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.
A failed attempt at trying to kill a cockroach gives it the opportunity to get away. "If you don't manage to kill or seriously harm it, the cockroach will quickly escape," she warns. And to see if you have this subtle sign of bed bugs, check out If You Smell This in Your Bedroom, You Might Have Bed Bugs.
Their thick exterior provides a high level of protection—hence why you aren't usually able to kill a cockroach just by stepping on it once. Cockroaches are masters when it comes to hiding, too.
Cockroaches have extremely strong and flexible exoskeletons, which make them almost impossible to squish, withstand the hardest stomp or the toughest newspaper. They can also flatten themselves to fit into tight spaces and crevices, making for an easy getaway.
You don't have to call an exterminator immediately, but take proactive steps to diagnose the scale of the issue: search for possible hiding areas and look for any signs of infestation (roach droppings, eggs, skin casks). Once you see 2 roaches, you have an infestation—contact an exterminator as soon as possible.
If you start to spot the signs of roaches in your home or even notice them crawling around at night, it's best to contact your local roach exterminators. Even one roach is often a sign there are many more established in your home.
Cockroaches are omnivores that eat plants and meat. 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.
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.
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.
While roaches don't bite, these pests often inspire feelings of fear and disgust. In addition, inhaling skin and waste products from these creatures in an infested home can cause an allergic reaction or trigger asthma symptoms. To make matters worse, as nocturnal insects, roaches are most active at night.
Cockroaches emerge from their indoor hiding spots at night to seek out food, and while doing so, they sometimes crawl over sleeping humans.
You may love the smell of fresh citrus, but cockroaches hate the scent. That means you can use citrus scented cleaners in your kitchen and bathroom to chase any lingering roaches away. You can also keep a few citrus peels around your home in strategic places.
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.
Cockroaches might fly towards you in an attempt to intimidate you, or to protect themselves. Although cockroaches are little creatures, they will occasionally try to scare you away in order to protect themselves or their nest.
“The standard treatment process for any phobia is exposure therapy,” she said. “You start small by simply talking about cockroaches. Then, you progress to looking at photos, then to seeing dead cockroaches in containers, maybe seeing pinned cockroaches in a museum, and eventually, looking at the real thing.”
Cockroach lifespan
Each species of cockroach has their own estimated lifespan but on average, cockroaches live for about one year. Factors such as food supply, habitat and climate affect lifespan. American cockroaches can live for about one year while German cockroaches are estimated to live for about 100 days.
Cockroaches do not avoid light because it harms them. In fact, it's only because they are unable to hide or evade predators when they are in open sight. For this reason, they will not dare to venture out when the light has been turned on in your home.
Roaches are most active at night, during which time they forage for food and mate. Outdoor cockroaches in the northern United States enter a period of hibernation in winter, experiencing a suspended state of development in autumn. When spring arrives, they resume their activity.
Most of the time, roaches will not disturb you while you're sleeping. Humans are dangerous to cockroaches because, of course, most people will kill them if they get the chance, so roaches usually don't like to get close to us. But, they can and sometimes will bother sleeping people.
Based on the physiology of their mouthparts, cockroach bites may appear as red, raised bumps on the skin—similar to bed bug bites or mosquito bites but slightly larger. They have two small mandibles that operate like a sideways version of a mammal's mouth.
And it's not just artificial light that cockroaches dislike. They're not fond of natural light either. Because of this, you're unlikely to see them during the daytime. If you do notice one during the day, it may be because the roach got crowded out of its home or was forced out of hiding due to a lack of food.
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).