ACT Environmental Auth No: 0619 Lic No: 5084551
Termite Accred No: 5387
If it's always best to know your enemy, and this is certainly true in pest control situations, here are five statements about cockroaches. See whether you think each is true or false - then we'll supply answers and explanations below...
1. Cockroaches are older than humans
2. They can survive even nuclear explosions
3. Cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks
4. They are almost as fast movers as big cats
5. They will help you reduce a cockroach infestation
Okay, let's see how well you did...
1. Cockroaches certainly are older than the human race. The group of over 4,000 different species (of which only four are well-known pests) can be traced way back to the Carboniferous era, and that's around 320 million years ago.
2. This is an urban myth - but with a tiny touch of truth. Cockroaches could certain withstand a greater dose of radiation than we could, but at nuclear explosion level, they'd instantly be as non-existent as humanity.
3. Cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks, and other allergies too, when their saliva, faeces, and small discarded body parts become airborne, say after a human kicks them up when walking. The source of the trigger is a protein in their bodies to which many people are allergic.
4. This is false. In a race, set to equal scale, the roaches would have disappeared into the distance at something approaching two hundred miles an hour (the scaled-up equivalent of their actual speed of 1.5m per second).
5. Seriously? Well cockroaches will, inadvertently, offer you some help in dealing with an infestation of the critters. As cannibals! When they reach a certain size, excessive numbers will make food scarce. They have then been known to eat each other, both to reduce numbers and for food itself.
How did you score? It's certainly worth pointing out that we'd never want to leave a cockroach infestation to self-regulate (per number 5 above). A female adult can have up to 50 eggs growing inside her at any time, and in just over three months, these can be fully functioning adults. No wonder numbers seem to grow exponentially.
If you have such a problem, please talk to our experts here at Canberra-based A1 Professional Pest Control. We'll always offer free advice and provide an obligation-free quote for dealing with the situation. You can reach us by dialling either (02) 6278 5858 or 0415 915 259 now...
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Contact information
Phone: (02) 6278 5858
Mobile: 0415 915 259
Licence# 5084551
Termite Accreditation# 5387