\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Cockroaches are between one and two inches long, with wings that do not function. The female produces the ootheca 3 days after mating and carries it for about 20 days. Unfortunately, so do cockroaches, mosquitoes, and termites. In a study done with German Cockroaches, corn mint oil was found to be highly effective at repelling roaches. If youre a business owner, its wise to have a professional pest control company inspect and treat your property regularly to keep roaches out and bring customers in. Anything with sugar including chocolate, cookies, and fruits is a major attractant for cockroaches. Predator: Beneficial Nematodes. Thanks for the informative article. So, your best bet here is to use some diluted garlic oil while cleaning around the house or you can simply soak some rags in a diluted garlic oil mixture around the house in closed off areas where you want to prevent cockroaches from coming in. The cockroach is a winged insect, yet some species are not able to fly that much, the may prefer hoping to fly. Check the areas where your plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom meets the wall. They like greasy foods (like french fries and things covered in butter and bacon grease), starches (like breads and cereal), meat products, and sweets. Fleas. You're going to find them around anything that puts out heat, like dishwashers, ovens, grease traps in ovens, behind mixers in the engines of refrigerators, etc. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Because of this, dead roaches have the potential to attract more cockroaches simply by the decaying smell. Print or Follow on Your Phone. The Oriental and German cockroach will not only eat their dead (anytime), but when food is scarce eat their eggs and young. They can also pursue food sources (like the remains from other insects) that exist in compromised foam. If there is even a tiny bit of space, a roach can fit through it. If the cockroach has 2 dark stripes that run from its head to its wings, it's likely a German cockroach. For more advice, read. You can take advantage of this fact by using scents they dislike such as thyme, citrus, basil, mint, and citronella to repel them from your home. If you have a cockroach problem, you should clean up any that youve spilled. Chips, cereal, sugar and other pantry items are like a steak dinner to a bunch of roaches. Its FREE!. levelthat means focusing on the floor. Unsealed leftovers are a treasure trove for roaches, as are dirty dishes. The W.H.O. More on that later! Andrew writes for, and along with his daughter, publishes Cockroach Facts. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/fascinating-facts-about-cockroaches1968524. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Weve all read the warning labels on such products and seen the giant exclamation mark that grabs our attention. The smell lingers and can affect the taste of food. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If cockroaches have nothing else to eat, they will consume hair (including eyelashes). Male cockroaches usually have two pairs of wings, whereas females, in some species, are wingless or have vestigial wings. They cant get into sealed glass food containers or sealed plastic food containers with thick walls .