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Cockroaches are among the most unwanted of the insects. The cockroach is not considered a social insect but they commonly occur in groups. The cockroach will feed on just about anything that’s of nutritive value. However disgusting they may be, the cockroach is among the most important pests of households and businesses in terms of their threat.

Cockroaches are a nuisance but they are known to be capable of carrying many common disease pathogens as well as causing allergic reactions in many people. The more common of these disease pathogens include bacteria which can lead to food poising, diarrhea and dysentery, toxoplasmosis, and hepatitis B. Other diseases now of minor importance in the United States include cholera, plague, and polio.

Of the approximately 4,000 living species of cockroach in the world, about 70 occur in the United States and only a few of them make it into our homes and businesses. These are some of the more common threats to New Jersey.

The German cockroach is by far the most important and usually the most common of the cockroaches. More than just a nuisance, they have been responsible for outbreaks of illness, the transmission of a variety of pathogenic organisms including at least one parasitic protozoan, and allergic reactions in many people. They have a worldwide distribution and can be identified by their light brown to tan color with 2 dark streaks on their outer shield.

German cockroaches can be found throughout a variety of structures but show a preference for warm and humid places. They can be found in kitchens and bathrooms but infestations often occur in rooms where people eat and drink while watching television such as the den or bedroom.

 Any crack or crevice located near a source of food and/or water is a prime location and they will spend 75% of their time in such locations.

These cockroaches make their way into buildings via paper products or paper packaging such as grocery bags, cardboard boxes, drink cartons, and through secondhand appliances such as refrigerators, televisions, microwaves, etc. They feed on anything with nutritive value including all kinds of food, and such things as soap, glue, and toothpaste. German cockroaches have a rapid reproductive rate and can require frequent pest control service.