Characteristics, species, way of life and methods of control

the essentials in brief

• One cockroach has a flat, round-oval, 10-44 mm large body with 6 long legs and remarkably long antennae.
• The harmless forest cockroach is often mistaken for the dangerous German cockroach.
• In contrast to the nocturnal cockroach, the forest cockroach can fly well and is diurnal.

What does a cockroach look like? - identifying features

A German cockroach is instantly recognizable if you are familiar with characteristic features of the body. Although different types of fear and horror spread in Germany, the following distinguishing features are also clear to the cockroach layperson:

• body shape: round-oval, flattened
• size: 10-44 mm long
• legs: 6 long, prickly legs with small claws at the end
• colour: red brown, yellow brown, dark brown to black
• Flying machine: body-length, short, rudimentary or no wings
• Neck shield: with 2 dark stripes
• sensor: usually longer than the body

A baby cockroach already looks a lot like its parent. Young cockroaches hatch from the eggs as a nymph rather than a larva. For this reason, the young animal goes through its numerous developmental stages in the form of a mini cockroach with a length of 3 to 30 mm, depending on the species and age. The following pictures show a typical cockroach from above, from the side and from below.

Digression

Cockroach - a dangerous insect

What animal looks like a cockroach? - innocent doppelganger

The beautiful forest cockroach is often confused with the cockroach

There is one animal in the insect kingdom that has to bear the heavy burden of being pursued and killed as cockroach doppelgangers. The forest cockroach (Ectobiinae) is distantly related to the German cockroach and looks very similar to the pest. This is where all the similarities end, because the wood cockroach subfamily represents the only free roaming cockroaches in Germany with an important order for the ecological Balance.

Deciduous and mixed forests are the habitat of a wood cockroach. Because decomposing plant waste is their favorite food, the amber cockroach makes a valuable contribution to the ecosystem. Every now and then the wood cockroach gets lost in a building. The disoriented beneficial organism desperately crawls or flies around looking for an escape route. Forest cockroaches are completely harmless, do not target food and do not transmit diseases. In ignorance of these beneficial properties, innocent amber cockroaches fall victim to their cockroach resemblance and are trampled or beaten to death.

No confusion: cockroach and wood cockroach difference

In the southern federal states of Germany, the harmless forest cockroach is now the most common cockroach species. Pest fighters move out several times to combat an alleged cockroach plague. The all-clear can then quickly be given on site because the angry house residents have sheared the forest cockroach and cockroach over a comb. To avoid confusion with the dangerous cockroach, the following table summarizes significant differences:

This direct comparison makes it clear why the number of victims of the forest cockroach is increasing as a result of a mix-up. The cockroach species is not only diurnal, but can also fly very well. In contrast, the German cockroach only ventures out of its hiding place at night, is only capable of clumsy gliding and prefers to dash along the wall on nimble legs. Flying cockroaches in daylight are almost certainly harmless forest cockroaches.

In the following video, the pest controller Marianne Jäger has her say and explains important differences between cockroach and wood cockroach:

Cockroach - common species in Germany

In Germany there are primarily 4 types of cockroaches that fear people. All of them were brought in from distant countries, are dangerous vectors of disease and can only survive in heated buildings. Although the appearance of the pests cannot deny a certain family resemblance, distinctive, individual characteristics can be recorded. The following table gives an overview of the most common cockroaches in Germany with species-specific information on each animal:

The following short portraits provide more detailed information on each type of cockroach:

German cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Like all cockroaches, the German cockroach can run very quickly

The German cockroach is an omnivore with an insatiable appetite for food, supplies of all kinds, as well as paper, leather and textiles. The insect is magically attracted to the humid and warm living conditions in the kitchen, pantry, laundry room and bathroom. Female cockroaches produce 35 to 40 eggs, from which baby cockroaches hatch as nymphs after about a month. The life expectancy of a German cockroach extends up to 200 days. Time enough for an explosive increase in the dark hiding place. A Blattella germanica is capable of a short glide flight. A European cockroach prefers to move forward on its long legs at a speedy 29 cm per second vertically and horizontally.

Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

With its dark, round-oval body, the oriental cockroach is reminiscent of a beetle at first glance. The cockroach can be easily distinguished from its conspecifics by the opaque neck shield. Despite its long wings, the large, heavy cockroach cannot fly. The insect makes up for this disadvantage with a rapid pace of a whopping 5 km / h with which it sprints across the ground. Blatta orientalis live in clans and create well camouflaged nests. Even with massive infestation, no living specimens can be seen during the day. Females produce 5 to 10 chestnut brown egg packets with 16 eggs each, which are placed in warm and humid locations. This results in a particularly large potential for reproduction.

American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

The American cockroach has extremely long antennae

The American cockroach sports an extra large pronotum and boasts epic long antennae. Furthermore, the cockroach species can be accurately identified due to its red-brown color. Females are particularly diligent in egg production. Up to 15 egg packets with up to 28 eggs are the lifetime achievement of a single cockroach lady, so that the infested site is teeming with mini cockroaches within a short time. American cockroaches love warmth, which makes them a notorious nuisance in winter gardens, saunas, indoor swimming pools and greenhouses.

