What Are German Roaches?

Cockroaches are some of the toughest pests on planet earth. Even a nuclear explosion might not be enough to wipe these creatures. However, you can still hunt them down individually with your newspaper.

Unless, of course, you have an infestation on your property.
You can’t really handle an army of cockroaches running around your home, especially if they are German roaches.

The average American household or office can have different types of roaches, like American, Asian, and German. Out of the three, German cockroaches are the most common in homes worldwide, including the US.

Are you curious to find out more?

Then jump into our blog to know all about German cockroaches, how they look, and differ from American roaches. Along with that, we will also teach you to spot the signs of German roach infestation.

 

Identifying German roaches

What does a German cockroach look like?

You can identify a German roach using physical features, habitat preferences, and lifecycle habits. We will discuss each elaborately to give you a better idea of what you are dealing with.

Physical appearance

German cockroaches are generally light brown or tan. They have distinct black parallel lines that run behind their heads up to the wings. Some of them can also be dark brown.

The German cockroach’s size is not very big. They usually range between 13mm and 16mm or ½ and 5/8 inches.

Male German cockroaches are slimmer and slender compared to females. They also have a tapered end. On the contrary, females have a wider body and a round posterior.

Habitat

German roaches are common around the world where humans live. However, they cannot live in cold temperatures or without the presence of humans.

Additionally, they prefer the hospitable environment of homes and restaurants rather than the outdoors. They are also more common where food is available like kitchen, living rooms, or your bedroom.

German roaches can also travel from infested sites in bags, appliances, and luggage to your home.

Lifecycle

The German cockroach life cycle consists of three primary stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
The lifecycle is of around 100 days, although factors like temperature or food can alter it. A German cockroach can also produce thousands of offspring every year.

 

German cockroach vs. American cockroach

How can you tell between a German and an American cockroach?

American cockroaches are the second most common roaches in the US. They can grow to become big and reach 4cm or even 2 inches. In comparison, German roaches measure less than an inch.

American roaches also have reddish or dark-brown bodies and a pale yellow thorax. German cockroaches, on the other hand, are primarily light brown.

Additionally, American roaches are generally found outside or in moist areas of homes like basements or bathrooms. On the contrary, German varieties mostly live inside homes closer to food sources.

Moreover, German roaches don’t fly, while American ones can.

 

What attracts German roaches?

German roaches like to live comfortably. Several things in your home can invite these cockroaches and provide refuge, like:

• Food
• Warmth
• Water
• Garbage

Food

German cockroaches eat almost anything under the sun, from pizza crumbs to your toothpaste. They can also devour pet food, book bindings, gum, and soap. As a result, almost any home can attract these pests.

Warmth

German roaches cannot live in cold temperatures. They are also missing in houses without central heating in northern regions.

So, a warm and cozy home is a nice incentive for them.

Water

We all need water to survive and so do cockroaches. Hence, water can also attract German cockroaches.

Garbage

German cockroaches also eat garbage. Therefore, your garbage bins can also invite them in.

 

 

Signs of infestation

Addressing an infestation is crucial as German roaches can put your health and wellbeing at risk. They can:

• Contaminate food with droppings and defensive secretions
• Bring on allergic responses
• Contaminate your utensils, toothbrush, and drinkware
• Invite many sicknesses like food poisoning and dysentery
• Cause physiological discomfort
• Bite and eat food from human skin like around the mouth

As a result, you should always stay proactive to identify and deal with a cockroach infestation.

How to know if you have German roaches?

A range of signs can help you determine if you have a German cockroach infestation in your home. Keep an eye for the following signs that indicate cockroaches have taken over your house:

Odor

A large number of cockroaches can create an unpleasant odor. In the case of German cockroaches, you can smell a “musty” or stale smell when too many of them end up inside your house.

Droppings

Droppings are a sure sign of cockroach infestation. German roaches have droppings that look like tiny dots or pepper. You can also find dark spots left by fecal staining around your house.

However, the most common areas include your kitchen shelves, door tops, room corners, and around cracks in walls or floors.

Active at daytime

German roaches are generally nocturnal insects. So, if you spot one or two of them scouting around during the day, you have enough reasons to get suspicious.

Empty eggs

German cockroaches can leave a lot of eggshells around your house. So, try to spot eggs or empty shells to find out if you have an infestation.

You may also sometimes find them safely deposited in corners or hard-to-reach places.

Shed skin

Cockroaches shed skin as they grow up from the nymph stage. So, look out for shed skins around the house, among other signs.

 

Final thoughts

German roaches are the most common unwanted guests in your house. You can easily spot them by their light brown color and parallel stripes. Contact a professional pest control service if you think you have an infestation for quick and sure extermination. You can also contact us for a free quote or a fool-proof pest control job.

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Centipede vs. Millipede: Are Both Dangerous?

