Cockroaches are a health hazard for both humans and animals. They are active at night and thrive in warm and humid environments. Cockroaches eat everything and destroy our food with their excrement and their odorous secretions.
Cockroaches spread rapidly once they're on your property. It can take quite a bit of time to get rid of them, so be careful when cleaning and make sure you check containers and suitcases. Cockroaches are fast-paced nocturnal insects, so they are most active at night, moving around by running. The cockroach is omnivorous and thrives in warm, dark places near food as they and can withstand temperatures between -5 to 40 degrees Celsius.
The female cockroach breeds extremely rapidly, taking only three to five weeks after fertilisation before the female lays an ootheca (egg case) containing 30-40 eggs, which hatch only after one day.
There a number of different types of cockroaches. In New Zealand, 10-15 mm sized German cockroaches are the most common and recognizable by its two black stripes on the thorax. The dusky cockroach can be between 7-12 mm big and live out in nature but may occasionally come into our house. However, it cannot reproduce indoors and are not considered a pest. On the other hand, there are other species of cockroaches who regularly enter a country via imported goods. These species include brown banded, Oriental, American, and the Australian cockroach. These cockroaches are more sensitive to temperature variations than the German cockroach and thrive in very humid and hot areas where they reproduce slowly.
Cockroaches eat everything and often hide during the day, making it difficult to know if you have been afflicted. Cockroaches often come into our homes via groceries, imported goods or suitcases and are looking for the kitchen or bathroom where they easily can spread further through pipes and electrical wiring.
Cockroaches are carriers of various diseases and they contaminate with their excrement and odorous secretions. Infected food products are impossible to save and infested goods and products should be discarded. The secretion can also cause allergic reactions in people.
As cockroaches have many hiding places, it will take some time to get rid of them. Anticimex uses a combination of insect traps, advisory services, and pesticides.