Marion & Citrus County 352 694-1977 Lake & Sumter County 352 360-0677
GERMAN COCKROACH CONTROL
German cockroach control is a must for anyone afflicted by an infestation. These cockroaches are one of the worst pests to plague humanity.
German cockroach clean-outs by Meryl’s is treated as a separate service
German cockroaches are dependent on human beings for survival. They have only a few basic needs to survive and multiply. These elements include water, warmth and a food source. Humans give them shelter while being plagued by them. Unlike bedbugs, German cockroaches do not feed on humans. They use a human’s dwelling for shelter where they also find water, food, and warmth. This is why the kitchen and bathroom are the first rooms infested when a new colony pops up. If not properly exterminated, these cockroaches will eventually spread throughout the entire home.
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The wrong way to go about German cockroach control
German cockroach control is not an easy fix. These cockroaches are both prolific and immune to many common pesticides. Store-bought products such as repellent sprays and bug bombs prove to not only be useless in their eradication but can also make the problem worse. Such tactics will cause the cockroaches to spread to other parts of the house. This is known as “budding” and when the problem turns into a total nightmare.
The right way to go about German cockroach control
The proper way to eradicate German cockroaches starts with an understanding of their biology and life cycle. This is why we recommend follow-up treatments a week to ten days as opposed to once a month. We continue on with this schedule until the problem is solved. We have only found certain products effective in killing German cockroaches. Industrial and prescription-strength pesticides are the only way to meet 100% control.
Problem solved
Once our job is done and treatment for your German cockroach infestation has been completed, only you can keep them from returning. These cockroaches enter your home from other infested homes. They are brought in by way of electrical appliances such as refrigerators, microwave ovens or toasters. They can also be brought in with groceries of food or by luggage from house guests. Once the problem has been solved, be sure to not allow re-infestation to occur.
It’s always very busy at Meryl’s Termite and Pest Control when it comes to German cockroach clean-out services. It appears these nuisance pests are ever on the rise. They also continue to evolve and grow immune to the pesticides used most often to control them. Here are our most common questions about German cockroaches and their control.
Is a clean-out service the same as an annual pest control at Meryl’s Termite and Pest Control?
No, a German cockroach clean-out service is not the same as our annual pest control program. In the case of a clean-out service, it is directly pointed at the heavy infestation of one target pest. Other clean-out services we offer include rodents, ticks, and fleas.
Should I spray German cockroaches with store-bought products?
DO NOT spray ANY kind of insecticide or store-bought product. This is especially important and vital once our treatment has begun. These are repellent sprays and will cause the roaches to bud (spread) throughout the house making our treatment much less effective.
Why is the life cycle of German cockroaches important to know if one hopes to eliminate them?
When a German cockroach molts (sheds its old skin), it will not eat for three days. This is why we do 7 to 10 days follow-ups; to make sure that fresh bait is available when the roaches begin eating again and the new nymphs(babies) that hatch out of their ootheca (egg pod) during this time. Monthly sprays are not going as effective.
What can I do to help the process of eliminating these roaches?
This is an important key to success. Keep bowls of dog food, cat food, and any other pet food up from the floor or counters during the weeks of treatment. This is to make sure the roaches will feed on the bait without an alternative food source. It is important to sweep up all dead roaches so we can carefully check our progress. If they are not swept up and were are seeing the same dead roaches from our last visit, we won’t know if we’ve got them all.
Once a German cockroach treatment is complete, be VERY CAREFUL of what you bring into the house. German cockroaches enter homes by way of items from garage sales of infested houses. They can come in on electrical items such as refrigerators, blenders, microwaves, old cell-phone chargers, groceries of food and many other items.
Does a German cockroach clean-out service include other species of roaches?
No, German Cockroach treatments do not include other species such as but not limited to Australian, Brown Banded, Asian (Asian which look almost identical to Germans) and others. The difference being that German cockroaches infest on the inside of the home while the others usually originate from the outside making them occasional invaders. It is also important to note that when the German cockroach progresses through its different stages of life, it may seem that you have three species of the cockroach but in fact, there is only one.
Are German cockroaches really from Germany?
No. They probably got their name because a long time ago these roaches originated from Europe which is supposedly how they made their way to America. There is still some debate about where they truly originated from. For some time they were thought to come from Africa but now most entomologists agree that they originated from southeast Asia. One thing is for certain – the German cockroach is now found on every continent except for Antarctica.
Identifying cockroach nymphs
Cockroach nymphs are essentially baby cockroaches. Sometimes it’s confusing even if you know what species of roach nymph you’re dealing with which can affect the measure of pest control taken against it. Baby roaches are very similar in appearance from one species to the other but it’s usually easier to identify German cockroach nymphs and brown-banded cockroach nymphs. It’s commonplace to encounter any indoor cockroach nymphs due to moisture and the supply of water.