If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering how to get rid of baby roaches.
Many people are embarrassed or terrified by the presence of roaches in their homes or offices. However, let us assure you, that it can happen to anyone.
What Do Baby Cockroaches Look Like?
Most people know what a cockroach looks like. They’re the creepy, brown-shelled bugs that seem massive and cause all the ladies to scream in the kitchen. Baby cockroaches, on the other hand, do not resemble this.
Baby cockroaches are also called, “nymphs”. They aren’t the traditional dark brown color like adult roaches. Nymphs are often the colors of white or gray. They are very small in comparison to adult cockroaches. The baby cockroaches are approximately three millimeters long and can resemble other tiny bugs.
They’re backsides are smooth and wingless, unlike the adults. Since cockroaches prefer to nest in dark corners and warm nooks, the babies don’t move far from the nest. Without the hardened brown exoskeleton, baby cockroaches are very vulnerable to predators and harm. Thus, they don’t move very quickly and cling closely to the nest.
Why are they white or gray?
Shortly after a baby roach is born, its exoskeleton is white or gray. This is simply the newness of the creature. It takes several hours or more for their shell to transition and harden to a darker color. Then when they shed a shell, they grow a little bit more. This process continues until they progress into adulthood.
Unfortunately, if you see these white, baby roaches roaming around an area in your home, there is most likely an infestation.
How to Get Rid of Baby Cockroach?
There are several ways in which you can get cockroaches under control and get rid of them altogether. Let’s take a look at the different ways to tackle these pesky bugs.
Roach Killer (Spray or Bait)
If you know where the cockroach nest is, you can spray it with roach killer. This stuff always kills on contact.
You can also lay out roach killer bait. Place these in areas where they’re most likely to roam such as kitchen floors and bathroom floors. The bait attracts them as if it were a food source.
Roach Traps
Roach traps are useful in many ways. They not only kill the pesky bugs, but they give you an idea to how many cockroaches may be in your home. If you’ve seen cockroaches around your home, but the trap hasn’t caught any, move it around.
If you start catching many cockroaches with the traps, you can also use the roach killer sprays on the surrounding area. If you’re close to their nest, you’re close to eliminating the source.
Boric Acid
Believe it or not, boric acid works as a roach killer. If you mix the boric acid with sugar, it will attract cockroaches.
Boric acid is very toxic. Once the cockroach consumes the sugary acid, it’ll dry it out until it dies. In other words, the roach dies from dehydration. As with any roach killer, be sure to continuously clean up the dead roaches.
These pests will eat their own kind once they’re dead. You don’t want the dead cockroaches to become a food source for the live cockroaches.
Use Natural Repellents
If using roach poison around your home makes you nervous, don’t worry. There are more natural solutions to getting rid of these pesky bugs. Let’s take a look at some of these naturally effective ways.
Catnip
Catnip has a natural chemical in it that repels cockroaches. It’s called, “Nepetalactone”. Simply leave the catnip in areas or entryways where the bugs are hanging out. It’ll force them from your home.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves contain eucalyptol which also acts as a natural repellent toward cockroaches. Simply leave dried bay leaves in areas where they’ve been congregating. It should keep them away.
Osage Orange Oil
Although it’s not quite understood yet why osage orange oil repels cockroaches, but it does. Leave some of this stuff around the house and cockroaches won’t go near it.
Hire a professional pest control expert
If you’ve tried all of these methods, and they’re just not working, then we suggest that you hire a professional pest control company. If an infestation has occurred and has spiraled out of control, sometimes the only way to get rid of the cockroaches is to hire a pest man.
What are the Health Risks of Having Baby Cockroaches in the House?
There are several health risks associated with baby cockroaches in the house. These bugs can tote around many different types of viruses and bacteria. Diarrhea is a common ailment brought on by these creepy crawlers.
Baby cockroaches and adult cockroaches are most known for causing health issues in those with respiratory problems. Because baby cockroaches are constantly shedding their exoskeletons as they grow, they trigger allergy problems for people with asthma and chronic allergies. For instance, if you struggle with asthma, you may have noticed that you’ve been sneezing and coughing a lot more since the discovery of the baby cockroaches.
The shedding of the baby cockroaches exoskeletons are referred to as “molting”. As they molt, these shells are being left around your home. The shells are usually discovered in the dark corners and crevices of a house.
If you are an asthma or allergy sufferer and have discovered the presence of baby cockroaches in your home, it’s time to get rid of them. Even if you see a single baby cockroach, it’s a bad sign that your house is infiltrated with them. As soon as the bugs are removed from the house, your health will improve quickly and drastically.
