If you’re a homeowner or business owner in Illinois, it’s important to know the types of cockroaches that might infest your home or business. Cockroaches are not only disgusting, but they can contaminate your food and make you sick.
Unfortunately, if you live in Illinois, cockroach infestations can be fairly common. For most Illinois homeowners, cockroaches living inside the walls coming out at night is a nightmare scenario.
Are you looking to learn how to get rid of cockroaches in Illinois, or are you dealing with a current cockroach infestation? You found the right place for all your roach control needs in Illinois. Education on roaches in Illinois and how to combat them is important to avoid larger issues.
Roaches are invasive insects in Illinois with flat, oval-shaped bodies, two long antennae, and six spine-covered legs. While some roaches have wings, they are generally poor fliers. Cockroaches have a three-stage life cycle from egg to nymph to adult. Cockroach nymphs look similar to adults but are smaller in size and wingless.
These pests have been around humans long and won’t leave Illinois anytime soon. All Illinois residents should know that roaches can transmit disease-causing bacteria.
Roaches are also responsible for transmitting Salmonella, often causing food poisoning. But you might ask: “How to get rid of Cockroaches in Illinois?”
If you notice cockroaches, you can use natural and chemical insecticide options to eliminate the bugs. If you choose the chemical insecticide option, it’s best to hire an Illinois licensed pest control professional to help you control roaches. But even if you use chemical pesticides, it’s important to block potential entry holes while maintaining good standards of cleanliness to keep the pests out of your home.
A roach infestation is a big problem requiring insecticides and limiting roach food sources.
German cockroaches are among the most common pests in Illinois. Cockroaches can cause respiratory problems to people sensitive to the allergens roaches produce.
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Types of Cockroaches in Illinois
- German cockroach
- American roach
- Brownbanded
- Field
- Oriental cockroach
- Surinam
- Turkestan
Why does Illinois have so many cockroaches?
Cockroaches like to infest cozy and warm places. Illinois gets pretty hot. And it’s no surprise Illinois has so many cockroaches.
Does Illinois have a cockroach problem?
Illinois, like all other U.S. states, has a serious cockroach problem. If there are people, you will find roaches. And when the cockroaches are hell-bent on taking over your home, it’s time to get rid of them.
Anyone in Illinois should be wary of roach infestation. So, yes. Illinois does have a cockroach problem. Unfortunately, cockroaches are a problem year-round in Illinois.
At least five types of cockroaches are known to infest homes and apartments in Illinois. So, most Illinois homeowners can expect to deal with a cockroach infestation at some time, if not multiple times, in their lives.
Roaches are nocturnal, so you will not necessarily see them flying or crawling around your living spaces. However, if you see a cockroach or a sign of a roach, it’s time to call a pest control specialist to help you get rid of the roaches fast.
Where do cockroaches come from in Illinois?
Most cockroaches in Illinois are tropical or sub-tropical in origin. While most roaches live outdoors, many species have adapted well to living indoors with humans.
Cockroaches prosper in grime, clutter, and filth. But, these harmful pests infest even the cleanest homes and newest apartment buildings.
Roaches are often accidentally carried into homes by the homeowner. You might bring roaches into your home from the grocery store or when you order something online. But, if you use firewood in your house, you might also start a roach infestation.
And if you don’t bring them yourself, roaches will find a way inside your home. They can enter around loose-fitting windows and doors, where water pipes or electrical lines pass through walls. Roaches can even infest unoccupied homes and apartments.
Inside your home, cockroaches will find any unprotected food source. They will get inside your cupboard and help themselves to kitchen goods. As a result, roaches will contaminate food with excrement and salivary secretions.
Roaches aren’t picky eaters. They will eat all kinds of stuff, including wallpaper paste, bookbinding, leather, and many other materials.
Most cockroaches you will find in your Illinois home are nocturnal. But, on occasion, you might find one during daylight. You will only see large numbers of roaches during the day if there is a heavy infestation.
Cockroaches prefer humid, dark, and warm shelters. These pests often move around the drain board or kitchen sink. They prefer to rest in tight, dark places. Cockroaches will nest in cracks inside or under cabinets and cupboards. But they will also hide where electrical wiring or pipes pass along or through a wall; behind door or window frames, loose molding strips or baseboards; under chairs and tables; in upholstered furniture; in bathrooms; and motor compartments of washing machines, refrigerators, and various other appliances.
If you want to get rid of cockroaches, it is important to know where they are hiding in your home.
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Signs of Cockroaches in Illinois
Seeing a live cockroach in your Illinois home is the most common sign of a bigger roach problem. Just one cockroach could signal an infestation or start one.
In addition, there are three major signs of a roach infestation Illinois homeowners should look out for:
- Typical cockroach odor: Some cockroach species are known to emit a musty, foul odor that lingers and gets more pungent as infestations get out of hand.
- Egg cases or skins: Ootheca is the brown casing for roach eggs. Each can house up to 50 eggs and can be found before or after the eggs hatch in serious cockroach infestations. You can see skins where roaches are taking up shelter.
- Roach droppings: Resembling anything from tiny pellets to tiny pepper specks, a large amount of feces clearly indicates a cockroach problem.
