Pest Cockroach Control
Among the best-known pest species are the American cockroach, which is about 30 mm (1.2 in) long; the German cockroach, the Asian Cockroach, The brown banded cockroach and and the Oriental cockroach.
Cockroaches live in a wide range of environments around the United States. They are a pest species that readily adapts to a variety of environments, but prefer warm conditions found within buildings. The spines on the legs were earlier considered to be sensory, but observations of their locomotion on sand and wire meshes have demonstrated they help in locomotion on difficult terrain. Cockroaches leave chemical trails in their feces, as well as emitting airborne pheromones for swarming and mating. These chemical trails transmit bacteria onto surfaces.Other cockroaches will follow these trails to discover sources of food and water, and also discover where other cockroaches are hiding.
Cockroaches are generally rather large insects. Most species are about the size of a thumbnail, but several species are bigger. Cockroaches have broad, flattened bodies and relatively small heads. They are generalized insects, with few special adaptations, and may be among the most primitive living insects. The mouth-parts are on the underside of the head and include generalized chewing mandibles. They have large compound eyes, two ocelli, and long, flexible, antenna. The legs are sturdy, with large coxae and five claws each.
American Cockroach
Also known as the waterbug or misidentified as the palmetto bug This is the largest species of common cockroach, and often considered a pest. They are now common in tropical climates because human activity has extended the insect’s range of habitation, and global shipping has transported the insects to world ports including the southern United States.
Brown-banded Cockroach
A small species of cockroach, measuring about ⅝ in (10 to 14;mm) long. It is tan to light brown. It has two light-colored bands across the wings and abdomen, they may sometimes appear to be broken or irregular but are quite noticeable. The bands may be partly obscured by the wings. The male has wings that cover the abdomen, while the female has wings that do not cover the abdomen completely. The male appears more slender than the female, the female appears wider.
The brown-banded cockroach has a fairly wide distribution, being found in the northeastern, southern, and midwest regions of the United States quite commonly. They need less moisture than the German cockroach so they tend to be more broadly distributed in the home, such as in living rooms and bedrooms. They can often be found in homes and apartments, but are less common in restaurants. They tend not to be found in the daytime, since they avoid light.
The brown-banded cockroach eats a wide variety of items. Cockroaches are usually scavengers, and thus can eat a wide array of items, often almost anything organic, including decaying matter. It has been known to cause problems in hospitals by emerging at night to feed on bodily fluids, thereby risking cross-infection.
Oriental Cockroach
The oriental cockroach is a large species of cockroach, measuring about 1 in (2.5 cm) in length at maturity. It is dark brown to black in colour and has a glossy body. The female Oriental cockroach has a somewhat different appearance to the male, appearing to be wingless at casual glance but has two very short and useless wings just below her head. She has a wider body than the male. The male has long wings, which cover a majority of his body and are brown in color, and has a more narrow body. The odd male is capable of very short flights, ranging about 2 to 3 meters.