On the trail of the cockroach

A nasty little story that your exterminator will never tell you because he just doesn’t know or is afraid to tell it.

Cockroaches have been around for millions of years (or, if you don’t accept the theory of evolution, around 6,000 years). Either way, they are here and that is a fact.

There are many different species of cockroaches and they are found almost everywhere. Some species of cockroaches live outdoors in forests and fields and don’t usually end up inside our homes … but others really like our homes and I want you to think about those right now.

Funny how we deny cockroaches so much. It’s true. In Florida, for example, they are called “Palmetto Bugs.” That sounds a lot nicer and cleaner than a cockroach, doesn’t it? How many times have I heard someone say, “I saw one of those big ugly brown bugs … you know … the kind that flies … the … well, you know, like those Palmetto Bugs, the ones from Florida “.

“That would be a smoky brown cockroach, Mrs. Smith. Periplaneta sooty.”

“Oh no … it wasn’t a cockroach … it was one of those big brown ones … you know … like the ……..”

“Face it, Mrs. Smith … it’s a cockroach. Deal with it!”

The fact is … Roaches are in EVERY home! That’s how it is. Roaches are in EVERY home. Maybe not all the time, and certainly some houses have more than others, but if you live in a house in the Southeastern United States, YOU HAVE COCKROACHES IN YOUR HOUSE FROM TIME TO TIME! You may not see them, but they are there anyway, hidden in cracks and crevices, in the attic, in the basement or basement, in the garage or on the screened porch, in the holes in the walls, in gutters, behind the fireplace, under the dishwasher, in the pantry, or in one or more of a hundred other places. Yes … you have roaches whether you like it or not. Don’t worry … I’m not telling your neighbors. (They have them too, you know!).

FACT: Roaches need food and water, so when they enter, they are more likely to end up in the kitchen than in any other room in the house.

FACT: Cockroaches enter homes through cracks and crevices in most cases, although the German cockroach … the one that is a major problem in restaurants and grocery stores, is usually brought into your home from another place. They don’t live in the forest … only in places where people live.

FACT: Roaches, like the very large smoky brown roach, or “Palmetto bug,” live in the woods and the mulch and ivy that grows around your home. (By the way, you won’t like hearing this, but that beautiful ivy growing all over the side of your house is a virtual COCKROACH FACTORY!). They enter homes through gaps around door sills, window sills, pipes, vents, crevices, grates, and eaves. The ONLY WAY TO KEEP THEM OUT is by weather stripping, caulking, and sealing all areas where they can get in!

“Why my house?”

Good question. You have the lights on at night and that attracts a lot of insects to the windows and doors. Try leaving the porch light on at night and go outside and see how many bugs you count. Pretty impressive. Actually, there is light coming from under the door from inside and that light also attracts them. And then they feel the warm temperature of the air coming out from under the door and that also attracts them. Bam … they’re inside!

MYTH: If you see one cockroach, you have ten. If you see ten, you have a hundred. No. It could be just one.

So … you understand why you have roaches in your house from time to time … right?

Now let’s take a look at what happens when that cockroach enters your home and how it survives. Let’s follow him … to the kitchen!

The typical smoky brown roach (the really big, ugly, dark brown ones that we like to call palmetto bugs) likes the kitchen because there’s so much food and water in there.

“But I store my food in containers and keep the floors and countertops clean. I am a clean person. My kitchen is clean. No cockroach would find food there. I am a clean person and a tidy housekeeper. Please… .me you’re insulting and I don’t like it one bit! “

OK Calm down … Let me put it this way. In fact, it would probably be better for me to put it in list form for you, but I like to tell stories, so here’s one. After reading it, tell me if a cockroach could survive in YOUR kitchen!

There’s a big, nasty-looking cockroach. We’ll just call it “Smokey”. You have entered your house through the hole under the patio door. You have decided to install yourself under your dishwasher because it is hot from the heat generated by the motor when it is running and there is moisture from condensation. Dark, wet, warm … ah, the good life. What a great place to spend a vacation if you are a roach!

The first night, Smokey decides to visit all the restaurants … you know … find out all the good places to eat so he doesn’t have to waste a lot of time each night going from one place to another. He wants to be able to focus on more important things, like finding that cute female he ran into a couple of nights ago by the gas grill.

Smokey loves the nightlife, so as soon as all the lights go out and you go to bed and everything is quiet, he’s off to the races!

