If this isn't bad enough, cockroaches can get into your home stuck on the bottom of your running shoes. Yes, you heard that right. If you squish an impregnated female cockroach, the eggs that get stuck to your sneaker tread are more than capable of hatching without the assistance of their mother.
The American cockroach lays egg cases near food sources and will sometimes adhere them to a surface using saliva.
Cockroaches and their eggs can come into your home in a number of ways, including through cracks, crevices, vents, and pipes and even on things like grocery bags, purses, boxes, and the bottom of shoes.
The short answer is yes. Cockroaches can lay eggs in clothes. Cockroaches prefer nesting in areas that are more likely to absorb their strong odor — places where you store paper, cardboard or wood. Thus, if you store your clothes in a wooden dresser, cockroaches will be more likely to lay eggs in your clothes.
If you squish roaches or use an appropriate insecticide, it will kill they eggs in the egg sac, and prevent the eggs from being laid. That being said, if you simply squish the mother, but don't squish the egg sac, then the eggs can still hatch!
The World Health Organization also advises against crushing them, for reasons of hygiene. According to the body, which classes cockroaches as “unhygienic scavengers in human settlements”, squashing them can spread bacteria into the environment that can lead to asthma, allergies and illnesses.
Hence, stepping on and crushing a cockroach using your foot is not a good idea, as it can cause its bacteria-carrying gut juices to splash around your floor. Aside from carrying bacteria and viruses, cockroaches also contain a protein that serves as an allergen for numerous people.
Roaches lay their eggs in any safe place that is damp or hidden. They like to be close to food while still being far enough away from human reach. American roach eggs: Female American cockroaches glue their oothecae to hard surfaces, like your cupboards, or cardboard near a food source.
They Can Ruin Clothes
According to entomologists, these creatures are also attracted to stains and sweat. Your dirty clothes in the hamper is a common attractant to cockroaches.
Contrary to what some may believe, cockroach egg cases can be seen with the naked eye. The egg cases are usually reddish-brown to dark-brown in colour and range from 5 to 13 mm long depending on the type of cockroach.
Roaches can't survive heat over 125° so washing the clothes in very hot, soapy water on a full cycle (not energy saving setting) kills the roaches. Following up with a minimum drying time on a high-temperature setting for at least 30 minutes is extra insurance the roaches won't survive.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
But if they laid eggs somewhere in your shoe, they could restart the whole infestation. This is what people usually find out when they have to move out. Unfortunately, you can't afford to hold onto belongings that might be infested.
The Australian cockroaches (Periplaneta australasiae) are quite similar to American cockroaches - except their body is smaller and darker. Their eggs are about 9 mm in length and are reddish-brown in colour. A female Australian cockroach can produce about 22 - 24 eggs in a single ootheca during her lifetime.
With around 12 young in every egg case, a female and her offspring can produce 800 additional cockroaches in just a single year.
By keeping a clean dwelling, you'll give roaches less of a reason to intrude upon your happy home. There is more to keeping roaches at bay than just having spotless floors, however. Let's look at potential trouble spots that you may have overlooked during your most recent cleaning spree or inspection.
Cockroaches are attracted to your home by the smell of food. They are most attracted to starch, sugar, grease, meat, and cheese. Rotting fruits and vegetables can also give off a very pungent smell that will definitely attract these pests.
Pine-Sol and Fabuloso are strong, all-purpose household cleaners. Similar to bleach, these products kill roaches on contact. Some homeowners suggest spraying Pine-Sol around the outside of your house to keep cockroaches away.
Again, it's uncommon for roaches to be found on mattresses, but it's not uncommon for them to hide in your bed frame and bedside furniture. When you remove your mattress and dismantle your bed to move, check for signs of cockroaches and remove or sanitize items as necessary.
Inside furniture – When the infestation is big enough, some cockroaches will eventually infiltrate furniture, sliding in-between cushions and under pillows.
Cockroaches are attracted to food and water sources. Dirty dishes, crumbs, food spills, leftovers, garbage, and pet food will all draw cockroaches in. Roaches are excellent at scuttling into and over tiny spaces, especially holes in pipes, cracks and crevices in your home, and tears in screens.
Does Killing a Cockroach Attract More? Yes, killing a cockroach can attract more to the area! There is an acid released by cockroaches when they die that can be smelled from a distance and attracts more of them to the area.
Cockroaches do not transmit diseases directly to humans through bites like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. Instead, they can transmit diseases indirectly when humans consume contaminated food or touch contaminated surfaces.