Are German Cockroaches Something To Be Worried About In Denver

You walk into your bathroom, flick on the light, and see a tiny, tan cockroach run along the wall and disappear into a gap that, until this moment, you didn't know existed; should you be concerned? There are primarily four pest cockroach species in Denver. One is easy to control. Two are hard to control. And then, there are German cockroaches—the worst roaches in the world. At the heart of cockroach pest control and management is cockroach identification. It is not wise to attempt to address a German cockroach infestation on your own if you do not have training. German roaches are sure to frustrate you and make you sick while they're frustrating you. These roaches are resilient pests that have adapted their genes to resist conventional treatments, such as applications of control materials and baits. Join us today as we look at how German roaches differ from other pest roaches. We'll discuss some of the ways you may control other roaches and how a German cockroach treatment requires more effort. If you need immediate assistance, contact us. Beeline Pest Control provides effective roach and general pest control in Denver. Our technicians use Integrated Pest Management—the gold standard in environmentally-friendly pest control. We can help. With that said, let's jump right in and look at those roaches.  

How Are German Cockroaches Different From Other Roaches In Denver?

The primary difference between German roaches and other pest roaches is that they prefer to live in man-made structures. Why? What do they find so great about living in homes and businesses in Denver? Much of the reason is linked to the habitat they prefer. Let's look at four common roaches we have in Denver and why German roaches like your home so much.

Wood Roaches: These are tan roaches, but they do not have two black lines on the back, like German roaches. They're also diurnal, which is to say they are active during the day. The other roaches listed here are nocturnal insects. You can breathe a breath of relief when you see a tan roach running around during the day. Wood roaches prefer to feed on decaying organic detritus in nature. They don't subsist on garbage, dead skin, hairs, moist cardboard, feces, and other strange things that other pest roaches eat.

Oriental Roaches: These are the black ones. They're also quite stinky. While Oriental roaches are nuisances that often require professional pest control, they are impacted by sanitation and moisture control. A clean home is resistant to these pests. They're also deterred by exclusion work. Oriental roaches commonly live outdoors and go in and out of structures.

American Roaches: These are the big ones. If you see giant, reddish-brown roaches, they are American cockroaches. Often called water bugs, these roaches like moist habitats. They don't prefer to live in homes that have humidity control.

German Roaches: You should see where we are going. A German cockroach can tolerate dry conditions. While they do gravitate to humid spaces, high humidity is not a requirement for them. Sanitation is also not an adequate deterrent. While it is certainly important to keep your home clean when you have these roaches, it is to protect yourself from microbial illness rather than to drive these roaches out. Lastly, German roaches prefer rotting organic material in the garbage over the decaying matter found in nature. You might compare it to eating ice cream indoors or eating salad outdoors. These pests will choose indoor environments where decaying human food debris (and other organic debris produced by humans) is found.

As you can see, German roaches want to live with you. They don't mind that it isn't damp or that you don't have leaf litter and dead branches on your floors. They also don't mind it when you keep your home spotless or attempt to protect all your food by storing things in plastic containers. They'll nibble on things you don't consider food. On top of all this, they're resistant to cockroach control products. The secret to cockroach control is not the products used but the skilled application of the products. It is not fun when these roaches find their way into homes.

Why Are German Cockroaches In My House?

Now you know most of the reasons why German roaches want to live in Denver homes, but there is more to it. You know the why, but you don't know the how. Here are three primary ways German roaches will get into your home.

• They'll find an entry point in your exterior: German roaches don't live exclusively indoors. They don't mind going outside and exploring. When they do this, they can move from one structure to another.
• They'll hitch a ride: When German roaches enter furniture, electronics, pianos, appliances, and other objects with voids, they move with these objects. 
• They'll come through a wall: Do you live in an apartment or multi-family dwelling? These roaches can go from one living space to another through wall voids.

If you find a cockroach in your house, we hope it isn't a German cockroach. You'll have difficulty convincing these pest insects to leave your home for good, and while they're in your home, you can expect them to grow a population. All these insects do is eat and reproduce, and as they grow a population, they present more issues.           

How Quickly Do German Cockroaches Reproduce?

There is only one thing worse than seeing a German cockroach in your home, and that is seeing dozens (or hundreds) of German cockroaches. How long does it take one roach to turn into an army of roaches? Here are a few factors to consider:

• German cockroaches produce an ootheca, which is a little, purse-shaped egg pouch.
• Inside the ootheca is typically 30 to 40 eggs. Some egg pouches may have as many as 48 eggs.
• At room temperature, a female German cockroach can produce one ootheca every six weeks. Other environmental conditions can accelerate reproduction, such as available food sources and moisture.
• There is a potential that half the offspring are females.
• Twenty new female roaches in six weeks will produce 30 to 40 eggs each. 
• Twenty female roaches producing 30 eggs will create 600 eggs over the next six weeks.   
• Depending on the conditions, you could have a lot of cockroaches in your home after only three months, and a startling number after six months.

At the first sign of German cockroaches, contact a professional for a German cockroach treatment. Don't let those roaches go untreated. Not only is it disturbing to have such a large number of roaches in your home, but you should also consider that these aren't harmless insects. German cockroaches are linked to the spread of more than 33 kinds of bacteria, including salmonella and E. coli. They spread at least seven human pathogens and six named parasitic worms. There is also a connection between cockroach infestations and an increase in hospitalizations for those who suffer from asthma. The findings of recent studies show that children are most susceptible to increases in asthma-related symptoms. If all of this isn't enough, German roaches can also damage your belongings. They eat holes in paper, like silverfish, and damage clothing, like carpet beetles or clothes moths. When these pests get into your storage spaces, they can damage valuable keepsakes in irreparable ways.        

What To Do About The German Cockroaches Taking Over My Home

If you're in Denver, contact Beeline Pest Control. Our technicians use a multi-pronged strategy to address these hard-to-treat roaches. We begin with an inspection to evaluate areas of activity, conducive conditions, routes, potential entry points, and other essential factors that relate to your infestation. We use the findings of this inspection to establish a control plan, which includes many products and methods. Your technician may select baits and test them to establish efficacy. An application of pest control material might be applied and evaluated. Your technician will seal entry points around pipes and other key locations to deter more roaches from getting inside and to limit cockroach routes. Roaches don't create holes to get into and out of your wall voids. They use gaps that already exist. These and many other methods are evaluated to establish control. It is a scientific process best performed by a home pest control professional in Denver. No single product or method is enough. German roaches are only conquered by a focused application of inspections, treatments, exclusions, and constant monitoring.

Do you need help? Connect with Beeline Pest Control for answers. We can guide you over the phone or send a technician to your home to begin the process of making your home roach-free. Navigate to our contact page and drop us a line or contact us by phone. Both are easy ways to connect with us. You don't have to live with roaches, and you don't have to watch as they take over your Denver home. We can help you resolve your roach problem.