Types of Cockroaches in Illinois
There are five species of cockroaches in Illinois that are commonly regarded as pests: the German cockroach (the most common of all Illinois roaches), the American cockroach, brownbanded cockroach, the Turkestan cockroach, and the oriental cockroach.
Flying Cockroaches in Illinois
Cockroaches are some of the nastiest pests in the U.S. Every state has some homes infested with flying cockroaches, including Illinois.
Within the Illinois cockroach species, fully mature American cockroaches can fly. They have body-length wings, but they rarely fly. Male Turkestan roaches have wings and can fly, but the females are wingless, therefore, cannot fly.
Cockroaches only fly when disturbed. They are somewhat clumsy, and their flight is awkward. Their flight looks more like a controlled fall than a true flight.
So, American and male Turkistan roaches can be directed and powered, but they prefer to run. It has been noted that roaches only fly as a last resort when disturbed. They will fly to get away quickly, but you won’t see cockroaches soaring the Illinois skies.
In Illinois, what attracts cockroaches to your house?
Food sources, water and shelter, attract cockroaches to your house.
If roaches find moisture in your home, they might move in. Damp areas in your home serve as a major roach attraction and breeding haven. To get rid of cockroaches in Illinois, fix leaky faucets, pipes, plumbing leaks under sinks, and broken gutters to keep roaches out of your home.
You can avoid moisture build-up with proper ventilation, making your house less attractive to cockroaches. Opening the windows and doors and turning on exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen to allow moisture to escape. Installing dehumidifiers can also help, making your home less attractive to cockroaches.
Not just in Illinois but all over the United States, cockroaches seek places to find food. If roaches find pet food, food crumbs, spills, and leftovers, they will stay in your home.
Grease on countertops and stovetops and kitchen trash can be inviting for cockroaches. These pests may also get into stored food items if not properly stored properly.
Used diapers, decaying organic matter, pet litter boxes, exposed trash or recycling may also attract cockroaches.
Roaches are mainly attracted to damp and dark areas where they can easily hide. Some of the most common spots where roaches may hide include attic vents, under appliances and sinks, closets and cabinets, and behind electronics.
Cockroaches are attracted to various things outdoors. Their hiding spots include storage boxes in the garage, thick vegetation, yard clutter and debris, and storage sheds.
How to get rid of Cockroaches in Illinois?
A Illinois pest control company can help you get rid of cockroaches, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. But even after exterminating roaches, you must take measures to keep roaches out of your home.
The most effective strategy to keep cockroaches out is to eliminate their food source. Roaches will eat anything, so keep your house clean and free from leftovers, crumbs, and spills.
Use trash cans with tightly-fitting lids—store food in sealed containers. And clean under and behind appliances, and do not leave pet food bowls out in the open during the night.
Lastly, eliminate entry points by sealing all holes, cracks, and gaps around window frames, doors and tiles with caulk.
How big are cockroaches in Illinois?
The American cockroach is large. This pest measures around 1.5 inches, so it’s one of the longest roaches in Illinois. They are chestnut brown.
Although smaller than the American, the German cockroach is a much bigger problem in Illinois. It’s not a large roach, but because it reproduces extremely quickly, it’s one of the most invasive pests in Illinois.
Here in Illinois, the german cockroach is known to inhabit homes, restaurants, apartments, cars, supermarkets, RVs, and food processing plants. It also commonly infests boats and cruise ships.
Because german cockroaches prefer warm environments, it is common to see them inside buildings and in residential and commercial kitchens. When roach infestations are large, they can spread to any part of a building. This pest reproduces the fastest of the common Illinois house pests—a single female roach and her offspring can produce more than 30,000 offspring in a single year.
Are roaches common in Illinois?
German roaches are common in Illinois. This species of cockroach is an indoor pest. The german cockroach is common in private homes and apartment buildings.
Cockroaches seek out bathrooms, food preparation areas, and kitchens. In addition to a food supply, roaches search for places with a temperature in the 70° to 75°F range. Humid areas are ideal for cockroach infestations. Once in your home, severe infestations may spread to other homes in the neighborhood.
Of all the roach species in Illinois, the German roach is the fastest spreading. These indoor bugs are some of the most persistent and troublesome.
They live and breed in indoor areas associated with food and meal preparation and can pose health concerns due to food contamination and the production of indoor allergens.
German cockroaches are some of the most notorious pests in homes, apartments, schools, restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, food preparation or storage areas, and virtually anywhere with human activity. They contaminate food and utensils, destroy paper and fabric products, and impart unpleasant odors and stains to surfaces and environments they infest.
German cockroaches can transmit numerous disease-causing organisms such as coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and hepatitis virus. They are also known to spread dysentery and typhoid.
The female roach carries around a light beige color egg case, about 1/4 inch long. It drops the egg case one to two before it hatches. But, the eggs may hatch while on the female cockroach. In each egg case, the female roach carries approximately 30 young. One female cockroach can produce a new egg case every few weeks.
That’s why the german cockroach has the fastest reproductive cycle of all roaches. One female and her offspring can produce 30,000 individual cockroaches in a year.
