Cockroaches are a severely dangerous infestation that can cause serious illness to the occupants of the house. Cockroaches are not like other pests and are incredibly hard to get rid of. They have survived millions of years and managed to survive multiple extinction events as well as the ice age. They are, for tropical insects, extremely resistant to cold temperatures only really being affected by temperatures lower than 17 degrees celsius and can survive in the sewer systems. They come in many different species, two of which are native to this continent and two of which are invasive species brought over from Europe and Asia. They are not an infestation to trifle and will destroy your home.
Cockroach Species
Cockroaches come in many different shapes and colours and there are millions of species around the world. In Canada, there are four main species of cockroach. The native cockroaches are the American cockroach which retains its ancient ability to fly, though not very far distances and are one of the largest cockroaches in North America. The brown-banded can get quite large as well and is also native to North America. The American cockroach is common in Mexico where it leads to songs and dances and is somewhat revered. This is now how those in the US and Canada feel about it generally.
Foreign Invaders
The other two cockroaches are not from North America and are invasive species brought to these shores by transport vessels. They are the Oriental cockroach which looks very different from the common cockroaches we are used to seeing with longer legs and rounder torsos. They are very invasive and are a danger to our ecosystem just like the other foreign cockroach in North America. The German cockroach is one of the most dangerous and hard to treat. This is because they can have more eggs in a single egg sack than other cockroaches. This generally is believed to be because of their much smaller size. Where most cockroaches have five or six eggs in one egg sack or ootheca, the German cockroach can have up to sixty. This makes their infestation much more serious than the others and much harder to treat.
Cockroaches are like Turtles
Cockroaches do not raise their children. Like turtles, they leave the egg sack in a place with food and water and leave them to fend for themselves. This is common among most if not all species and is the reason you will often see tiny cockroaches wandering around your kitchen and living in the back of the microwave. The cockroach egg sack can take up to a month to hatch. The females need only mate with a cockroach male once and then can retain the stem and use it to produce eggs for the rest of their natural lives. This makes them very effective breeders.
Cockroach Treatment
Treating a cockroach infestation domestically is not easy with all the eggs and the babies running around. Using dust and bait will only kill off part of the population and will do it very slowly. The best way to treat a cockroach infestation, even a small one is to call a professional licensed exterminator who can treat the issue with a thorough multi-chemical treatment that will get rid of the infestation for good.