Cockroach Exterminator

In science, making a judgment based on a 1% sample size would be laughed at. When it comes to roaches, however, our disgust for them is based on just that. There are over 4,500 species worldwide, of which only 30 are considered pests, which comes out to .0066%.

The fear and revulsion are not a modern issue spread on social media. Over 3,000 years ago, a spell in The Egyptian Book of the Dead called on the god Khnum to destroy the “vile cockroaches.” The spell was ineffective, like most efforts to eradicate them have been. The 1950s saw the use of DDT, the first synthetic pesticide of modern times, as a cutting-edge tool in roach control. However, due to their extremely fast reproduction, less than ten years later, scientists found the bugs swimming in containers of DDT.

Perhaps our fear is rooted in the belief that the pest could survive a nuclear bomb. Tests have shown that while the roach is up to 15 times more resistant to radiation than we are, the critters still died at a high level of exposure. Some have attributed the fear to how our brains react to sudden movement. The bug’s skittish and unpredictable movements are interpreted as a threat and elicit a fight or flight scenario. Others believe that this primal fear has been handed down from our ancestors as a response to the threats of their day.

Whatever the cause, there are many of them to be afraid of in South Florida, and at the top of the list is the German Cockroach. They are found throughout Broward County and thrive in condominiums and multi-family dwellings. They’ll eat almost everything that crosses their path. Shed skins, feces, and dead roaches can cause allergic reactions, especially when an infestation can number in the hundreds of thousands. One infestation in 1979 was estimated at over a million roaches.

The biggest of the bunch can be described as a walking coffee table. The American Cockroach referred to locally as the Palmetto Bug, can grow to over 2 inches. If that isn’t enough to make you shiver, they also fly. They can get in our homes by hitching a ride on our pets, deliveries, and us, and easily make it underneath doors with the slightest openings. The American can also make its way in through the sewer systems, adding in the dangerous element of pathogens and disease.

Rounding out the list of the usual suspects are the Florida Woods, Smokybrown, Australian, Brown-Banded, and Asian. Let’s be thankful the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach is not on the list. It can get up to 4 inches and weigh almost an ounce, or the Megaloblatta with a wingspan of almost 8 inches.

These creatures are built to survive, and do-it-yourself attempts only delay calling in a professional like All Nix Services. During that time, they are eating and reproducing like crazy. Contact us today in Broward County, and with the use of the latest technology and our expertise, we can succeed where others have failed.