So, why do cockroaches come out at night? The short answer is that, like other nocturnal animals, roaches have evolved to forage for food and water in low-light environments, since these conditions help them avoid predators.
Cockroaches are nocturnal and seek to avoid light. However, that's not because light harms them. It's because cockroaches understand that they can't hide or evade predators in open sight. Leaving a night light or lamp on throughout the night won't drive them away.
Cockroach Myths
Contrary to popular belief, cockroaches are not afraid of light. Although most species do prefer darkness, some are actually attracted to light and can be found gathering near windows or on television screens at night. Most of these nocturnal insects will scatter when a light is shone upon them.
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.
Roaches tend to go out during the night because they are cautious of humans. But, when the night falls, it is also the time for them to bite humans because their targets are asleep. Because of this, it will be harder for you to monitor the pest and might as well wake up with bites on your body.
First of all, cockroaches like to go around during the night, which coincidentally is when people sleep. So by virtue of just lying there motionless, we become likely victims. Cockroaches also like small, warm, humid places. And ears qualify as all of the above.
Cockroaches can be a menace, to say the least. However, nothing is worse than cockroaches disturbing your sleep by crawling all over you or your bed. Just the thought of these creatures scampering and crawling on your bed is enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
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.
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.
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.
The refrigerator houses all of your favorite foods and drinks, but they also house one thing you never want to see in your home — cockroaches! Between the humidity near the fans and motor, and the food crumbs that drop to the floor, your refrigerator is the perfect place to house a cockroach infestation.
Do Cockroaches Like the Cold? Generally, cockroaches don't like the cold one bit. They are cold-blooded arthropods that don't survive very well in either extremely cold or hot circumstances. They're always at whatever temperature their environment is and generally slow down with cooler temperatures.
Cockroach Droppings Appearance
Cockroach feces are easy to identify. Droppings from small cockroaches resemble ground coffee or black pepper. Larger roaches leave behind dark, cylindrical droppings with blunt ends and ridges down the side.
Cockroach brains are considered primitive, as are most insect brains. Cockroaches are not capable of the same level of thought and consciousness as humans. Still, they are one of the more intelligent insects as they: Can learn.
What Do Cockroach Bites Look Like? Roach bites are bright red and will cause there to be small raised bumps on your skin. They will likely be slightly larger than bed bug bites and there will usually only be one bite. Bed bugs bites would be more likely to occur in a line or a cluster.
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.
Cockroaches do sleep and just like other animals and insects, they also follow a specific circadian rhythm. They are nocturnal insects, which means that they rest or sleep during the day. Cockroaches are usually active for four hours after dark and then go into a period of immobility.
Cockroaches are famous for loving warm, humid areas, so they will typically be found congregating in certain areas inside homes, such as kitchens and bathrooms. And when temperatures get too hot outside, they will find their way into buildings to escape the heat.
They prefer to live and feed in the dark, so a cockroach seen during the day is a possible sign of infestation. Cockroaches tend to prefer dark, moist places to hide and breed and can be found behind refrigerators, sinks and stoves, as well as under floor drains and inside of motors and major appliances.
Cockroaches like hanging on walls and ceilings in dark, undisturbed rooms so that they can move around freely, while still having an easy escape route. From high up, the roach has the option to escape into a crack, scurry away, or even take off flying to make its escape.
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.
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.
Baby roaches – in kitchens or bathrooms – are usually an indication of a German cockroach infestation. These roaches are commonly found in kitchen and bathroom areas because they offer a warm, humid environment with plenty of moisture and access to food.