Baby Cockroaches In Anaheim, CA

Mom Holds The Family Together

One of the reasons cockroaches reproduce so well is due to the habits of the mother cockroaches.  A female cockroach with an egg sac, or case, will drag the sac with her everywhere she goes. In comparison, most insects and creatures deposit their eggs to let them incubate, like spiders, ants, lizards, and birds.  But the mother cockroach attaches the egg sac to her underbelly, protecting all of her baby cockroaches from predators.

The mother cockroaches will drop the egg sac days before hatch when the baby cockroaches are completely incubated. The baby cockroaches then have a chance to explore without her once they hatch. Another strange-but-true adaptation that helps cockroaches thrive is a female cockroach can mate only once and produce baby cockroaches for the rest of her life! A cockroach egg sac holds thirty to fifty baby cockroaches. As soon as the baby cockroaches have a chance to roam, the little nymphs start to search for food. These smaller, younger cockroaches scatter around, search for food to bring back to the nest. Often, that is why customers only spot baby cockroaches; the full-grown adults remain hidden within their walls.

Super Sensors

Cerci appendages, or cercus, are two sensors on the cockroach’s backside that help warn when predators are nearby by detecting the most minute vibrations. Then, they run away quickly, at about three miles per hour, to a tight crease that is dark and unseen. Powderpost beetles, which is a wood-destroying pest, look similar but do not have the cerci appendage.

Baby German Cockroaches

The German cockroach has two darker stripes on the sides of the top of the head. You will see similar stripes continuing down the sides of the bodies of baby German cockroaches. Baby German cockroaches’ bodies are even darker to the point where the stripes are hardly visible. They become lighter in color as they age and molt, from a dark brown to a more golden brown or tan.

Baby American Cockroaches

The American cockroach has two circles on top of its head that look like the number eight. It takes almost two years and a least 14 molts (sheds) to fully grow. In the meantime, baby American cockroaches look like their adult selves, only smaller and wingless.

Baby Brown-Banded Cockroaches

The adult brown-banded cockroach is about the size of a penny. They are dark brown with two thin cream-colored bands around their bodies. In their adulthood, their wings also have the two bands going across. Baby brown-banded cockroaches have not yet grown their wings, but they still have the distinctive bands. In fact, as nymphs, the light-colored bands are more pronounced and broader in proportion to their bodies. The American cockroach has two circles on top of its head that look like the number eight. It takes almost two years and a least 14 molts (sheds) to fully grow. In the meantime, baby American cockroaches look like their adult selves, only smaller and wingless.

Baby Oriental Cockroaches

The baby Oriental cockroaches are bigger than the other baby roaches.  They are copper-colored and have shiny bodies, and can be up to a penny’s size. They appear to be very broad from the top view, but you can see that they are a flat bug from the side. In adulthood, they are bulkier, larger, and about the size of a quarter.  When they reach full maturity, they are dark brown, nearly black, and have appearances similar to a beetle.  Often, we find these pests around water spots: dishwashers, refrigerators, bathtubs, sinks, and toilets.

The Biggest Problem With Seeing Baby Cockroaches

Cockroaches are immune to the most common illnesses.  However, they carry diseases and contaminate your living area.  These diseases are the most significant concern during an infestation. The bacteria that cockroaches have will contaminate your food and make you or someone unwell in your household.  At A-1 we conduct pest control seriously and eliminate your pest problem before getting sick from the diseases they carry.

Salmonella

Salmonella is mostly associated with low-quality food, but cockroaches pick up Salmonella from pipes, toilets, and drains. Baby cockroaches walk on everything when they explore your living space in search of food. Suppose a baby roach that was just-recently exploring your bathroom scurries across one of your dinner plates before a meal.  Unfortunately, that is an ideal scenario to contract Salmonella.

Children under 5 are more likely to show symptoms and need medical treatment for antibiotics to kill the bacterial infection.

Staphylococcus

Staphylococcus or staph infection is a bacteria that is not harmful unless ingested. So similarly to the way cockroaches transmit Salmonella, they spread bacteria to food and dishware, and that is how it becomes unintentionally ingested.

It is best to wash down the kitchen if you see baby cockroaches, cleaning every little crumb that may lure a cockroach into your cabinets and counters.

Staph infection symptoms can be mild to severe, including sores on skins, organs such as the liver and lungs, severe stomach issues, and, in extreme cases, even death. Seek medical attention after you have exposure to harmful staphylococcus toxins.

Streptococcus

Streptococcus is another bacterial infection that is carried by cockroaches.  Because many people come down with Strep throat every year, it is sometimes hard to tell if you are sick from a “bug” in your house or bugs in your house. Often, Strep cases are dismissed as seasonal illnesses, but the source could be a cockroach infestation.

Usually, people go to the doctor, and a throat culture test provides negative or positive results. Luckily, Strep is generally manageable by a doctor with prescription antibiotics.

Controlling A Cockroach Infestation

First, keep cockroaches away from the kitchen!! A little extra upkeep and tidying go a long way.  8 out of 10 infestations start in the kitchen and spread throughout the house, and cockroach control is essential once a breakout occurs. Your kitchen has the most food for you and the roaches, so that where you should start. Make sure to seal all food and not to leave a single crumb behind.

The certified pesticide technicians from A-1 Bonded Termite, Inc., will conduct localized pest treatments on all of the hotspots throughout your Anaheim area home or business. Our spray treatment will make adult and baby cockroaches scurry from their spot. After being flushed out of hiding spots, the cockroaches will either die or be walking around slowly and disoriented. If you find one walking around after we leave, spray the cockroaches with cleaning spray and pick it up with a paper towel to prevent its germs from spreading.  After about a month, there should be no traces left, but we will inspect areas to ensure extreme infestations have not migrated to new locations and give you an “all clear."

Prevention Treatments

We recommend ongoing treatment to prevent the infestation from migrating within your home and to prevent future pest infestations. If your home is susceptible to pest problems, consider ongoing inspections and treatments from A-1.  Our treatments on the perimeter of your property will continually keep cockroaches and other pests away from the interior of your home.