Unfortunately, you may not realize you have a cockroach infestation in your home, since these disease-bearing pests are nocturnal. The first you snap on the kitchen light late at night, you’ll be shocked to see hundreds of cockroaches crawling all over everything. The roaches will disappear once the lights are on, quickly scurrying into the cracks and crevices of your kitchen.

Another tell-tale sign of a cockroach infestation is finding roach droppings, which look like tiny brown specks. Once you realize that your home is infested with cockroaches, it’s time to contact a pest control professional for the safety of you and your family.

Cockroaches Spread Disease

Cockroaches spread disease by spreading viruses, bacteria, and fungus onto your food and the surfaces of your kitchen. Among the harmful pathogens spread by cockroaches are E.coli, staphylococcus aureus, and streptococcus. These can make you and your family ill.

Some of the diseases commonly spread by roaches are:

• Salmonella
• Dysentery
• Gastroenteritis
• Listeria
• Cholera
• Typhoid Fever
• Giardia
• Plague
• Leprosy

Also, cockroach feces and shed skin can trigger allergies and asthma in some people. Roach feces and shed body parts break down into tiny particles, becoming airborne. When that happens, you or your children can breathe that in, causing illness.

Common Types of Cockroaches

There are four main species of cockroach in Australia, the Australian cockroach, the German cockroach, the American cockroach, and the Brown Banded cockroach. As you can see, roaches are a problem that has spread globally, and knows no borders.

The American Cockroach

This is a large, reddish-brown roach, 1 ½ inch – 2 inches in length. The American cockroach is not native to North America, but probably originated in the Middle East or Africa. These large, dirty insects often crawl up out of the sewers into your bathroom or kitchen, quickly spreading disease.

The German Cockroach

This small, brown roach can be identified by the two darker brown stripes on the thorax. The German cockroach is by far the most common household pest globally. The German cockroach is small, only ½ inch to 5/8 inch long. However, thousands of these pests can quickly breed, over-running your home. You’ll find these nocturnal pests creeping around your kitchen in the dark, spreading germs. 

The Brown-Banded Cockroach

These tiny cockroaches, are only 5/8 inch long, with two yellowish-brown stripes around their wings and abdomen. These are the least common type of cockroach, and as the German cockroach, they are nocturnal. Brown-banded cockroaches prefer to keep warm, so they’ll often be found inside your kitchen appliances.

Oriental Cockroaches

These cockroaches are believed to originate in North Africa, not Asia, and not very common. These 1 – 1 1/2" long pest emits a nasty odor. Unlike other roaches, Oriental cockroaches can survive freezing temperatures, and thus, can often be found in crawl spaces and basements. Oriental cockroaches are very dark brown or black, and also have a well-developed pair of wings.

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Getting Rid of Cockroaches

If your home already has a cockroach infestation, contact a professional pest control service. Unfortunately, cockroaches can come back for several months, once the eggs they’ve laid hatch. It may take a few professional pest control treatments, to rid your home of this disease spreading pest.

Killing the ants you see with bug spray won’t solve the problem; ants live in large colonies, and unless this is addressed, the ants will simply continue to breed. An effective ant control treatment will eventually kill the entire colony.

In the meantime, it’s very important to keep your kitchen clean, to deprive cockroaches, and other pests like rodents, food. Also, store your food in tightly sealed, plastic, glass, or metal containers. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight, and don’t leave pet food out overnight. Finally, take out the trash every night, and keep the exterior of your house free of garbage.

A cockroach infestation poses a health hazard to you, your family, and even your pets. Contact a pest control professional right away.