By the way … did you know that more than 42 types of bacteria have been identified on cockroach legs, including germs that cause serious diseases like Salmonellosis, Gastroenteritis, Dysentery, and Poliomyelitis? Airborne pollutants from your feces (poop) can also trigger respiratory symptoms, including asthma attacks in sensitive people. Certainly not all types in all roaches, but enough to honestly say that wherever a roach travels it leaves a trail of bacteria with every step. The types of bacteria vary depending on where the roach has recently walked. It also picks up new bacteria and carries them from one place to another on the soles of your feet, just like you and I track mud into the house. He walks on cat and dog poop because he loves the little snacks he finds there. It lives under the dishwasher or around the pipes under the kitchen sink or refrigerator, and years of slag and food scraps and mold and grime have accumulated there and it’s a seething mass of bacteria and germs and who knows what other kinds. of pollution ….. and all that garbage is everywhere at Smokey’s feet and he tracks it wherever he goes! Are you with me so far?

As he sleeps at night, Smokey is on the go. He is hungry and therefore visits the buffet that he has unknowingly provided.

First, it stops at the toaster. It crawls into the toaster and licks the crumbs off the wire rack and the basket that holds the bread when you make toast! However, it doesn’t take long before you get tired of the toast. It’s crawled all over the toaster and everything tastes the same, so keep going. (Did I mention the bacteria on your feet?)

Then he goes to the can opener on the countertop. Oh yeah … here’s a true assortment of exotic foods, all mixed together in a dirt shape on the little round blade that cuts through the can and goes around the rim as it spins. Every time you open another can, it not only collects more food from that can, but it deposits dirt and bacteria that are already present in the can you just opened. Sure … I know you wash it, but you can’t get into all those hard-to-reach places … not like Smokey! No sir. Smokey can lick the gunk off the can opener wheel when you didn’t even know he had gunk in it. In fact, it crawls all over the can opener until it has licked every last bite. Oh, it doesn’t matter if you take one of those little hand-operated can openers and leave it in the drawer, because that’s your next stop!

The kitchen drawers do not have a lid. They are simply a tray that slides on a rail back into the cabinet. All Smokey (or a mouse or a rat) has to do is crawl across the top and get into the drawer. Now you might ask … why would a nasty big cockroach want to stop in the drawer where I keep my cutlery and kitchen utensils? The answer is really very simple. Those things are not as clean as you think. No. There is food residue on your spoons, forks, knives, and other utensils that you don’t even know about. Not all of them, but some of them … and Smokey knows it’s there. You see, he has a very sensitive nose. It can detect things that you and I cannot. I guess that’s one of the reasons it’s been around for so long. Anyway, it crawls all over everything in the drawer and even if it can’t find anything good to lick on, it has followed its nasty feet all over the spoon that you’ll be using tomorrow morning to eat cereal or stir your coffee!

Oh … I think I forgot to mention … Smokey does “poop” too. Wherever it goes, it “goes” … if you know what I mean. And now you’ve screwed up everything in your toaster, your entire can opener, and everything inside your silverware drawer.

Of course, you will eventually visit the cabinet where you keep the pots and pans and cookie sheets, and bowls and plates and cups and glasses, and before the night is over, you may end up just taking a break from your wanderings and getting some rest. on top of a can of chicken noodle soup or taking a little nap on the surface of your everyday dishes.

Finally, the long night comes to an end and on his way back to his hiding place under the dishwasher, a tired Smokey makes one last stop to crawl all over your apples, bananas, or whatever else you might have worthwhile. two.

One thing is for sure … Smokey is not a picky eater. (Although you quite like the cheese residue on your toddler’s pacifier) ​​But then again, that thing never stays out overnight, does it?

Oh … I almost forgot to mention your gas grill on the patio or deck. Smokey loves grease and leftover food all over the cooking surface of his grill. He and all his friends like to hide at the bottom of the grill and at night when you’re not grilling they come and spend the night partying and feasting all over the exact spot where you just slapped that big sirloin. Last weekend. If you have one of those vinyl covers on your grill, that’s even better. In fact, many times I have pulled up one of those blankets and seen dozens of roaches running in all directions. When those people invite me to a cookout, I always make sure to bring a casserole for myself!

So … next time you see a “Palmetto Bug” on the porch or patio, or find one on the kitchen floor and don’t think it’s something to worry about, remember this … they always end up in the kitchen. . No. Sometimes they end up in the bathroom. After all … they love the taste of toothpaste residue on their toothbrush and around the edges of the toothpaste tube cap!

And that’s a fact

PS: If Smokey turns out to be “Smolina”, he can produce up to 300 pups in the next 6 months to a year … all in his kitchen. Think about it!