The American Roach

Your Chicagoland Guide on American Roaches

The Breakdown

COLOR	SIZE	LEGS	DANGER/DESTRUCTION RATING
Reddish Brown	1.5 – 2 in	Six	Moderate – HIGH

The American Roach

American roaches are usually about 1.5-2″ long and are reddish brown in color. This type of cockroach is the largest of all house-infesting roaches. They prefer to be in warm, humid temperatures and come out mostly after heavy rain. When it comes to reproduction, a female and her offspring can produce over 800 roaches in just one year. When roaches age, they develop wings and are able to fly. They live under mulch, trees and sewer systems when outdoors, so when they come into your home, they are contaminating whatever they touch. This is why it is so important to avoid roach infestations and, if you’re unlucky enough to have one, why it’s important to eradicate the pests as fast as possible.

Signs of an Infestation

A roach infestation might make you feel like you are losing your mind, especially when you kill one only to see another one pop up. If you are unsure if you have an infestation, there are a couple things that you can look for. The first are droppings in dark areas such as your pantry, garage or basement. You also want to look for egg capsules in those areas. The eggs are dark in color.

If you are smelling something foul or musty, that could be caused by a roach infestation. Roaches release an odor from a chemical they produce, and as their colony grows, the more you will be able to sniff out the musty smell. Most of these roaches will come into your home looking for food and water sources. They enter your home through garages and sewer pipes and will immediately find a place to hide, so you want to make sure you keep dark areas clutter free.

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Understanding the Seasons

Weather has a profound effect on pest life cycle. Most pests, rodents and insects breed aggressively during spring and go through periods of hibernation during autumn and winter.

Spring

When the weather slowly begins to heat up, pests start to get more active after having stayed dormant over the colder winter months.

Birds often start to find mates and start building their nests.
Moths which consumer leaves usually become active again.
Flies often emerge from their winter hibernation places and start to breed and spread out.
Squirrels also spend the winter in hibernation. When spring approaches these creatures start looking for a new home. This is usually the time when they make their way into lofts and other spaces.

Summer

Summer is arguably the best season for pests. It is the time when they are in full swing and breed as rapidly as they can. Wasps are one of the most common summer pests followed by flies and rodents. Many a summer picnics and BBQs have been ruined by the ‘home invasion’ of these pests.

Wasps build their nesting grounds and lay their eggs during this time. Although the creatures are not directly harmful, they can be very aggressive and territorial at this time of the year, because they’re at their strongest.
The number of fleas also multiplies. Since pets spend more time outdoors during summer, they are more likely to bring the pests back indoors with them.
Bees are also more active during summer as they go out to gather nectar. Many times, homeowners find a new beehive in their garden and require pest control to take care of it. Because of their sting, bees are more dangerous than some of the other pests and you should call our professional service to get rid of them.
Moths and flies usually start to multiply significantly during summer.
Ants begin to swarm to find new mates and start new colonies during summer.
Cockroaches become very noticeable in the summer, especially in the kitchen and toilets. This is due to the hotter temperatures and stronger smells.
Bedbugs are also very active in the summer.

Autumn

Autumn is the month when things start to get cooler. The number of pests starts to dwindle as they begin to slow down their breeding activities.

Wasps start becoming dozy and docile. You may find them buzzing around occasionally as if they are drunk. This is usually the end-time for their life.
Spiders in particular are more active at this time of the year.
Squirrels will gather their food and start to look for shelter.
The second breeding phase for flies begins. These pests remain active during the season.
Rodents also become more active. Due to the approaching cold, rodents usually find shelter inside homes in the loft or inside walls.

Winter

The coldest months are when pests seek out warmth and shelter. You will find a number of insects especially rodents and lizards make their way inside your home.

Spiders come into our homes to escape the web-destroying frosts.
Rodents move indoors to escape the cold, increasing infestations.
In many cases, homeowners find squirrels nesting in lofts when they go to get their Christmas decorations.