Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Uninvited summer guest


A friend you may encounter as the days start to get warmer are cockroaches!  Too much heat outside drives the cockroaches indoors causing them to seek out the moist areas of your home.  We tend to think that if our homes are clean that we will not have any sort of cockroach infestation, but even clean environments can harbor roaches.

Arizona has five common roaches:


German Cockroach
Found in kitchens, bathrooms.  Infests electrical appliances  (blender bases, radios, etc.).  Will feed on glue, toothpaste, and soap.  Greatest reproductive potential of all cockroaches!!






American Cockroach
Found in outdoor compost bins and decaying vegetation. Often moves indoors during hot weather and monsoon season.  Found in moist areas indoors such as bathtubs, clothes hampers, etc. Mobile in dry sewer drains (toilets, sinks). They like it hot (84 F). 



Turkestan Cockroach
This is an outdoor cockroach and a detritus feeder.  Males are attracted to lights; finding them inside often indicates a need to pest-proof external entryways. Prefer high temperatures. Maybe found in meter and irrigation boxes and exposed compost piles, where they break down detritus. 




Brownbanded Cockroach 
 Feed on starches found in envelope glues and similar office/classroom supplies. Likes warm areas and low humidity.  Glide but do not fly




Desert Cockroach 

Most recognizable by its cockroach shape. Males are nocturnal and are  attracted to lights.  Will not enter homes unless doors are open and lights are left on.  Females spend their lives burrowing in soft soil where they feed on organic debris.  Are associated with pack-rat or other desert rodent burrows  where the soil has been loosened and organic material is abundant. 




For pest needs and/or questions contact Zaak Muro 480.287.2959 or visit Valorpest.com 



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