Cockroach pest control and management are very important for health and safety reasons. Cockroach saliva, urine, and fecal droppings contain allergen proteins known to cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks, especially in children. Roaches are also known to carry bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella, as well as parasitic worms and human pathogens. They pick up germs on their legs as they crawl, then the bacteria is transferred onto food and cooking surfaces.

Cockroaches are common in larger commercial areas such as restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, food processing plants, and hospitals where they infest food storage and food preparation areas, boiler rooms, and basements. Once inside a residence, they will make their way into the kitchen, bathroom, basement or laundry room in search of food or water.

The roaches common in our area are primarily an outdoor species and show a preference for warm, dark, humid areas, with the exception of the Oriental cockroach, and are commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms. However, an infestation can occur in any area where people eat and drink. The Oriental cockroach will invade indoors during the summer, as they prefer damp, cool locations. They will seek shelter in basement and crawl spaces, and will usually be seen crawling around toilets, sinks, pipes and service ducts.

Cockroaches are most often carried into homes and businesses by hitching a ride in grocery bags, cardboard boxes, drink cartons, and through secondhand appliances such as refrigerators, televisions and microwaves.

Some of the most common roaches in our area of Northeast Mississippi include the following: