Hunting Cockroaches

Cockroaches have been scurrying around in the shadows for over 300 million years. Perhaps that’s why they are so hard to exterminate. Mastering the art of catching a cockroach is not difficult. Possessing a single point of light placed in front of it is all it takes to grab its attention and lead it straight to you.

Hunting Cockroaches

I can remember hunting for insects at age 4. Turning over rocks and debris allowed me to peek into their hidden world. Over time, I could predict which logs and debris would yield the greatest discoveries.

The excitement of that little boy never left me. When I enter an account to hunt for cockroaches, my mind takes me back to my childhood and how exciting this is. With more than 60 years of hunting Blattella germanica under my belt, my knees may bend a little less and I bounce back up a little slower, but the thrill of the hunt thrives within me. Let me share with you how to be a better cockroach hunter. Here are my lucky dozen best techniques.

1. Out of reach … out of mind … out of control. The places hardest to reach harbor cockroaches, and for good reason. It is a safe haven for them. This means you have to work at reaching these areas and move boxes; climb ladders; and open wall voids, electrical plates and cardboard boxes. It is like turning the log to see what is under or in it.

2. Wave your hands, put your nose closer to suspect areas. Cockroach fecal material and their secretions have a distinct odor. Seeking it out is similar to a deer or bear smelling to alert for predators.

3. Look for lines and edges. Cockroaches use them to walk along. See where the lines reach a corner, particularly on ceilings. It could be the corner of a room or where center columns reach a suspended ceiling in a restaurant.

4. Lift suspect tables and drop them with a bang. Some cockroaches pocketed underneath tables may drop out.

5. Look for wooden items over stainless steel and smooth plastic. Cockroaches do better smearing their fecal material on these locations because they offer a better environment in which to harbor. Check soda cartons, a knife-holding wood block and wooden shelves.

6. Ask the persons living or working in the facility, “Where do you see cockroaches?” When they answer “all over,” ask them where they saw most of them and where the last ones they saw were. It helps pinpoint what you need to know. In a restaurant, ask the first person who arrives in the morning and turns on the lights. If cockroaches are present, he or she will know it.

7. Leave the light off when you enter a darkened basement or room. Scan the area with a flashlight. If you see any cockroaches, remember where. Now, turn the lights on and let the cockroaches scatter. They will retreat to their hidden harborages. They just let you know where to look; this is called working smarter, not harder.

8. Search for warmer areas. Heat from motors, ovens and stoves attract cockroaches to harbor nearby, especially if rooms are air-conditioned.

9. In suspect areas, use a small tack bar. Slightly lift or pull items away from walls. Cockroaches may be behind loose baseboards, for example.

10. In dry areas, look into floor drains, near dripping pipes and faucets. The more difficult it is to reach these areas, the greater the chance you will hit pay dirt.

11. Keep a record of where you first see any cockroaches. History can repeat itself, even years later.

12. Use sticky traps. Hide them in different vulnerable zones. When you do find cockroaches — even one — let the adrenaline flow and start an intensive search in that area. They are somewhere close by.

Hunting Cockroaches

The Cockroach is one of the most unique, and most dangerous, animals in the world. While it’s true that cockroaches can be found on every continent, they are most commonly found in tropical areas. They have been known to live for up to two weeks without food.

Cockroaches are omnivorous, meaning that they eat both plants and meat. Their favorite foods include cheese and bread. Cockroaches also enjoy fruits, nuts and seeds.

The female cockroach carries her egg case for about five months before she gives birth to 30-40 babies at a time! These baby cockroaches are called nymphs or nymphs if they are still in their egg cases (nymphs).

Cockroaches have been around since the age of dinosaurs! In fact, there are fossils of cockroaches dating back 250 million years ago!

List Of Hunting Cockroaches