Cockroach Invasion In Atlanta Homes
In much of the northern half of the United States, only three cockroach species are considered major pests. These cockroach pest species are commonly known as German, American and Oriental cockroaches, and these species also tend to be the dominant roach pests in many southern states where cockroach species are more diverse. While the German cockroach is the most frequently encountered roach pest species within homes and buildings in Georgia, many other cockroach species commonly infest homes in the state. These common roach pests include Japanese, brown-banded and Florida woods cockroaches.
In addition to Georgia’s many well established roach species, non-native cockroach species continue to be introduced into the state where they seem to have no problem proliferating. The Turkestan cockroach, for example, is the newest member of Georgia’s thriving roach community, which includes 120 documented species, most of which are not categorized as pests. The smokybrown and American cockroach species are also abundant in urban and residential areas throughout Georgia, and this year, these two roach pests invaded Atlanta homes in massive hoards that saw cockroaches falling from ceilings, skittering across walls, and moving about on people’s bodies as they slept in their beds.
While Atlantans are no strangers to cockroach pests, many of the most seasoned pest control professionals in the city admit that they have never seen an area-wide cockroach disturbance like the one that many residents are still suffering through. Entomologists in the state have put forth their theories on what caused the roach epidemic, but these theories have been far from satisfactory. Many experts claim that the ongoing roach plague resulted from too much rain, while others claimed that it resulted from too little rain, but as it happens, both of these factors can contribute to an overabundance of roaches during the summer months. For example, the smokybrown cockroach dwells naturally on trees where they extract the water they need to survive, so when a bout of dry weather occurs, these roaches invade homes where water sources are guaranteed to be found. On the other hand, too much rainfall will flood sewers and other harborages where American cockroaches prefer to dwell, causing the roach pests to seek dry shelter indoors. In other words, residents of Georgia can always expect roach pests issues regardless of climatic trends.
Have you ever experienced an infestation that consisted of more than one cockroach species?