Centipedes and millipedes look alike and are common home pests all around the world. They are also found in Coachella Valley and can be crawling under your carpet right now!
However, you have nothing to worry about as these are not lethal. So, you can take a breath and read our centipede vs. millipede comparison to learn how to differentiate between the two. We will discuss their physical appearance and how you can recognize the unwanted guests in your house.

Additionally, we will also tell you how to eliminate and keep them away from your home.

 

Centipede vs. millipede: noticeable differences

You can identify between a centipede and a millipede by their appearance, where they live, food they eat, and more. We will take up each factor in detail to better understand what to look for.

1. Physical appearance

What does a centipede look like?

A centipede looks like an earthworm but has a segmented body. It crawls very fast and may sport different patterns on its body segments. They have multiple legs that grow away from the body. Now, how many legs does a centipede have?

A centipede has a pair of legs on each body segment that can be between 15 to over 100. Therefore, a centipede’s legs can range between 30 and over 100. Hence the name ‘centipede’ meaning a hundred legs!

What does a millipede look like?

A millipede looks like a centipede and also has a segmented body. However, it has two pairs of legs on each body segment, whereas centipedes have only one pair. Additionally, the legs of millipedes point towards the ground instead of spreading out.

You can also distinguish between centipedes and millipedes by their behavior. Centipedes will crawl away when they sense human presence. Millipedes, on the other hand, will curl up and stay at the same place.

2. Size

Both centipedes and millipedes vary greatly in size. The smallest centipede can be 1 cm or 0.4 inches long, while the largest can reach up to 30 cm or 12 inches.
Giant centipedes can even hunt and eat small mammals.

On the other hand, Millipedes range between 0.20 cm or 0.08 inches and 27 cm or 11 inches.

3. Habitat

Centipedes and millipedes live on the land and are present everywhere except Antarctica. They can live in both dry and humid conditions, though centipedes prefer dry habitats more. You can also find centipedes in the desert.

Millipedes, on the contrary, like to stay in moist environments. They are common in forests, grasslands, and even your washroom. You can also find millipedes under the soil and deep in mountain caves.

4. Food source

Centipedes are carnivorous predators and live off small insects and pests. They use their claws to poison their prey and hunt them.

Millipedes eat rotting plant materials like leaves. They do not hunt or kill other insects.

Are house centipedes poisonous?

Are centipedes dangerous? Do they bite you? What about those that enter our houses?
You can give a rest to your worries as centipedes are not dangerous. However, they can still bite you, and larger ones may puncture your skin to release venom. But their poison is not lethal, and the bite feels like a wasp sting.

Therefore, you are better off not handling those creepy crawlies by yourself. Also, centipedes will crawl away quickly once they detect human presence. So, it’s rare to get bitten by a house centipede.

Are house millipedes poisonous?

Now comes the question, are millipedes poisonous?

You will be relieved to know house millipedes are neither dangerous nor poisonous. In addition, they do not bite humans or cause any discomfort. However, they do release small amounts of chemicals as a defense mechanism when irritated. The chemicals can contain poison, such as cyanide, although in very small quantities.

As a result, you have nothing to fear about millipedes. You can handle them safely, but ensure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward to remove any chemicals.

 

How to get rid of centipedes and millipedes

Here are a few ways you can use to drive away centipedes and millipedes from your home:

1. Kill the creepy crawlies

You can try a few methods if you want to kill centipedes or millipedes present in your house. Your local hardware store will have insecticides that exterminate them instantly. You can also try natural insect killers like boric acid, soapy water, and cayenne pepper.

2. Use your vacuum cleaner

You can simply use your vacuum cleaner to get rid of centipedes. Plus, it works well for hiding spots where you cannot easily reach. Look to vacuum out all the corners and crevices in your home, so you can suck these arthropods no matter where they are hiding.
Just ensure to dispose of your dust bag far away from home!

3. Use sticky traps

You can lay sticky traps around your house to catch millipedes and centipedes. They are also great for catching other pests that lurk around in your home.

 

How to prevent centipedes and millipedes

Try the following so that these pests never return to your home:

• Use a dehumidifier to keep your home dry
• Seal all cracks in walls and floors
• Clean all hiding places around your house
• Get rid of clutter where they can hide
• Eliminate other pests that attract centipedes

 

Final thoughts

We hope you now know how to differentiate between a centipede vs. millipede. You can also try the ways we highlighted to get rid of them. However, for serious infestations, seek help from a professional pest control agency. You can contact us for residential pest control to get a free estimate.

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Why Do I Have Centipedes at Home?

Have you ever come across elongated earthworm-like creatures that seem to walk on tiny, furry legs? If yes, then you have seen a centipede in your house.

