Cockroach - Its name is derived from the Spanish term 'cucaracha', which means ‘kind of caterpillar’ (cuca) and ‘beetle’. Cockroach - Its name is derived from the Spanish term ‘cucaracha’, which means ‘kind of caterpillar’ (cuca) and ‘beetle’. And did you know that there are over four thousand species of cockroaches? The large, well known pests that strike fear into homeowners and invade homes only account for less than one percent of the known varieties. The American cockroach is the one that most people in this country are familiar with and result in the most phone calls to pest control companies for help.

Relationships and Habits

Cockroaches are now thought to be closely related to termites, but these larger insects are much better able to adapt. This is especially true of species like the American Cockroach. They can move freely from one environment to another and will find ways to survive. Tiny spines on their jointed legs allow them to easily move over very rough terrain and in their wake they leave chemical trails in their feces, calling others to follow them, especially members of the opposite sex. The trails are followed by others, so they can continue to find food and water sources. This can result in a large swarm forming very quickly. Their instincts allow them to adapt so quickly and their preference for living in a colony, rather than as individuals often makes them hard to get rid of.

Where do They Hide?

It might seem strange that a house would get invaded and no immediate call would be placed to termite and pest control agencies, but despite their large size, these critters are not always easily spotted right away. Because of their nocturnal tendencies, they are often hidden away in dark corners during the daytime hours, which means homeowners might not spot them until the numbers have grown substantially. Different species of cockroach vary substantially in size and weight, but the vast majorityare about the size of a thumb nail. Some can get much larger than that. They are rather flat and have small heads in proportion to their segmented bodies. Two long, flexible antennae are visible.

Breeding

The females of this species carry their eggs with them in egg casing. Each egg capsule contains approximately forty young. When hatched, bright white nymphs are unleashed, and it takes just three months for new hatchlings to reach adulthood. A cockroach can live for about one year and during that time females will generally produce eight to ten casings, or three- or four hundred eggs.

A female needs to be impregnated only once to reproduce for the rest of her life. She will be called by members of the opposite sex through the use of pheromones and male courting rituals. This is the case for most species, though increased research in recent years has led to the discovery of some types of cockroach that are able to reproduce without a mate and others that carry eggs inside the body until they hatch. Their ability to reproduce quickly and efficiently makes them a tough job to handle. Many termite exterminators also specialize in destroying cockroach populations in the home.

Resilience

It is their ability to survive in extremely harsh conditions that makes cockroach removal a job for the pest control experts. These hardy insects can live for up to forty-five minutes without air, making it nearly impossible to drown them. In addition, it is thought that these creatures will outlive human beings, especially if there is ever a nuclear war.

If you have cockroaches in your home contact a pest control company like Slug-A-Bug to rid your home of these disgusting creatures.