Cockroaches

Cockroaches are the most adaptable and hardiest insects on the planet. Fossils have placed the earliest evidence of cockroaches back to the cretaceous period, 300 million years ago. There are 3500 species of roaches around the world but only 4 species are considered pest species in Ontario. These are the German, American, Oriental and Brown-banded cockroaches. Cockroaches have three life stages: eggs, nymphs and adults. Their life span and cycle vary depending on their species.

German Cockroach

German cockroaches are the most widely distributed pest in the world and the most common cockroach in houses, apartments, hotels, restaurants and other institutions. These insects have a tan to light brown color and measure around 1.3 to 1.6 cm in size. They are easily identifiable by the two parallel stripes on their backs between the head and the base of the wings. Despite having wings, they are unable to fly.

Oriental Cockroach

Oriental roaches have a distinctive greasy black sheen and prefer dark, damp environments like basements and crawlspaces. They measure about 2.5-3.0cm in length and are poor climbers, with females being wingless. Despite having wings, they cannot fly. These roaches are highly adapted to natural environments and often found in cool, damp areas like drains.

Brown Banded Cockroach

Brown-banded cockroaches are distinguished by the two brown bands across their wings that give them their name. They are excellent flyers when disturbed. Brown-banded prefer warm, dry locations, preferring to hide in higher areas , closer to the ceiling and away from water. They like to feed on glue and paste made from animal sources and can damage items such as books, stamps, envelopes, drapes and wallpaper.

American Cockroach

American cockroaches are the largest of the pest species at 4 cm long. They have the ability to fly, are the fastest running roaches and contaminate a lot more food than they actually consume by just moving around. They are the roaches most often used in the movies because of their comparably large size.

Contact us now to schedule your professional cockroach removal service and protect your property from damage.