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PESTS:
COCKROACHES
 There
are over 3,000 species of cockroaches
worldwide, but only 6 have attained the
status of pest. These have adapted to
cohabit with man. The others remain living
amongst leaf litter, under logs and in
dark areas like caves.
Life-Cycle
- Female
cockroaches can produce eggs with or
without mating (parthenogenesis is the
process of producing young without
mating).
- Females
encase eggs in purse-shaped egg cases
which they glue onto a
surface.
- Young
cockroaches or nymphs emerge from the
egg-case and go through 5 to 12 moults
before they achieve adult
status.
- 2 to
3 weeks after achieving adult status,
they are able to reproduce.
- The
most common of the species, the German
cockroach, produces 20,000 offspring
within a year.
Habits
- Cockroaches
are omnivorous, making all uncovered
foodstuffs susceptible to cockroach
infestation and
contamination.
- Cockroaches
are nocturnal, though during
infestations it is common to see them
during the day.
- Statistics
say that for every one cockroach
sighted, 10 more are
hidden.
- Common
hiding places are cracks and crevices,
dishwashers, electrical motors and
switches, oven and any other warm,
moist areas where food is
available.
- Whilst
most cockroaches can fly, most tend to
crawl, scuttling away very fast when
threatened.
- Even
the cleanest of environments can
provide hidden refuges for cockroaches
in search of breeding and feeding
sites.
- Because
of their many and varied feeding sites,
ranging from sewers, drains and garbage
bins, to kitchens and unprotected
foodstuffs, cockroaches spread diseases
such as dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis,
tuberculosis and salmonella
poisoning.
Control
and Elimination
- Because
there are different types of
cockroaches common to most domestic and
commercial premises, it is essential to
identify the species before determining
the best form of pest management. Each
type of cockroach has different
breeding preferences, and the choice to
use sprays, dusts or baits will be
determined by the species
identified.
Our 25
years' experience ... your peace of
mind
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Total
Pest Solutions
PO
Box 2083, South Plympton
South Australia. 5038.
Phone 1800 503 394
(08) 8297 4981
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