There is no denying that roaches do a great job living up to their title as pests. The sight of these little creatures is repulsive, abominable, and even thinking about them can be quite disgusting. Most people detest these vermin and most develop some form of phobia towards them. You can probably count on your fingers the number of cockroach lovers out there in this world. Most ‘cockroach experts’ have earned their title as scientists and from the experiments or research they have done on the subject. The rest probably work for a pest control company of some kind. Simply put, we all agree that cockroaches are pests.

Why do we hate these seemingly harmless insects? Why don’t we find them cute and cuddly, but rather creepy and disgusting? Why, then, should those pests, which are nothing more than a nuisance to the human race, remain part of the food chain? The reality is that cockroaches are extremely gross insects, because they live everywhere and anywhere and will eat almost anything. These dirty little critters contaminate food and the surfaces they touch, destroy paper products and fabrics, leaving unpleasant stains and odors wherever they live. Worst of all, because of what they eat and where they sneak around, cockroaches carry diseases that can be harmful to humans and therefore a major threat to our health and well-being.

Certainly, a roach infestation in the home is not a glamorous event, but rather, a serious problem that needs to be solved. Being completely clean and tidy does not at all mean that you are safe from roach visits. These scoundrels can get into even the cleanest homes. The cockroaches may have followed you home without your knowledge, perhaps in a shopping bag, or you may have inadvertently brought home some roach eggs that would soon be ripe and ready to hatch. Their flattened and versatile bodies allow them to enter homes through pipes, small gaps, doors, and cracks. Of course, these unwanted visitors are more likely to stay longer and feel at home in dirty places, especially where food scraps are lying around, as well as hot, humid and dark areas.

The challenge we face in getting rid of these pests is that cockroaches are one of the toughest insects on earth. Although they thrive on water, food, and a warm shelter, which are their three basic needs, there are some cockroaches that have been known to live up to three months without food and up to a month without water. On top of that, some can survive 45 minutes without air and when submerged underwater for half an hour, they still recover without drowning. Due to their stubborn will to live, it is not a simple or straightforward procedure to completely eradicate these pests once they have infested an area.