Honestly, most people can deal with rodents like rats and mice in their houses. They can even deal with tiny insects like bed bugs or carpet bugs. However, centipedes look disgusting and frighten most people to their cores. So if you find one in your house, you probably want it gone right away. But before that, you should know why you have centipedes in your home.

Centipedes walk creepily on so many legs and have a habit of getting everywhere. You look at walls, and they’re crawling on them. You turn to your floors, and you see them there too. So, let’s tell you why you see all these house centipedes on your property.

 

What is a centipede?

Centipedes belong to the arthropod group known as Myriapoda. Most people think that these are regular insects, but they are quite different in reality. These creatures have segmented bodies, and each segment of their body has a pair of legs.

The word “centipede” literally means “a hundred legs.” However, in reality, these arthropods don’t have a hundred legs. Instead, most house centipedes can have anything between 15 - 150 pairs of legs, each pair attached to each segment of its body.

Most centipedes are usually an inch or two long, though their legs can make them appear longer. They are also nocturnal creatures, so you may not easily find them unless you are a night owl too.

There are different species of this arthropod, like the feather-tail, aquatic, and the giant red-headed centipede. The centipede we see in our homes is the house centipede.

 

 

What does a house centipede look like?

Here are some of the characteristic features these arthropods have.

Body

You can easily spot this creature by its distinctive body. House centipedes have long, earthworm-like bodies. The difference is that the bodies of centipedes have many segments, and each comes with a pair of legs. They can have anything between 15 and 150 pairs of legs, but usually, they have an odd number of pairs.

Color

Most house centipedes are brown or reddish-brown in color. However, they can be of other colors too. For example, some are yellowish and can have stripes on them, which are usually darker than the body’s color.

Size

Usually, they are about 1 or 1 ½ inches long, which is about 25-38 mm. However, the size also depends on the species. Some of them can also be about 152 mm long.

Physical features

The head of a house centipede is very distinctive. You’ll find a pair of long, hairy antennae on their heads. They also have claw-like structures and a tiny mouth. Centipedes’ claws have venomous glands, which they use on small vertebrates like worms to paralyze them. Some house centipedes have well-developed eyes on each side of their body. On the contrary, some don’t have any at all.

If you’re asking the question, “what does a house centipede look like,” these features should help you identify them quickly when you see one on your property. Are these poisonous? While they do carry venom in their claws to attack their prey, they usually don’t cause any harm to humans. Unless you are handling them very closely, they will also not bite you. And if they do, you will experience pain much like that of a bee sting. However, sensitive people might develop allergic reactions, for which they might have to visit the doctor. But you will not die from a centipede bite.

 

What causes centipedes in the house?

Are you wondering how to get rid of these? Well, before that, you have to know what causes centipedes in the house. Here are some reasons why you see these in your home.

1. There’s moisture everywhere

Centipedes need damp and humid areas to stay alive and active. If you see too many of them in your house, it means that your home is probably producing lots of moisture. Your basement, kitchen, and bathroom are the areas where you want to look for excess dampness. Make sure to keep your house dry to prevent infestation.

2. Food source

All living creatures need food to survive. One of the things that attract centipedes is the right food. Do you have a garden with flowers in them? These may attract smaller bugs and spiders, which in turn make an excellent diet for them. So, if you see centipedes around your house, you may be having other bug problems too.

3. Temperature variations

What do you do when you feel cold outside? You look for shelter within your home. Centipedes are pretty much the same. When they find the exterior of your house too cold to survive, they can creep inside and hide there to stay warm.

 

Where do you commonly find centipedes?

Let’s look at the places where you should begin searching for centipedes.

1. Your garden is where most tiny bugs come to feed, and centipedes feed on these bugs. So, the first place to start looking for centipedes in your garden.
2. House centipedes need moisture to survive. If your bathroom is a damp place, you will find them hiding there in the corners. They can easily climb up through the drain pipes and enter your bathrooms, leading to an infestation in your house.
3. Most basements are dark and damp. So, the basement of your house is another place where you can find house centipedes.
4. Sometimes you can also find them under your bed in your bedroom. This place usually does not get enough light and is cold enough for centipedes to seek shelter.

 

Final thoughts

House centipedes are not dangerous and do not cause any severe harm to humans. But a large-scale infestation can damage your property. Centipede infestation also often means an infestation of other bugs in your house. In order to keep them away, make sure to follow all the proper precautions by keeping your place clean and dry.

In severe cases, professional help is necessary. You can rely on professional pest control services like Bug Guy Services. For a FREE estimate, contact us now.

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Rodent Infestation: Difference Between Mice and Rats

Did you see a large rodent scurry away and hide under the closet in your kitchen? It can be a mouse or a rat. There are subtle differences between these two rodents, and you need to be careful in identifying them. Unless you recognize the rodent infesting your house, you will be unable to choose the right solution. You also have to check how serious of a problem you have.

