You wake up in the night and head for your kitchen to get a drink but as you turn on the lights you see a cockroach scattering away. Chances are there are more of them, and if that is so, you’ll be needing some professional pest control.

Did you know that there are over 3,500 species of these annoying little pests called cockroaches in the world?  Many of the species can fly. Yet, the ability to fly depends on a specific species. The most common type found in Canada is the German cockroach but other types exist such as the Oriental, brown-banded, smoky-brown, wood varieties and the American. Both genders of the German cockroach only fly downwards for short a time. While only the males in wood and brown-banded cockroach can fly however, both genders of the smoky-brown are great flyers.

Although cockroaches have four wings, they actually use only two when flying. The two front wings are thick and have the same colour as the body of the insect.  The front wings cover and protect the back wings. The pair of back wings remain hidden under the front pair and are only revealed when the cockroach is about to take flight. In preparing for flight, the cockroach lifts the front wings, exposing the back wings. During flight, the front wings are lifted and the back wings allow the insect to move through the air. The front wings are thick, but the back wings of cockroaches that fly are thin and transparent.

Keeping cockroaches under control

How do you know if your home has cockroaches? Well, there is some physical evidence which can help you to identify the presence of cockroaches. Evidence includes cockroach eggs, smear marks, droppings, bite marks left on solid food, unusual odour and seeing cockroaches in your kitchen and other places in your home.

The best place to begin is in your kitchen or food storage area because that’s usually where you see the first indication of a cockroach infestation. Cockroaches will get into your home in search of three things: water, food, and nesting sites. If you can eliminate these then your home will be cockroach free.  

Yes, there’s a wide range of do-it-yourself products available for stamping out those cockroaches, but they will only help you to get rid of what you see but the root cause will still be there. To eradicate cockroach infestation effectively, you need to call in the pest control professionals.

How to Prevent a Cockroach Invasion

It is said that prevention is better than cure, right?  Since cockroaches come in search of food, ensure you do an immediate clean-up of food and water spillage. Store food in airtight containers so the cockroaches can’t access them. If you think it’s alright to leave a dirty cup or plate in the sink occasionally, you are wrong. That’s exactly what cockroaches want! Clean all cutlery and dishes immediately after use and ensure that there are no crumbs behind the stove, under the fridge or toaster. Never leave pet food, water, and litter trays out during the night because these are breeding grounds for cockroaches. Ensure that bins for trash or compost are covered tightly.    

While all of those are simple steps you can do at home to prevent a cockroach infestation, getting help from experts is always your best option. Pest control experts, like Truly Nolen, are trained and experienced to remove any form of insect invasion, including cockroaches.