only 30 can be found in human habitats. Compared to some other animals, cockroaches have a long history and are thought to go back to around 320 million years.

Download This PDF On Cockroaches From The World Health Organization: W.H.O. About Cockroaches

Common Cockroaches Found in Arizona

In Arizona, there are roughly six different types of cockroaches; Turkestan, German, European, Desert, American, and Brownbanded. Cockroaches are an unpleasant sight, signs of them trigger thoughts of filth and disease. They can be found in restaurants, homes, and in the great outdoors. Cockroaches carry bacteria when they scurry through sewers, garbage, and then across the countertops of your home or an industrial kitchen, cockroaches spread the filth and bacteria upon everything they crawl across in the home or workplace, the bacteria they carry can be harmful to your health,  which is why restaurants in Arizona are treated regularly for cockroaches. Cockroach control is an absolute must for restaurants containing the insects, they are required to pass health inspections and if cockroaches are present during an inspection by the Arizona Department of Health, it could lead to temporary closure.

Download This PDF From Penn State To Learn More About German Cockroaches: German Cockroaches

How Do You Get Cockroaches?

One of the biggest misconceptions with cockroaches is that they only infest dirty homes; this isn’t true, and they’re more than happy to enter any home or restaurant in Arizona. They can come from a neighbor’s property, from grocery bags, from your child’s school, from your previous home, and even through the plumbing. For commercial food establishments, dumpsters are often magnets for cockroaches, this means cockroach treatments need to be applied regularly to avoid infestations. Cockroaches can enter a home underneath doors, through openings, ductwork, plumbing, and other ground level openings like dryer vents.

Download This Roach Brochure From The City of Chandler Arizona: Arizona Roach Brochure

What Do Cockroaches Eat?

Cockroaches are largely omnivorous which means they don’t discriminate when it comes to food. In truth, they scavenge any food they find but do favor meats, starches, and sweets. This is a big reason why dumpsters are such buffets for cockroaches, with an abundance of foods in all varieties, dumpster diving cockroaches can find themselves in food heaven, that is until the trash man shows up and hauls the garbage load off to the dump. Interestingly, cockroaches have also been known to eat books, hair, and decaying matter. Cockroaches in Arizona have plenty to feast on during the summer months as animals die off from extreme heat and the meat rots. The odor alone will attract cockroaches and other scavengers looking for an easy meal.

Read This Roach Control Guide From The Fountain Hills Sanitary District: Roach-Control-Guide

Where Do Cockroaches Live?

Arizona cockroaches generally like to keep to basements and sewers because these areas are warm, dark, and offer a supply of water. If these aren’t available in the home, they’ll settle for behind appliances or underneath ovens and this is why they’re commonly found in kitchens. When water leaks from the pipes or spills from washing up dishes, this creates the perfect breeding ground for cockroaches. Commercial kitchens become very vulnerable to cockroaches because of these circumstances, the food is abundant, water is plentiful, and chances are there is some damp area under a prep table, sink, or dishwasher that provides the type of environment for cockroaches to dwell in.

Download This Guide From UofA On Bug Proofing Your Home: Bug Proofing Your Home

Why Cockroaches Are Dangerous

Since they don’t bite or sting humans, people often wonder why cockroaches pose such a threat, but the danger comes through their ability to carry bacteria. Through spending their time in kitchens, sewers, bathrooms, and garbage bins, they harbor bacteria and carry it to areas where food is prepared in homes and commercial kitchens. Cockroaches can also feed on garbage, so having this in the home isn’t ideal either, cockroach excrement is also not something you want on your cutting board, or on the countertop of your favorite Arizona restaurant. The Arizona Department of Health regulates commercial food processing establishments, but it is up to you to keep your home clean and free of cockroaches.

In terms of disease, cockroaches aren’t necessarily linked to specific outbreaks. This being said, they do carry pathogens and these can lead to outbreaks and big problems for humans. The shedding of their skin and the filth they bring into a home can also contribute to allergies, cockroach allergies are real. Bottom line, if you have cockroaches in Arizona, get your home treated immediately.

Signs You Might Have Cockroaches

If you see one cockroach running around your kitchen or one dead in your sink, chances are there are more. Sewer roaches can be an exception, as one may wonder up your plumbing randomly as cooler weather brings out roaches. Ther German variations found in your kitchen are more likely to be occupying space in numbers. Aside from the sightings, there are a number of signs to look out for that could indicate a cockroach infestation. Firstly, cockroaches generally produce a nasty smell themselves as well as tainting objects around your home with this smell. Secondly, when their source of water is low, they produce droppings. Where water is plentiful, this will be replaced by brown smear marks. So look for cockroach droppings along countertops in the kitchen, along baseboards, and in other areas where food scraps may be present.

Finally, although rarer, cockroaches actually shed skin as they grow; up to eight times in their journey to adulthood. You might spot these skins near their shelter. Cockroach skins can also cause allergies, so if you find them, clean them up immediately and contact a cockroach control specialist to treat the property and permanently remove the problem from your property.

How to Prevent Cockroach Infestations

Like with any insect infestation, prevention is always the first place to start when discussing pest control. By keeping your yard free of clutter, clear of trash, and openings to your home sealed, you can take a major step in the right direction for preventing cockroaches. If you are already dealing with an infestation, having it professionally treated will be your first step to having the problem permanently resolved.  To prevent a troubling cockroach infestation, we recommend assessing your home for cracks and holes; fill any you find and close off their entry points. Additionally, although we said cockroaches can get into clean homes, they’ll still be attracted to the where food is easy to come by. Therefore, clean up any crumbs, keep the sink clean, and make sure you dispose of all trash carefully. Arizona Cockroaches only need a small window of opportunity and they won’t need a second invitation; with entry points closed and a clean home, you might not completely remove the threat of infestation but you’ll reduce the chances significantly! There are also environmentally friendly ways of dealing with cockroaches if you are past the point of prevention. If that does not work for you, consider us, Arizona’s leader in pest control services in Phoenix.

Learn About Pest Proofing Your Home From This PDF Created By The U of A: University of Arizona – pest proofing

Cockroach Removal Services Provided In The Following Areas:

• Phoenix
• Scottsdale
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