Cockroach Nation

A recent news story from  Turkmenistan reported that the country's president had fired thirty workers at the main state TV station after a cockroach was seen running across the news desk during a nightly news broadcast. People do get passionate about cockroaches - and not in a good way. The specimen we have pictured below is the  most common of roaches, the German cockroach, or Blattella germanica. Not much Germanic about them, these pests actually originated in Asia. They can enter your house in a bag or box from the grocery store, or ride along on a piece of borrowed furniture - and can be devilishly hard to get rid of, especially in multiple-unit complexes. But contrary to the message of this video, control can and should be achieved if pest management techniques and simple housekeeping are used. 

Many sprays and baits are labeled for use against cockroaches in California. If you opt for baiting, there are some facts you should keep in mind. Roach baits attract the pests, then feed them a poison which the insect takes back to the nest to share with his friends. Bait should be applied with caution so as not to come in contact with food or dishes. If there are other sources of food readily available to the cockroach, it may or may not eat the bait. And Cockroaches will eat just about anything - garbage, cooking spills, even the grease on a kitchen wall can support life. A more certain approach is to hire a pest professional to apply a contact spray in cracks and crevices in a clean kitchen environment. What this means is that homeowners need to empty and clean kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and remove or cover trash areas before the bug guy is called in. Residual insecticides last for up to two months, continuing to kill roaches as they hatch. Control can take three to four weeks in the case of a serious infestation. One more tip: setting off "bug bombs" is usually a bad idea. Some cockroaches may die, but the ones that survive will hide in unusual and hard-to-treat places. The best tip on cockroaches is to get rid of them before they take over the house!