Asian cockroach (Supella longipalpa)

Anyone who thinks a dry environment is safe from cockroach infestation does not know the Asian cockroach. This type of cockroach is justifiably known colloquially as a sofa or furniture cockroach. The little cockroach has been on the advance in Germany since global warming made itself felt. The Asian cockroach only uses its wings at high temperatures. The insect prefers to run at lightning speed over floors and walls. The brown ribbon cockroach can be recognized by two brown horizontal stripes on the neck plate, which the name refers to.

A cockroach found - what to do?

After seeing a cockroach, don't just go back to business. If the nocturnal pests rush through the house in daylight, this indicates a high level of infestation pressure. The following rule of thumb applies here: For every cockroach spotted or found dead, there are an average of 200 hidden specimens. The following 4-step plan explains how to act correctly from the first suspicion to a cockroach-free apartment:

Buy and set up a cockroach trap

Cockroach traps offered in stores do not solve the pest problem. At the same time, a trap provides valuable support for monitoring. It is a non-toxic, odorless glue trap that is placed in suspicious locations. This will help you determine infestation pressure as well as identify the type of cockroach that needs to be controlled. The trap will kill individual specimens. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Effective cockroach control cannot be achieved with glue traps, bait boxes or similar catching devices.

Contact a pest controller or property manager

If the infestation is severe, a pest controller should be contacted

Has the cockroach trap removed any remaining doubts? Then don't hesitate and get in touch with a certified pest controller. As a tenant, please report the cockroach infestation to the owner or the property management immediately. Cockroach control is always a race against time. Given the explosive growth rates, there is little room for experimentation on your own. The catch rate of the cockroach trap already gives the exterminator important information on the correct procedure.

Take preparatory measures

As a cockroach victim, you are not doomed to idleness when hiring a pest controller. In advance you can do active support work with the following preparatory measures:

• Remove all foodstuffs from all cockroach-infested rooms
• subject the affected rooms to a thorough thorough cleaning
• Thoroughly clean all cabinets and devices in the room
• Remove cockroach residues with the vacuum cleaner: egg packets, wings, cocoon remains, dead cockroaches

Combat by the exterminator

In modern pest control, certified experts can fall back on a wide range of effective methods. The cockroach gel procedure has proven itself to be outstanding. Cockroach gel is a poison that is reserved for trained specialists when used. The agent is applied in a targeted manner in the vicinity of nests, hiding places and walkways. Because cockroach gel has a bait effect, control success can be seen very quickly. Just a few particles are enough to kill a cockroach within a day.

The cockroach gel method also indirectly combats the harmful insects. Cockroaches are cannibals that pounce on dead and weakened conspecifics to eat them up. In this way, a multiplication effect is achieved that optimizes the control success and shortens the waiting time until you are back at home.

How does a cockroach get into the apartment?

Cockroaches often come into the house through the sewers

Encountering a single cockroach begs the question of how the beast got into the apartment. First of all, a small consolation: cockroaches have nothing to do with poor hygiene. Cockroaches can be found wherever suitable living conditions exist and food sources can be found in abundance. Most of the time, the rabble is brought in through food packaging or used electrical appliances. Cockroaches sometimes invade the house through the sewer system. The following tips summarize the signs of cockroach infestation and where to look for it:

Cockroach in the house

Cockroaches leave telltale marks. The earlier you recognize the symptoms and take countermeasures, the more effective the fight. Look out for the following signs of an impending cockroach plague in the house:

• Eggs: Female cockroaches lay their eggs in small, maroon packets
• Cocoons: Because a young animal sheds its skin up to 8 times, there are transparent cocoons around the house
• Excrement: Fecal crumbs are 1 mm in size and lie like coffee powder on the floor, on walls or in stores
• stink: Cockroaches give off a disgusting, musty smell

Eating damage is an indication, but as a sole characteristic not reliable evidence of cockroach infestation in the house. Numerous other pests also attack food, packaging or plants, such as mice, rats or Beetle. If, on the other hand, you find dead cockroaches in living spaces, there is no longer any doubt about the presence of the dreaded pests in your immediate living environment.

Cockroach in the bathroom

A great cockroach hiding place is right behind cabinets in the bathroom. Soap, shower gel and similar care products exert an irresistible attraction. The fiends like to use the medicine cabinet as a nest. Take a look behind the sink, bathtub and toilet. Cockroaches enthusiastically feed on soap residue, hair, flakes of skin, toilet paper and speed handkerchiefs.

Cockroach in the kitchen

Cockroaches are particularly common in the kitchen

The cockroach likes to live up to its middle name, cockroach. Check cabinets, shelves and drawers from all sides (especially the back). Pay special attention to the sink and dishwasher, as well as the associated piping. Electrical appliances in the kitchen are often underestimated as a source of infestation for cockroaches. Please take a closer look at these devices:

• stove
• coffee machine
• refrigerator
• Freezer
• microwave
• Mixer (hand-held and floor-standing device)
• Sandwich maker
• Toaster

All places that are not easy to see in everyday life are suspect. Even the smallest gaps, gaps and holes require careful inspection.

