 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They are good flyers and are attracted to lights at night. The Smokybrown Cockroach has the reputation of being the most difficult to to control because it is so active and has many habitat preferences. HabitsSmokeybrown cockroach is common outdoors in the South. They can enter structures by being brought in but they usually enter at night via cracks and crevices through which light penetrates to the outside, light being and attractant to them. They are good fliers and can easily enter via attic openings and are commonly found around eaves and gutters. HabitatFound in warm, dark, moist areas such as tree holes, ivies, mulch, woodpiles and soffits/eaves of attics with moisture problems, they are very mobile. ThreatsCockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. They can pick up germs on the spines of their legs and bodies as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage and then carry these into food or onto food surfaces. Germs that cockroaches eat from decaying matter or sewage are protected while in their bodies and may remain infective for several weeks longer than if they had been exposed to cleaning agents, rinse water, or just sunlight and air. Recent medical studies have shown that cockroach allergens cause lots of allergic reactions in inner city children. They were even shown to cause asthma in children. These allergens build up in deposits of droppings, secretions, cast skins, and dead bodies of roaches.
Prevention:Good sanitation and habitat reduction, along with vacuuming, surveillance, a baiting program, and some sealing of cracks can usually quickly reduce or eliminate a cockroach population. |
