German Cockroach Control Toronto & Ontario
What is a German cockroach?
The German cockroaches are the most common cockroach species found worldwide. While German cockroach infestations occur in a variety of human-occupied spaces, they are most often associated with restaurants, food processing facilities, hotels, nursing homes and other institutional facilities. Keep reading to learn more facts and to get information on German cockroach control.
How to Identify German Cockroaches
Pest Stats
What do German cockroaches look like?
Adult German cockroach is recognized by their light brown to tan coloring with two dark, almost parallel stripes, located on their backs. Female German cockroaches tend to be darker than males. German cockroach nymphs are dark brown to black in colour with the same dark stripes located on their backs. While German cockroaches have wings, they rarely fly. Instead, they prefer to run.
German cockroaches prefer to live in warm, humid places close to food and moisture sources. They are frequently found in residential and commercial kitchen environments, and bathrooms, so these are the two most likely places for an infestation to occur. It is also likely to find German cockroaches dropping in areas they frequent. Droppings may appear as small, dark, “pepper-like” material left on countertops or in drawers. There may also be fecal staining, which appears as dark spots or smears in the corners of rooms, along the tops of doors or around small cracks and openings into walls.
When German cockroach populations are present in large numbers, it may be possible to detect a mild, somewhat “musty” odour.
Habits
German cockroaches show a preference for warm (70°F/21°C) and humid places. They are usually found in residential and commercial kitchens and secondarily in bathrooms. However, a German cockroach infestation can occur in any area where people eat and drink. In homes, this includes dining rooms, living rooms, dens and bedrooms. Any crack of crevice located near a source of food and/or water can harbor cockroaches. German cockroaches can fit through an opening as small as 3/8 inch in width.
German cockroaches are good hitchhikers and often find their way into new structures by hitching a ride in grocery bags, cardboard boxes, drink cartons and second-hand appliances such as refrigerators, televisions, microwaves, etc. They have been observed to migrate from building to building on warm evenings. Although uncommon, they can survive outdoors during the warm months.
German cockroaches have a wide palate. They will feed on almost anything with nutritional value including all kinds of food, as well as soap, glue and toothpaste.
Activity periods for German cockroaches vary greatly with life state, age and physiological state. For example, reproducing females are quite active, whereas males spend the majority of their time in harborage even at night.
Threats
More than just a nuisance, German cockroaches have been implicated in outbreaks of illness and allergic reactions in many people. Cockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. They can pick up germs on the spines of their legs and bodies as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage and then carry these into food or onto food surfaces. Read more: The Truth About Cockroaches and Health.
Medical studies have shown that German cockroach allergens cause allergic reactions and can exacerbate asthma attacks, especially in children. This makes German cockroach control incredibly vital.
How to Get Rid of German Cockroaches
Wondering how to get rid of German cockroaches? The best advice for German cockroach control is to practice good sanitation. To prevent German cockroaches from infesting a home or business, people should maintain a clean kitchen by cleaning up crumbs, wiping spills and vacuuming often. Avoid leaving dishes pile up in the sink. It is also important to seal all entrances to the structure, especially around utility pipes, and ventilate crawl spaces to prevent moisture buildup.
German cockroaches can breed at a rate of up to six generations per year. Depending on the infestation the team at GreenLeaf may recommend a reoccurring service to address this rapid reproductive rate.
Let us help you out.
At GreenLeaf we are not afraid to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty. We are more than just the “exterminator”. We are your neighbour, protectors of public health and the environment. Give us a call, and let our team take care of your business or home.
