German Cockroaches in Memphis TN Metro Area
The German cockroach is distributed worldwide and is the most prevalent species in and around homes, apartments, supermarkets, food processing plants, and restaurants. Ships, especially cruise ships and naval vessels can also be heavily infested. These roaches prefer warm humid environments and infestations are frequently found in residential and commercial kitchen environments, and bathrooms. When infestations are large, they can spread to other parts of a building. This species reproduces the fastest of the common pest cockroaches—a single female and her offspring can produce over 30,000 offspring in a year.
German Cockroach Habitat
German cockroaches are usually discovered mainly in kitchens, bathrooms, or other places with constant water access. If cleanliness is not maintained, German cockroaches can spread throughout the entire building, seeking areas with enough food, water, and shelter. They prefer hiding in wood, paper, and electrical devices. You may also find them concealed in cabinets, drawers, beneath sinks, and inside heat-emitting appliances such as dishwashers, microwaves, and coffee makers.
German Cockroach Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers
While German cockroaches do not typically bite humans, roaches that scavenge for food can carry and spread diseases by leaving germs or bacteria in the places they inhabit. The presence of German cockroaches can also lead to allergic reactions as they leave feces and shed skin around the house, which can result in skin rashes, watery eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion, and even asthma. Apart from spreading diseases, infestations of German cockroaches can cause psychological distress to humans. Due to the social stigma associated with having cockroaches in one’s home, homeowners often change their behavior by hosting fewer gatherings and avoiding kitchen and bathroom areas at night out of fear of encountering these pests.
German cockroaches can multiply rapidly, which means that a cockroach infestation should be addressed immediately by a professional cockroach exterminator.
