Serving Memphis, Cordova, Germantown & Collierville TN
For cockroaches, the peak season of activity typically starts in the latter half of June. Roaches make the most of this time, reproducing rapidly. In fact, by the time you’re seeing these bugs crawl through your kitchen, attic, or basement, you could be dealing with a full-blown infestation with thousands of cockroaches on your property. The longer a colony of roaches is left to its own devices, the more difficult it can be to remove them, even though the lifespan of any individual roach is rather brief at approximately one year. Read on as, today on the blog, we take a deeper look at the life cycle of a cockroach.
The egg
A female cockroach mates and then, three to seven days later, she produces an egg case which is called an ootheca. A single ootheca contains about fifteen embryos and is carried by the female on her abdomen for as little as a few hours or as long as a few days. While carrying the ootheca, the female cockroach looks for a safe, comfortable and preferably indoors environment to store her egg case. Once she chooses a location, the female roach uses her saliva to secure the egg case, where it will incubate for a few months. Meanwhile, the female cockroach is free to begin the reproduction cycle all over again, which is why roaches can reproduce so quickly in such great numbers.
The nymph
Nymph cockroaches break free from the ootheca once they finish the incubation process, which could happen in 24-38 days. These nymphs shed their exoskeletons as they grow, leaving these pieces wherever they may roam. Nymph cockroaches go through this process, continually growing and shedding their exoskeleton, until they reach adulthood. Roaches go through this molting cycle 10-13 times in the nymph stage, which lasts a total of six months.
The adult
An adult cockroach is capable of reproducing. Many adult cockroaches also grow wings, allowing them to seek out new areas. Once several cockroaches in a colony reach adulthood, their rapid reproduction can lead to exponential growth of a colony, as these adults will have about six months to reproduce and multiply. The more roaches that are present, the greater the risks. Roaches can carry and spread diseases and they can aggravate symptoms for both allergy sufferers and asthma patients.
Cockroach Control in Memphis, Tennessee
At AAA Termite and Pest, we recognize that each pest infestation is unique. That’s why we use a variety of different treatments, or a combination of treatments, to eradicate a cockroach colony from your home or business. These treatments include gel bait and Integrated Pest Management (or IPM for short). We also offer liquid sprays as a preventive measure against cockroach infestation. This spray is placed around entry points such as doors and windows. While there is no 100% guarantee against a pest problem, proactive treatments such as these liquid sprays offer the best method of defense.
Protect your home and business now against cockroaches before they enter their peak season of activity. To schedule a complimentary estimate with one of the pest control technicians at AAA Termite and Pest, call (901) 737-7378 or complete our contact form online.