As long as the temperature indoors is above 50 degrees, roaches can remain active year-round, although they are more prevalent in the spring and summer months.
The tendency of the average cockroach to seek out warm, moist areas means that homes are at an increased risk of infestation during an extended warm temperature period. In the winter, the cockroach population shrinks but they are driven to seek shelter indoors, making them more noticeable.
Many will go into a state of hibernation called diapause if they can't find somewhere warmer to live. If the temperature falls below 15° F, most cockroaches will die. In winter, roaches slow down to conserve energy and will reproduce at a slower rate.
In fact, some species stop growing and reproducing when exposed to colder temperatures, usually consistently below 45 degrees, for extended periods of time. As temperatures drop, roaches will seek out shelter in warm places, most often in our homes and offices.
Cockroach Population and the Weather
Cockroaches thrive in warm temperatures and are very fragile in the cold. Cool and dry climates as well as those in areas with a high latitude are less likely to see cockroach infestations, but the summer months can still result in a boost in the cockroach population in these areas.
Raid Ant & Roach Killer Insecticide Spray was found to be one of the most effective at killing cockroaches. A can is helpful for the times when you spot a roach in your home and you don't want to get too close. A roach spray should kill the bug almost instantly.
Unfortunately, a roach population won't go away just because you've moved out for a few months. They're very resourceful creatures. Cockroaches are versatile insects that will quickly adapt to living in an empty house. They will eat all types of organic matter, including sugary, starchy foods and meat.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Roaches are resilient and extremely hard to get rid of once they have established themselves in your home. As long as the temperature indoors is above 50 degrees, roaches can remain active year-round, although they are more prevalent in the spring and summer months.
The Presence Of Food
Available food is the single most powerful reason cockroaches enter our homes. These insects aren't picky eaters—almost anything left out on your kitchen counters is fair game to them, and they'll be drawn to it.
Although there are some differences between species, it should come as no surprise our domestic cockroaches are best adapted to temperatures we maintain in our homes. They do not develop or reproduce when temperatures are too cold (below 45° F) or too hot (above 115° F).
Cockroaches can get inside a fridge by slipping between gaps in the door. If the rubber seal is loose, they'll find an entry point. They can also sneak in through cracks or crevices in the outer shell.
You can flush a roach down the toilet, but you need to make sure that it's dead first. You can't kill a cockroach by flushing it since it can hold its breath for up to 40 minutes. It will arrive in your sewer alive. In that state, it's able to make its way back into your home or a neighbor's home.
Moisture. Roaches need moisture to survive and this search for water will bring them into even the cleanest of homes. Leaky pipes and faucets are one of the most common attractants for cockroaches and is one of the main reasons you often see them in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
It's a fact that cockroaches are afraid of humans and other mammals or animals that are bigger than them. They see us as predators and that fear triggers their instinct to scatter away. However, they dislike strong and distinctive scents such as citrus, peppermint, lavender and vinegar.
When most pests invade properties they do so in an obvious manner. Flies, for instance, buzz around living areas, land on TV screens, and seem to not care if you catch or kill them. Cockroaches are a bit different. These invasive home pests do not like being seen and are instinctively afraid of humans.
Insects instinctively avoid the hot zones. Additionally, cockroaches have very few water molecules in their bodies. Since microwaves vibrate water molecules, causing them to heat up, cockroaches can take up a permanent residence in microwave ovens.
Myth #3: They can see me coming…
True: Why yes, they can. Cockroaches can see humans, and that is why they tend to run in fear when we are in their line of sight. The eye of the cockroach is like a compound lens, made of over 2,000 mini lenses that are photoreceptors and allow them to see in complete darkness.
Absolutely, and roaches in bed while you sleep is definitely not an ideal situation. Even with a clean sleeping space, roaches may still find their way into the bedroom. So many people wonder how to keep roaches away from bed areas but often are at a loss with how to do so without chemicals and sticky traps.
Finding a dead roach means the same thing as finding a living one: it's time to inspect for evidence of more cockroaches and, if there are more, determine the extent of the problem. Then, you'll know if you should set baits and spray pesticides or call a professional pest control service.
Cockroach Bites
Cockroaches are omnivores that eat plants and meat. They have been recorded to eat human flesh of both the living and the dead, although they are more likely to take a bite of fingernails, eyelashes, feet and hands. The bites may cause irritation, lesions and swelling.
Roaches will use clothing as a hiding spot. They can tuck themselves away in the back of closets or infest the drawers of your wardrobe. Even laundry baskets will serve as cover, allowing them to burrow through the layers and hide. For clothing stored in boxes, this provides a dark, secluded area for them to nest.
Add some food like a small piece of meat or some sweet stuff like chocolate on the roach bait in the bowl. Keep the bowl near one of the hiding places of roaches. To cover all the hiding places, you'll need multiple bowls with sticky roach trap and food. The smell of the food will draw the roaches out.