Pest Identification: German Roaches

German cockroaches are the most common species of cockroaches and are prolific breeders – they can produce six generations of cockroaches a year! German cockroaches are not very big – only about half an inch long and oval-shaped with a light brown to tan color. Their small size means they can get into your home through some very small openings, often less than half an inch wide. However, German cockroaches are very good hitchhikers and will often come into a home by getting a ride on grocery bags, cardboard boxes, cartons, and even second-hand appliances.

German cockroaches are not picky eaters. They’ll feed on just about anything, including some things you wouldn’t think of as food, such as soap, glue and toothpaste! And because German cockroaches like to be near food and set up shop in warm, moist places, they tend to be found in residential and commercial kitchens and bathrooms.

Aside from being an unpleasant sight in any environment, German cockroaches in can be an even greater nuisance because they can cause outbreaks of illness and allergic reactions – in fact, they’ve been known to spread over thirty kinds of bacteria, at least six kinds of parasitic worms, and as many as seven or more other human pathogens that can make people sick. They generally pick up these nasty things on their legs as they crawl through decaying matter and sewage waste. Medical studies have shown that German cockroach allergens can exacerbate asthma attacks, especially in children, and cause a variety of allergic reactions that can range from being just uncomfortable to potentially life-threatening.

These sickness-causing pests are nothing to fool with. If you see, or suspect you have, German cockroaches in the greater Worcester County area, contact the German cockroach control professionals at Ford’s Hometown Services. They have all the latest tools and techniques for effectively controlling even the worst German cockroach infestation.