When you have a cockroach infestation, you might wonder how to kill them. You try everything you can think of, yet they are STILL in your home. Why are cockroaches so hard to kill, and what can you do to eliminate these pests?
Cockroaches survive longer than many other bugs for quite a few reasons:
If you want to learn more about how these insects work and what measures you can take to eliminate a roach infestation, continue reading.
1. Roaches Withstand 900 Times Their Body Weight
A cockroach can withstand 900 times their body weight. They have an exoskeleton of overlapping plates connected to their stretchy membrane. Because of these very flexible and hard exoskeletons, it is hard to kill them by squishing them.
However, this exoskeleton also allows them to flatten themselves to fit into small spaces, like tiny holes, crevices, or cracks in the walls. Therefore, you will need to do so when you attempt to squish a cockroach until they eventually die.
2. Roaches Live Up to 1 Week Without a Head
Cockroaches live up to one week without a head because they do not need their mouth or head to breathe. The neck also seals by clotting, so the cockroach does not bleed out.
Roaches also do not have lungs but contain a respiratory system called the tracheae, a network of tubes.
These tubes transfer the blood from one place to another. The tubes also open at the surface of the abdomen and thorax through two structures called spiracles.
3. Roaches Are Extremely Fast
Cockroaches can travel roughly 3 miles an hour, so it can be hard to catch them. German cockroaches, for example, are the most common type of roach. However, even tiny German roach nymphs are extremely fast.
For example, if you turn on the lights in the kitchen for a midnight snack, you might see a cockroach snacking on a food crumb in the middle of the floor.
But they immediately leave the floor and scurry into their hiding area when they see you. If you do not react in time, you may have lost them, and they will still live afterward.
Read More: How To Remove A Kitchen Roach Infestation
4. Female Cockroaches Do Not Always Need Male Cockroaches to Reproduce
Female roaches do not always need male cockroaches to reproduce, which is a process called parthenogenesis.
Doing so means the females are able to produce without males. Still, they only do this process only if males are not present.
However, studies show that virgin female roaches reproduce much more quickly with male cockroaches than with females living alone.
Female cockroaches breed rapidly via sexual reproduction, and their offspring have more genetic diversity than those who do not. The eggs would have lower chances of survival if the female produced through parthenogenesis than those that reproduce sexually.
5. Roaches Develop Resistance to Some Insecticides
Cockroaches and other pests (like ants or mosquitos) can develop resistance to multiple insecticides. This is why people are constantly developing new ways to get rid of cockroaches.
Cockroaches typically live less than a year, so their resistance level rises quickly due to the short time between generations. Overall, this leads to a worse cockroach problem than you want.
Still, after many years of battling boric acid, roaches still die from this chemical. Boric acid is a great pesticide for killing cockroaches.
6. Roaches Can Eat Almost Anything
Cockroaches eat any food sources they can find. Roaches rely heavily on their sense of smell, so they will source out to find what they need. Some foods include but are not limited to the following:
- Starchy foods (pasta, bread, fries, etc.)
- Organic matter (dead skin flakes, hair, wood, etc.)
- Decaying organic matter (dead trees, mulch, etc.)
- Sugary substances (cake, ice cream, etc.)
- Meats
- Cardboard
Essentially, they find anything they can, ranging from the most significant piece of food to the tiniest crumbs. Ensure you remove food sources and store food properly in airtight sealed containers.
Ways to Kill Cockroaches That Work
There are quite a few things you can use to kill a cockroach without an exterminator. Firstly, you want to devise a treatment method because roaches need more than one specific thing to die off.
Still, boric acid is exceptionally effective at removing these pests. Mix boric acid with sugar and place them strategically in places you know where roach activity is. Consider setting bait stations or sticky traps down in the cracks of your home.
Secondly, use essential oils like oregano, peppermint oil, and cypress oil to deter and kill roaches. Oregano kills roach nymphs, and peppermint oil kills adult cockroaches on sight.
Make jar traps by placing banana peels or apple slices on the bottom of the jar, then place petroleum jelly on the sides of the jar.
The petroleum jelly keeps the roach inside the jar but look back in a few weeks, clean out the bowl, and replace the bait.
Professional Pest Control Is the Best Way to Eliminate the Cockroach Species
Pest control professionals know what works and what does not. If you see too much cockroach activity and need help, we advise you to call someone who knows where to look and what to use. They will help you determine which type of roach you have (like a German cockroach).
Overall, we hope you have learned some interesting facts about why it is so hard to kill cockroaches. If you have any cockroach infestations, please do not hesitate to call someone from pest control to help you out. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!