How to Identify Roach Eggs?
Cockroach eggs are in cases referred to as, “oothecae”. Cockroach eggs appear slightly different depending on the type of roach species. Let’s take a look at the different species of oothecae.
American Cockroach
The American Cockroach’s eggs are typically a dark brown color. They are approximately eight millimeters long and holds about fifteen baby cockroaches.
Brown-Banded Cockroach
The Brown-Banded Cockroach’s eggs are reddish-brown in color. These eggs are quite smaller than the American Cockroach eggs at five millimeters in length. These egg cases contain anywhere from ten to eighteen baby cockroaches.
Oriental Cockroach
The Oriental Cockroach’s eggs are also a reddish-brown color that ranges from eight to ten millimeters in length. The egg case will hold about sixteen baby cockroaches.
German Cockroach
The German Cockroach’s eggs are brown colored and average about six to nine millimeters in length. This species can have up to fifty baby cockroaches in a single sack of eggs. These cockroaches populate very quickly.
How Long Does It Take for Roaches to Reach Adulthood?
The moment that a baby cockroach has hatched from its egg, it takes it approximately six months total to reach adulthood. Depending on the type of species, some baby cockroaches can reach maturity as early as three months.
Once the baby roach hatches from its egg, it’ll endure several stages of molting before it reaches adulthood. Remember, molting is the process of the roach shedding its exoskeleton as it grows. During this process, the baby roach gets stronger and more durable. The exoskeleton gradually turns darker and some roach species develop wings.
Once a baby roach reaches adulthood, it’ll live another six to eighteen months. The length of lifespan is also dependent upon the type of species.
However, once a baby roach reaches adulthood, it’s important to know that they’ll reproduce until they die. On average, a single female cockroach can produce as many as fifteen sets of baby cockroaches.
How to prevent cockroach babies appearing in your home?
It’s much easier to prevent baby cockroaches from inhabiting your home than it is to get rid of them.
For starters, let’s look at some ways to prevent baby cockroaches from living in your home.
Seal up any holes and cracks in your home
It’s a great idea to visit the local hardware and home improvement store to purchase a tube of caulking. Be sure to caulk any cracks that are in your bathrooms and kitchen.
If you have cracks in any of the bedrooms, living room, dining room, you can use plaster or putty to fill in the cracks. Once the putty has dried, you can smooth it over with some sandpaper and paint over it. This further protects your home from any unwanted pests such as cockroaches.
Also check for any plumbing leaks and cracks. Cockroaches love moisture and humidity as much as they love food. Any pipe that’s leaking water will need to be patched or replaced quickly.
Clean your home
Another important but necessary cockroach preventative is to keep a clean home. This must be done daily in order to prevent cockroaches from finding reason to settle in your house.
Keep the kitchen counters cleared from food. Once you prepare a meal, clean up immediately. Never leave leftover food on the counter until the next day. This provides the pests with enough time to find the food source and hang out for future food sources.
Be sure to vacuum your house at least every two days. You would be surprised at how quickly food particles, dust particles and other food sources build up.
If you don’t have carpets in your house, be sure to sweep and mop at least every other day. Not only does this prevent roaches from finding food sources, you’re always able to survey the space for any sight of them.
Clean your kitchen and bathroom counters with a disinfectant cleaner every day.
Get rid of standing water in or near your home
If you have any plumbing leaks that continuously keeps standing water sitting right outside your home, this must be dealt with. Roaches will cling to areas with standing water. They love humidity.
Inside the home, never leave bathtubs and sinks with standing water. If you have a bucket underneath a leaking sink, do your best to fix the plumbing problem right away. Bathroom cabinets already provide moist, dark areas for cockroach residencies. Don’t add to the appeal by keeping standing water underneath the sink.
Final words
Baby cockroaches are not cute. If you have discovered these small, white bugs crawling around your kitchen or bathroom area, it’s time to do something about it. Typically, baby cockroaches indicate an infestation problem is underway.
Do your best to locate the cockroach nest(s) so that you can poison them immediately. As you’ve just read, it doesn’t take long for roaches to breed, grow and take over. Once they start multiplying, you’re in a world of trouble.
Always practice good cleaning habits in your home to prevent cockroaches from moving in. Never store open food on the counters and regularly take out the trash. Vacuum, sweep and mop every two days and remove any clutter from your home.
Do away with any standing water and fix any plumbing issues. Cockroaches love food and water sources.
Once cockroaches are removed from the home, it’s really important to keep the house clean and dry. This will prevent them from returning. It’s also not a bad idea to keep catnip, dried bay leaves or orange oil handy. These are great preventatives as well.