There are four species of cockroaches in Latvia – kitchen, black, northern and forest cockroach. Of these, kitchen and black cockroaches live in people’s homes, while northern and forest cockroaches live in the wild.
The most common in Latvia is the kitchen cockroach. The body length of an adult cockroach is about 13-16 mm. The body is light brown or dark brown, the legs and antennae are lighter than the body.
Cockroaches also have wings that are practically not used. Females are slightly larger than males, but males are relatively slightly narrower. Cockroaches multiply very rapidly – females lay about 4-7 egg cocoons and each cocoon contains about 30 eggs. It takes only 1.5 – 2 months from the moment the egg is laid to an adult cockroach. Cockroaches lives for about 6 months. Favorable conditions for cockroaches are heat, food and water.
In turn, the black cockroach is less common in our country. It is black or dark gray. Larger in size than a kitchen cockroach. Females have short wings, but males have longer wings. The wings are brownish in color and cover no more than two-thirds of its length. Life expectancy is 1-1.5 years.
Cockroaches are often common in apartment buildings because there are ventilation passages, sewer pipes and garbage pipes where they can multiply and move around the floors. The same goes for dormitories, public eateries and hostels. They can be brought home by accident in used furniture or if they crawl in a bag or box.
Cockroaches have preferred the warmest places in the home – behind the gas stove, near the heating devices, behind the refrigerator, kitchen furniture, can also be housed in room furniture or even electronic devices.
Cockroaches are one of the liveliest insects in the world, because they can survive in virtually any conditions, such as 3 months without food, 1 month without water and up to 45 minutes without air.
Cockroaches are mostly omnivores. They are mostly active at night, but they can also be noticed during the day time in places where it is usually dark, damp and where they feel undisturbed. Therefore, it is easy to not notice them at first until the infestation has begun.
The presence of cockroaches in the home is not only a discomfort and dislike, but it is also unsanitary. Cockroaches, living in a dirty, infection-friendly environment, carry around pathogens and damage products.
Of course, it is important to maintain order and hygiene, proper cleaning of the premises, storage of food in closed containers. However, if there is cockroach infestation in your home, then PELIAS can help get rid of them by performing a professional disinsection.
PELIAS professional pest control specialists will identify the habitats, feeding and movement places of cockroaches and select the appropriate method and means for their destruction, as well as provide recommendations on further measures to protect against these pests.
