When you find dead roaches in the home, you should never touch them with your bare hands. If possible, vacuum up the dead insects. Make sure to remember to empty your vacuum cleaner after collecting the bugs.
To pick up a cockroach without touching it, avoid direct contact. Wear gloves or use paper towels, alcohol wipes, or a broom and a dustpan. The insect is a health hazard to you and your family, even when dead. Safely dispose of the carcass in the trash and remove it from your home.
Seeing dead cockroaches can mean two things. Either there is a heavy infestation, or the infestation is dying out. Since roaches come out at night, not all make it back to their nest alive. Therefore, you are most likely to find lifeless roaches around your house in the morning.
If you are thinking about getting rid of cockroaches by flushing them down the toilet, think again. Cockroaches are dangerous to have around. These filthy creatures are directly linked to stomach illness, asthma and various diseases.
Cockroaches are attracted to the food and shelter that comes with filth. Cleaning your home is the easiest way to keep roaches at bay. You need to be incredibly thorough in this effort—unfortunately, roaches can survive for 2 weeks without water and 3 months without food.
Ingested bacteria can survive in the cockroach's digestive system, sometimes for months or even years, and are passed in its droppings. Cockroaches will vomit and defaecate on food and it is thought that disease may be transmitted to humans when humans eat food contaminated by cockroaches.
In the cockroach, the brain doesn't coordinate everything. Instead, each pair of legs is controlled by its own bundle of nerves. So, a headless cockroach can still move around and try to right itself.
Inside their bodies, cockroaches contain a white substance known as fat bodies. Similar to fat stores in humans, fat bodies allow cockroaches to store energy after nutrients have been broken down.
The different body parts, waste, and saliva of cockroaches are allergens for certain individuals. Even dead cockroaches can still cause some allergic reactions. Therefore, it is not advisable to step on a cockroach, as its crushed body parts can trigger some allergies.
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.
Australian cockroaches can carry Salmonella and other germs. You certainly do not want these insects to love your cooking and to colonize your home. They can also damage plants when cool temperatures force them into a confined space such as a nursery.
Cockroaches usually play dead when exposed to life-threatening situations, such as insecticides. You may be wondering: “How long do roaches play dead?” They can act dead for a week if they have sufficient food and water supply. Note: If you have sprayed the insecticide directly on the roach, it won't survive that long.
Cockroaches most often live in dark, moist environments that are optimal for mold growth. Lastly, when cockroaches die, they give off a “death stench.” Decaying bodies and shed skins from molting will release oleic acid, which also has a powerful smell.
When a cockroach's nervous system has been compromised by an insecticide, it can result in the insect flipping over onto its back. Because the roach is not healthy and is experiencing muscle spasms, it is less likely to be able to return to an upright position.
The real cause of a cockroach's white appearance is that when roaches molt, they don't only shed their outer shell, they also lose most of the pigmentation in their bodies, which must then be replaced. This is a chemical reaction that occurs within the body, usually taking a few hours to fully restore pigmentation.
Cockroach eggs look like small tan, brown or black capsules shaped something like a pill or a purse. German and American cockroach eggs are approximately 1/3-inch (8 mm) long, while those of the Oriental and SmokyBrown cockroaches are slightly longer, reaching lengths of almost ½ inch (12 mm).
Cockroach Bites
They have been recorded to eat human flesh of both the living and the dead, although they are more likely to take a bite of fingernails, eyelashes, feet and hands. The bites may cause irritation, lesions and swelling. Some have suffered from minor wound infections.
Remember, the longer you leave the dead pests in your home, the greater the chance other live cockroaches will come calling. The only way to get rid of dead roaches is to stop the infestation in its tracks.
How Long Do Roaches Live; Or, WHEN DO THEY DIE? The average lifespan of a cockroach is about 1.5 years. But their lifespan depends heavily on food and water availability, climate and habitat. Some roaches freeze.
When the cockroaches or other pests are sprayed with cockroach spray, they absorb it through the skin. As soon as the chemicals strike their bodies, a knockdown effect is felt by these red insects, preventing nerves to transmit signals or messages. This leads to paralysis and death.
It might be difficult to believe, but the cockroach might be the “cleanest” species of insect.
It's a fact that cockroaches are afraid of humans and other mammals or animals that are bigger than them. They see us as predators and that fear triggers their instinct to scatter away. However, they dislike strong and distinctive scents such as citrus, peppermint, lavender and vinegar.
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.