Usually, three types of rodents plague our house - the ordinary house mouse, the Norway rat, or the roof rat. But, how to tell the difference between mice and rats? Learn about mice and rats and the different ways you can identify them. Do you also need solutions for severe rodent infestation in your house? Read on to discover those as well!

 

Identifying rats vs. mice

Most homeowners will say that rats and mice are the same things, but they are not. Both mice and rats are small, furry and have a long tail. So, what’s the difference between them? The most significant difference is possibly the size of the rodents. The common house rat or Norway rat is much larger than the house mouse.

Apart from that, here are some other differences you can look out for when you are trying to identify rats vs. mice infestation in your house:

1. Rats have rougher coats of red, brown, or black color and a furless tail. On the contrary, mice have smoother fur, bigger ears, and small black eyes.
2. Mice droppings are more frequent but smaller in size. You will find them in dark areas where mice can hide. Rats poop less frequently, and their droppings are larger.

These are some of the visible differences between these two rodents. You can learn more about them in our article here.

 

Signs of infestation

Most house owners only catch glimpses of the rodents in their house when they scurry across their properties. There’s often no time to identify rats vs. mice physically. That’s why you look for other signs.

Let’s talk about the various signs by which you can tell the difference between rats and mice infestation:

1. Droppings

Rodent droppings are usually the easiest way to figure out an infestation in the house. If the droppings you see are smaller than 1/4th of an inch, you have a mice infestation. But if the droppings are larger and about 1/2 an inch in size, you have rats in your house.

Also, remember that mice poop more regularly than rats. So, if you see droppings all over your house and at all times, it’s probably mice that you have.

2. Odor

A nasty odor could mean that you have a rodent infestation. Rat and mouse urine have a strong, pungent smell. The bigger the infestation, the worse the smell.

If you can smell this musky odor, find out where it’s coming from. Look in the darker places of your house, like under the beds and closets. Urine smell is one of the earliest signs of infestation, so don’t ignore it.

3. Gnaw marks

Rodents leave gnaw marks. If you see gnaw marks in your gunny bags or other fabric lying around the house, it means you have a rodent problem. You can easily distinguish between the gnaw marks of mice and rats. If it’s a mice infestation, you will see tinier marks and neatly cut holes. But with rats, the holes are larger and cut more roughly.

 

 

Can rodents cause medical problems?

Sometimes mice or rat fur and droppings can trigger severe allergic reactions in human beings. In addition, these rodents can also cause significant medical problems like the following:

1. According to the CDC, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a respiratory disease that can even be fatal at times. If the rats or mice infesting your property carry the Hantavirus, even breathing the air around their urine or droppings can cause health risks to you.
2. Rats and mice carrying the Salmonella germ can also transmit it to people. If these rodents in your house infect your food, you can contract Salmonellosis, a diarrhea-related disease.
3. These rodents can often bite you if you try to throw them out of your house. In such cases, you can also contract Rat-Bite Fever which can be a fatal disease if you cannot detect it on time.

The CDC says that rats and mice can spread almost 35 diseases all over the world. This is why it becomes necessary to know what’s the difference between rats and mice.

 

Damage to your property

Apart from your health, rats and mice can also cause severe damages to your property. As a property owner, you must check whether your property has rats vs. mice infestation. The most damage comes from these rodents chewing and gnawing through things. Mice can gnaw holes through wood, books, paper, or anything else they might find helpful in making their nests. They can also chew wires around your house, which can cause terrible fires.

Rats, on the other hand, can raid your pantry and infect your food items. Their teeth are also strong enough to cut through any metal. Like mice, they can also damage electrical wires leading to dangerous fires in your house.

 

 

Preventing infestation

Now that you know how to tell the difference between rats and mice and the possible consequences of infestation, let’s talk about solutions. Some measures you can take to stop rodent growth in your house are:

• Clean your house regularly. Look under the beds and wardrobes to find possible nesting areas of rodents and thoroughly clean them.
• Find the food sources of these rodents and root them out. If you have cereals in your pantry that you think rats or mice might consume, seal the cupboards properly so that they cannot enter them.
• Block the entryways and runways. If you have pipelines or cracks in walls where you find signs of rat urine or mice droppings, clean them and block the areas so the rodents can no longer pass through them.
• Use the various traps and baits available in the market. Most of the time, the poison in those traps helps kill mice and rats quickly.

You can also read more about controlling rat infestation in our blog here.

 

Final thoughts

Rats and mice can be a cause of serious worry for homeowners. In this article, we gave you information about rats vs. mice in your house. We also talked about how to get rid of them. However, these home remedies may work only to prevent an infestation. If you already have rats or mice infestation in your house, you may need to call professional pest control services like Bug Guy Services. Click here to contact us or for a free estimate!

Rodent Infestation: Difference Between Mice and Rats was originally published on https://bugguyservices.com/

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