Ernies Pest Control

•                   Pest Control Facts and Information
•                   Cockroaches Basic Information
•      American Cockroach Pest Control and Information
•    Brown Banded Cockroach Pest Control and Information
•   German Cockroach Pest Control and Information
•  Oriental Cockroach Pest Control and Information
•   Smokeybrown Cockroach Pest Control and Information

Ernie's pest control services Toledo, Northwest Ohio and Lower Michigan. 

Preventive measures you can take are :

• Do not leave piles of clothing, papers or other miscellaneous things laying around
• Regular cleaning and maintenance of your home or business
• When cleaning, check under carpet edges and baseboards
• Do not have dirty dishes piled up and sitting for long periods of time, especially not in old water
• Especially in hot weather, put your food scraps in plastic before disposing of them
• Schedule regular pest control maintenance
• If you see one pest or insect, chances are you are not seeing rest.  A call to Ernie's Pest Control should be made to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

General Information

• Cockroaches are one of the worst household pests.  They enter through cracks, crevices, vents, sewer and drain pipes, or even grocery bags or items brought in to your building. 
• Inside is an ideal breeding ground for cockroaches, plenty of heat, water and food to keep them active all year around.  Cockroaches produce quickly, for every one you see there may be at least 200 more you don't see, hiding and multiplying behind your walls. 
• Cockroaches are nocturnal, if you see some during the day there is a good chance they were pushed out because of overcrowding, indicating a serious infestation problem.
• The dust created by cast-off cockroach skins, dead bodies and droppings can aggravate allergies, and they also carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

**Cockroaches are better at hiding then you will be at finding them, and their eggs are naturally protected from pesticides.  The best solution is to hire a pest control service that knows how to eradicate the problem.**

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   American Cockroach  or Water Bug (Peripleneta Americana)

Characteristics

• The American cockroach is the largest infesting-species - 1/2 inch long
• Reddish brown wings with light markings on the thorax
• Habitat
• Aggressive
• Prefers warm, damp areas
• The American cockroach s more likely to be seen in daytime than the other species
• Common in food preparation areas

Diet

• Scavenger - eats almost anything
• Likes alcohol, especially beer

Reproduction

• Female only mates one time to produce many egg capsules, which contains about 13 eggs
• Nymphs molt 13 times in 600 days before reaching maturity
• Adults live up to 15 months

   Brown-Banded Cockroach (Supella Iongipalpis)

Characteristics

• 5/8 inch long
• wings have 2 brownish-yellow bands
• Brown-Banded cockroach is often confused with the German cockroach

Habitat

• This cockroach can fly
• Nocturnal
• They prefer dry, warm areas, high locations and inside furniture
• Not as dependant on moisture as other species of cockroaches

Diet

• Scavengers - they will eat almost anything

Reproduction

• Female egg capsule for 24 - 36 hours, then will attach it underneath or on the side of a protected surface
• She will also hide egg capsules in furniture
• Capsules contain 18 eggs
• Nymphs  reach maturity within 161 days, adults live for 10 months

   German Cockroach (Blatella Germanica)

Characteristics

• German cockroaches are 5/8 inch long
• light to medium brown, with 2 streaks on the thorax

Habitat

• German cockroaches are the most common species found around in and around apartments, homes, supermarkets and restaurants, and on ships
• Nocturnal
• Primarily infests areas close to food, moisture and warmth
• Extremely heavy infestations are common
• German cockroaches are the most widely dispersed cockroach of all the species

Diet

• Scavengers - they will eat almost anything
• Reproduction
• Females can produce one egg capsule every 20-25 days, each capsule contains 18 - 48 eggs
• Newborns reach adulthood in 36 days
• Adults live up to one year

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   Oriental Cockroach   "Water Bug or Black Beetles"   (Blatella Orientalis)

Characteristics

• Dark Brown and 1 inch long
• Gives off a distinctly unpleasant odor
• More sluggish than other cockroach species
• Habitat
• Common outdoors
• Enters buildings through sewer pipes
• Lives near ground and in warm, damp areas

Diet

• Eats anything
• Often found feeding on garbage, sewage and decaying organic matter
• Prefers starches

Reproduction

• Females produce 8 capsules, each egg capsule contains 16 eggs
• Nymphs go through 7 molts before reaching adulthood
• Adults live up to 6 months

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Smokeybrown Pest Control  "Woods Roach" (Periplaneta Fuliginosa)

Characteristics

• Dark Brown
• 1/2 inch long
• Fly towards light at night

Habitat

• Prefers outdoors
• Populations are relatively immobile compared with other species

Diet

• Scavenger - eats almost anything, prefers plant material

Reproduction

• Female Smokeybrown cockroaches lay seven egg capsules, which contain 20 eggs each
• Egg capsules hatch in 24-70 days
• Adults live up to 200 days

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