Cockroaches vary in colour, species and origin. While they are all very old and have survived both a major extinction event as well as the ice age. They did this in a similar way that males did. Mammals would make burrows and hide in small caves. Cockroaches did the same thing. The only thing that couldn’t be the dinosaurs and they are gone now. Cockroaches come in a vast number of species. Over four thousand six hundred species. Oddly enough, however, only about thirty cockroach species are known to cohabitate with humans.
The first cockroaches to reach American shores were from Africa. This brought with it some of the first infestations. However, Mexico and South American have been dealing with the American cockroach for thousands of years and treat it as something almost holy. The most common cockroach to infest cities are what is called the big four. The American cockroach is the largest cockroach you will find in your home. This cockroach is huge growth to multiple inches and in the wild can grow even larger. What is strange about them is you would think their size would allow them to produce many eggs. That is not the case. They produce the fewest eggs out of the big four. The next in line is the brown-banded cockroach, similar in size to the American, a little smaller and with a very different appearance. They are so named due to having two brown ventral bands that make it clear what they are. The brown-banded cockroach can have more eggs than the American and more than the oriental as well. They can have up to eighteen eggs in an ootheca but like all species, only a percentage of those eggs will hatch. The oriental cockroach is a very dangerous threat as it is the most likely cockroach to enter the sewers and to bring that dirt into your home. They are more likely to cause illness and more severe illness at that. The final cockroach of the big four is the smallest of them all. The German cockroach is a tiny green or brown cockroach that can birth an ootheca with up to sixty eggs in it. This makes them the worst and most dangerous infestation you can have. They are so small they can get into everything and will be very difficult to get rid of with a domestic treatment.
If you have cockroaches the first thing you should do is find out what species you have. If none of them look right take it to an etymologist at a local university or college. They will identify it for you so you can call a professional pest control company and be ready to name the infestation which can help an exterminator do the job right.
