Cockroaches

·    One of the oldest insects - fossil remains date back 200 million years.

·    Crawl around on six legs, have wings and two antennae.

·    Like dark, damp places with a plentiful food supply; hide during the day in warm, dark places, such as under sinks, behind dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators, and inside cupboards.

·    Feed on a variety of foods, especially starchy and sugary materials, including book bindings, photographic film, linens, leather goods and numerous food items; usually forage at night.

·    Can survive a month or more without food, but less than two weeks without water.

·    Have an acrid odor that may permeate items with which they come in contact.

·    Can transmit bacteria and organisms responsible for diseases in humans including food poisoning, cholera, dysentery, salmonellosis and strep.

·    A study by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a report in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that exposure to cockroach allergens is a major health concern for asthmatic children.

·    Under optimum conditions, cockroaches can produce two million offspring in one year, with an average breeding season resulting in 350,000 offspring.

·    Found around the world. Two species are prevalent in the United States, the American cockroach and the German cockroach.

·    The American cockroach has reddish-brown wings and light markings on its thorax and reaches lengths of up to 1.5 inches.

·    The German cockroach is between one-half and five-eighths inches long and is light brown with two dark stripes down its back.