Cockroach in the room

Subject every room in the house and apartment to a critical assessment. A cockroach can squeeze its flat body through the transition between the floor and the wall. Look for the tiniest gaps and slits at this point. Cracks in the wooden floor are perfect hiding spots. Newspapers, stacks of paper and cardboard lying around are a non-verbal invitation for voracious cockroaches to eat and hide.

Cockroach in the garden

Much to the chagrin of amateur gardeners, the oriental cockroach has discovered the garden as an ideal retreat for itself. In contrast to other cockroach species, the Blatta orientalis tolerates lower temperatures. As long as the thermometer does not fall below the 10-degree mark, move forward Garden shed,(€ 60.76 at Amazon *) The focus is on garden saunas and garages as potential infestation species. Inspect pipelines running in the garden for damage and cracks in decking boards because they could hide hardened cockroaches. From spring to early autumn, undiscovered oriental cockroaches continue to multiply in the garden and move into the house before the first frost.

Tips against cockroach plague

All cracks and entrances should be closed

Do neighbors complain of cockroach infestation? Do you have a vague suspicion that the pests have taken hold of you? Is there a bad stench of indefinable origin spreading in the house? Then these are good reasons to put a stop to an impending plague with the following measures. These tips explain how to prevent nasty cockroaches:

Deny entry

• Seal entrances: door gaps, cracks in walls, cable ducts, supply ducts, wall joints, end strips
• Carry out intermittent ventilation several times a day in suspicious rooms
• Turn down the heating in rooms at risk
• Open your holiday luggage outside, shake out your clothes and examine everything for cocoons, wings, droppings and egg packets
• Carefully inspect second-hand goods in front of the apartment for cockroach debris, nests, live or dead animals

Withdraw livelihoods

• Keep food in tightly closed containers
• Immediately clear away leftover food, wipe off crumbs, splashes and the like
• Remove food residues under the stove, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher
• Wash dishes, pots and glasses immediately after each use
• Remove and clean the dog and cat food bowl immediately after the meal
• Waste from the kitchen bucket outside in the bin for residual waste or daily Organic waste
• Do not leave dirty laundry and used diapers lying around openly
• Do not leave water in the sink, sink or bucket overnight

A positive side effect of these measures: They not only ward off cockroaches, but also effectively prevent other pests and pests, such as Fruit flies, Mosquitoes, houseflies and other insects.

frequently asked Questions

What is a cockroach?

Cockroach is the slang term for a number of harmful cockroach species in the insect family. These include in particular the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), the oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) and the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). Cockroaches are feared vectors of disease and nasty storage pests. The nocturnal pests live mainly in buildings, multiply explosively and are resistant to almost all insecticides. A cockroach can be recognized by its flat, round-oval body and strikingly long antennae.

Can you kill a cockroach with hairspray?

A cockroach cannot be killed with hairspray

The praiseworthy affinity for home remedies in pest control is producing strange blossoms. This includes the rumor that you can kill a cockroach with hairspray. First of all, you would have to have reflexes, like a table tennis world champion, to even spray the nimble, shy insect with hairspray in the dark. Since cockroaches have developed robust resistance to almost all pesticides, harmless hairspray will leave the pests without a trace anyway.

How can I spot cockroach infestations in the house?

Cockroaches are very difficult to spot in buildings. Most of the time, there is no clarity until you have found a dead or living cockroach. Sometimes transparent cocoon remains fall into it eyebecause young animals molt regularly. Another indication are brownish egg packets, mostly 1 cm in size. Brown-black droppings also indicate cockroach infestation.

What measures can be used to prevent cockroaches?

Cockroaches depend on human food. The pests are omnivorous and randomly attack the supplies. Scraping-proof packaging, such as sealable containers made of glass, metal or plastic, is a good strategy against the gullet. Ideally, keep food in the refrigerator where a cockroach cannot reach. Thoroughly clean the kitchen, including dishes, utensils, and glasses, after each meal.

Can a cockroach fly?

The cockroach is an insect and for this reason has more or less well-developed wings. Neither the German cockroach nor the cockroach can fly properly. In an emergency, a short glide flight is possible. Apparently flying cockroaches are mostly the distantly related species of forest cockroaches, also known as the amber cockroach and the golden cockroach. A wood cockroach is harmless, active during the day and doomed to die in buildings. If a cockroach doppelganger buzzes around your head during the day, please open the window and release the beneficial insect into its well-deserved freedom.

Tips

Enough scolding the cockroach. There are also good sides to be found in every living being from the realm of nature. The cockroach represents a powerful power animal that knows how to survive under the toughest conditions. The unconditional will to live is expressed, among other things, in the fact that a German cockroach can continue to live without a head for up to a week. A vitalizing role model for all people who are so severely affected by the stress of everyday life that they no longer know where their heads are.