We joke that they could survive nuclear disasters, but they certainly do have an uncanny ability to survive. Cockroaches can live off scraps of food or waste and will forage just about everywhere imaginable. They can be extremely resilient in the harshest of conditions and they’re notoriously difficult to get rid of once an infestation appears. But how do they handle the cold? How often do you see cockroaches in the cold of winter, and how does their behaviour change?

We’re going to explore what the cold does to cockroaches. We’ll look at how it affects their behaviour, and how cold it has to get before those frosty conditions become lethal. We’ll also discuss why cockroach pest control with Truly Nolen is always a better idea than letting nature take its course.

So How Cold is Too Cold?

It’s believed that cockroaches have been around for some 300 million years. They can’t die out every winter, can they? 

Interestingly, they don’t. But that doesn’t mean that the cold temperatures aren’t bad news for cockroaches. Typically, roaches are found in warm, tropical climates. They like these conditions best and it means that winters don’t tend to be too cold. Over 300 million years though, they have spread to many parts of North America, including Canada.

When the frost starts to appear, cockroaches will normally find a place to hide for the winter. They’ll have shelter there and the warmth they need to survive a cold winter. When temperatures drop below -10°C, cockroaches that haven’t found somewhere to hole up for the winter will begin to die. Across Canada, it’s essential that these pests find shelter somewhere otherwise they don’t last long at all.

How Does it Affect Their Behaviour?

When the temperatures begin to drop, cockroaches will begin to reduce their daily activities. Energy is saved and they limit any activities which expose them to dangerously cold conditions. In fact, as soon as the temperatures drop below 7°C, cockroaches will limit reproduction and growth. They’ll spend their time instead searching for warm, comfortable places to spend the winter. Sometimes this could be in a shed or a garage. In particular they may enjoy the spaces underneath piles of wood. A much more attractive option, however, is your home.

Whether it’s your attic, basement or piping, cockroaches will survive a cold winter by finding a place to hide within your warm home. Not only will you be providing them with the warmth and shelter they need to survive, but they’ll also be able to feed on all sorts of things within your home too.

Let Truly Nolen Help

Although most Canadian cities will be exposed to cold, snowy winters, this is not an effective way to deal with any cockroach pest control issue. If you find yourself with a cockroach problem, don’t leave it to the elements. The best solution is to contact Truly Nolen as soon as you can and our talented team will be able to help.

Cockroaches are an unwanted guest and once they make their way inside your home, they reproduce fast. They can cause damage to the structure of your home and even contaminate your food with bacteria.

To make things worse, there could also be other pests inside your home. They’ll use the same access points that cockroaches did, and when winter arrives, they’ll all be trying to find a way inside your warm home. Don’t take the risk. Call Truly Nolen and we’ll be able to safely remove the pests. We’ll even future proof your home so that you can enjoy the winter season without any unwanted guests.