Whether you’re dealing with cockroaches in Pearland, TX, or anywhere else, knowing what food they like to eat can help you get a handle on your cockroach control needs.
Cockroaches are notoriously opportunistic eaters that will make a snack out of just about anything. They’re omnivores, so they’re happy to eat both plants and animals, and they’ll consume practically any organic matter that’s in their path.
If it was once living, or if it came from something living, you can bet these insects will eat it. This means things like toothpaste, wallpaper glue, hair, and soap all fall under the category of cockroach cuisine.
While they aren’t picky, cockroaches do have some favorite foods. Anything sweet or starchy is a favorite, along with meats, cheeses, anything greasy, and anything that’s fermented or decaying.
American cockroaches, German cockroaches, Oriental cockroaches, and Brown Banded cockroaches all share similar dietary habits. Each species adapts its tastes to the available food of the region where they live. That said, any cockroach species will generally be happy to eat anything they can, and they’re especially attracted to anything rotting or decaying, along with human waste.
The Cockroach Diet
To better understand a cockroach’s diet, just look at your own. Cockroaches are omnivorous, like we are, and they share fairly similar tastes to humans. Plus, they’ll eat virtually anything they can find.
If a cockroach had its pick, there are many foods they’ll look to eat first. Like a human being with a taste for junk food, cockroaches gravitate towards sweet stuff, greasy foods, meat, cheese, and starches. If the food is starting to go rancid, that’s even better from a cockroach’s perspective.
If they aren’t able to enjoy their favorites, they’re happy to eat virtually anything else they can get their jaws around. Cockroaches will feast on the bindings of books, the glue on the back of stamps and wallpaper, wood, fabric, leather, human and animal waste, skin, or fingernails.
But, if a cockroach can’t manage to find more suitable food sources, they’ll also eat their own molted shells and even other cockroaches.
How Long Can Cockroaches Survive Without Eating?
Cockroaches are almost always happy to have a meal, but they can survive an incredibly long time without any food at all. American cockroaches are the most prolific of cockroach species, and they can survive for as long as three months without any food at all. German cockroaches can survive for about a month and a half without eating.
While these insects can go a long time without eating, they still need to manage to find water occasionally. American roaches can make it about a month without water, whereas German cockroaches can only make it about 12 days before dying of thirst.
Problems Caused by Roaches
While these annoying insects don’t pose an immediate danger to humans, and they won’t bite or attack you, there are still some massive problems these pests can cause.
Cockroaches will contaminate any food or surface they walk across, and they’re harbingers of disease. The pathogens left behind by cockroaches can cause food poisoning, diarrhea, dysentery, and other illnesses.
Cockroaches also release pheromones in their fecal matter when they’ve found a good location with abundant food sources. These pheromones attract more roaches to the area, and they leave a foul taste on any food they contact.
Removing Food Sources
The best pest control plan to deal with these intruders is to remove or limit the food sources and structures in food that they’re likely to inhabit.
Cockroaches tend to congregate in kitchens, as this is the easiest place to find food. But, they’ll flock to wherever they can find food, so avoid eating outside of your kitchen or dining room. Store leftovers and open foods in air-tight containers that cockroaches can’t enter. Always maintain a clean kitchen, and address spills as quickly as possible.
These tips are helpful for avoiding cockroach infestations, but if your home is already infested, you may need to call in a pest control company to address the situation.
If you’re in need of insect control in Texas, Big Dave is the experienced professional you need in your corner. We offer traditional and green pest control services to remove a variety of pests from cockroaches to stinging insects and anything in between, including termite control.
Contact the pest professionals at Big Daves today and speak with our specialists about how we can help protect your family, property, and home from unwanted insects.