What Are German Roaches?

Cockroaches are some of the toughest pests on planet earth. Even a nuclear explosion might not be enough to wipe these creatures. However, you can still hunt them down individually with your newspaper.

Unless, of course, you have an infestation on your property.
You can’t really handle an army of cockroaches running around your home, especially if they are German roaches.

The average American household or office can have different types of roaches, like American, Asian, and German. Out of the three, German cockroaches are the most common in homes worldwide, including the US.

Are you curious to find out more?

Then jump into our blog to know all about German cockroaches, how they look, and differ from American roaches. Along with that, we will also teach you to spot the signs of German roach infestation.

 

Identifying German roaches

What does a German cockroach look like?

You can identify a German roach using physical features, habitat preferences, and lifecycle habits. We will discuss each elaborately to give you a better idea of what you are dealing with.

Physical appearance

German cockroaches are generally light brown or tan. They have distinct black parallel lines that run behind their heads up to the wings. Some of them can also be dark brown.

The German cockroach’s size is not very big. They usually range between 13mm and 16mm or ½ and 5/8 inches.

Male German cockroaches are slimmer and slender compared to females. They also have a tapered end. On the contrary, females have a wider body and a round posterior.

Habitat

German roaches are common around the world where humans live. However, they cannot live in cold temperatures or without the presence of humans.

Additionally, they prefer the hospitable environment of homes and restaurants rather than the outdoors. They are also more common where food is available like kitchen, living rooms, or your bedroom.

German roaches can also travel from infested sites in bags, appliances, and luggage to your home.

Lifecycle

The German cockroach life cycle consists of three primary stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
The lifecycle is of around 100 days, although factors like temperature or food can alter it. A German cockroach can also produce thousands of offspring every year.

 

German cockroach vs. American cockroach

How can you tell between a German and an American cockroach?

American cockroaches are the second most common roaches in the US. They can grow to become big and reach 4cm or even 2 inches. In comparison, German roaches measure less than an inch.

American roaches also have reddish or dark-brown bodies and a pale yellow thorax. German cockroaches, on the other hand, are primarily light brown.

Additionally, American roaches are generally found outside or in moist areas of homes like basements or bathrooms. On the contrary, German varieties mostly live inside homes closer to food sources.

Moreover, German roaches don’t fly, while American ones can.

 

What attracts German roaches?

German roaches like to live comfortably. Several things in your home can invite these cockroaches and provide refuge, like:

• Food
• Warmth
• Water
• Garbage

Food

German cockroaches eat almost anything under the sun, from pizza crumbs to your toothpaste. They can also devour pet food, book bindings, gum, and soap. As a result, almost any home can attract these pests.

Warmth

German roaches cannot live in cold temperatures. They are also missing in houses without central heating in northern regions.

So, a warm and cozy home is a nice incentive for them.

Water

We all need water to survive and so do cockroaches. Hence, water can also attract German cockroaches.

Garbage

German cockroaches also eat garbage. Therefore, your garbage bins can also invite them in.

 

 

Signs of infestation

Addressing an infestation is crucial as German roaches can put your health and wellbeing at risk. They can:

• Contaminate food with droppings and defensive secretions
• Bring on allergic responses
• Contaminate your utensils, toothbrush, and drinkware
• Invite many sicknesses like food poisoning and dysentery
• Cause physiological discomfort
• Bite and eat food from human skin like around the mouth

As a result, you should always stay proactive to identify and deal with a cockroach infestation.

How to know if you have German roaches?

A range of signs can help you determine if you have a German cockroach infestation in your home. Keep an eye for the following signs that indicate cockroaches have taken over your house:

Odor

A large number of cockroaches can create an unpleasant odor. In the case of German cockroaches, you can smell a “musty” or stale smell when too many of them end up inside your house.

Droppings

Droppings are a sure sign of cockroach infestation. German roaches have droppings that look like tiny dots or pepper. You can also find dark spots left by fecal staining around your house.

However, the most common areas include your kitchen shelves, door tops, room corners, and around cracks in walls or floors.

Active at daytime

German roaches are generally nocturnal insects. So, if you spot one or two of them scouting around during the day, you have enough reasons to get suspicious.

Empty eggs

German cockroaches can leave a lot of eggshells around your house. So, try to spot eggs or empty shells to find out if you have an infestation.

You may also sometimes find them safely deposited in corners or hard-to-reach places.

Shed skin

Cockroaches shed skin as they grow up from the nymph stage. So, look out for shed skins around the house, among other signs.

 

Final thoughts

German roaches are the most common unwanted guests in your house. You can easily spot them by their light brown color and parallel stripes. Contact a professional pest control service if you think you have an infestation for quick and sure extermination. You can also contact us for a free quote or a fool-proof pest control job.

