Finding a cockroach in your home can be unsettling. It’s easy to understand why, as the Canadian Government warns, these insects can contaminate food and your living space. Cockroaches carry bacteria that can cause salmonella and streptococcus and even spread diseases such as cholera and dysentery. They leave bacteria as they walk around your counters and cupboards, and their excrement can also make people sick. Those with asthma may have a reaction to cockroaches or their droppings.
Cockroaches are hearty creatures and have been around for thousands of years. They can survive anywhere as long as there is water and food available. The insect will make its way into buildings looking for warmth and moisture. And they can even be transported into your space on used furniture, food, and shipping packages. Cockroaches are most often discovered in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.
Although they can find their way into your home, you don’t want to share your space with these invaders. They multiply fast. Females can create egg casings with about 50 eggs. These eggs take about a month to hatch. The newly-hatched cockroaches will become reproducing adults in 2-4 months. What is even more unsettling is that research has shown some female cockroach types are able to breed without the help of a male. And this can go on for years.
So, once you spot these bugs in your space, the question becomes how to kill cockroaches. And we’ll give you some tips to take back your home or office.