The blog post What Are German Roaches? was first published to https://bugguyservices.com

Original post here: What Are German Roaches?

Centipede vs. Millipede: Are Both Dangerous?

Centipedes and millipedes look alike and are common home pests all around the world. They are also found in Coachella Valley and can be crawling under your carpet right now!
However, you have nothing to worry about as these are not lethal. So, you can take a breath and read our centipede vs. millipede comparison to learn how to differentiate between the two. We will discuss their physical appearance and how you can recognize the unwanted guests in your house.

Additionally, we will also tell you how to eliminate and keep them away from your home.

 

Centipede vs. millipede: noticeable differences

You can identify between a centipede and a millipede by their appearance, where they live, food they eat, and more. We will take up each factor in detail to better understand what to look for.

1. Physical appearance

What does a centipede look like?

A centipede looks like an earthworm but has a segmented body. It crawls very fast and may sport different patterns on its body segments. They have multiple legs that grow away from the body. Now, how many legs does a centipede have?

A centipede has a pair of legs on each body segment that can be between 15 to over 100. Therefore, a centipede’s legs can range between 30 and over 100. Hence the name ‘centipede’ meaning a hundred legs!

What does a millipede look like?

A millipede looks like a centipede and also has a segmented body. However, it has two pairs of legs on each body segment, whereas centipedes have only one pair. Additionally, the legs of millipedes point towards the ground instead of spreading out.

You can also distinguish between centipedes and millipedes by their behavior. Centipedes will crawl away when they sense human presence. Millipedes, on the other hand, will curl up and stay at the same place.

2. Size

Both centipedes and millipedes vary greatly in size. The smallest centipede can be 1 cm or 0.4 inches long, while the largest can reach up to 30 cm or 12 inches.
Giant centipedes can even hunt and eat small mammals.

On the other hand, Millipedes range between 0.20 cm or 0.08 inches and 27 cm or 11 inches.

3. Habitat

Centipedes and millipedes live on the land and are present everywhere except Antarctica. They can live in both dry and humid conditions, though centipedes prefer dry habitats more. You can also find centipedes in the desert.

Millipedes, on the contrary, like to stay in moist environments. They are common in forests, grasslands, and even your washroom. You can also find millipedes under the soil and deep in mountain caves.

4. Food source

Centipedes are carnivorous predators and live off small insects and pests. They use their claws to poison their prey and hunt them.

Millipedes eat rotting plant materials like leaves. They do not hunt or kill other insects.

Are house centipedes poisonous?

Are centipedes dangerous? Do they bite you? What about those that enter our houses?
You can give a rest to your worries as centipedes are not dangerous. However, they can still bite you, and larger ones may puncture your skin to release venom. But their poison is not lethal, and the bite feels like a wasp sting.

Therefore, you are better off not handling those creepy crawlies by yourself. Also, centipedes will crawl away quickly once they detect human presence. So, it’s rare to get bitten by a house centipede.

Are house millipedes poisonous?

Now comes the question, are millipedes poisonous?

You will be relieved to know house millipedes are neither dangerous nor poisonous. In addition, they do not bite humans or cause any discomfort. However, they do release small amounts of chemicals as a defense mechanism when irritated. The chemicals can contain poison, such as cyanide, although in very small quantities.

As a result, you have nothing to fear about millipedes. You can handle them safely, but ensure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward to remove any chemicals.

 

How to get rid of centipedes and millipedes

Here are a few ways you can use to drive away centipedes and millipedes from your home:

1. Kill the creepy crawlies

You can try a few methods if you want to kill centipedes or millipedes present in your house. Your local hardware store will have insecticides that exterminate them instantly. You can also try natural insect killers like boric acid, soapy water, and cayenne pepper.

2. Use your vacuum cleaner

You can simply use your vacuum cleaner to get rid of centipedes. Plus, it works well for hiding spots where you cannot easily reach. Look to vacuum out all the corners and crevices in your home, so you can suck these arthropods no matter where they are hiding.
Just ensure to dispose of your dust bag far away from home!

3. Use sticky traps

You can lay sticky traps around your house to catch millipedes and centipedes. They are also great for catching other pests that lurk around in your home.

 

How to prevent centipedes and millipedes

Try the following so that these pests never return to your home:

• Use a dehumidifier to keep your home dry
• Seal all cracks in walls and floors
• Clean all hiding places around your house
• Get rid of clutter where they can hide
• Eliminate other pests that attract centipedes

 

Final thoughts

We hope you now know how to differentiate between a centipede vs. millipede. You can also try the ways we highlighted to get rid of them. However, for serious infestations, seek help from a professional pest control agency. You can contact us for residential pest control to get a free estimate.

Centipede vs. Millipede: Are Both Dangerous? was first seen on https://bugguyservices.com/

Original post here: Centipede vs. Millipede: Are Both Dangerous?