Roaches are Becoming Better Survivalists – Trust Your Roach Control to Professionals 

Cockroaches have a well earned reputation for being survivalists. Although the fact that they are able to survive a nuclear blast is somewhat of an exaggeration, roaches can still endure a lot. Even cutting off their head alone will not kill them and it will take a week for them to die of dehydration.

But scientists doing research on German cockroaches, one of the most prolific pest species of roaches, have discovered that some roaches no longer like sugar. Considering many cockroach baits and DIY solutions for roaches rely on sugar as their key ingredient, this could start to become a problem for homeowners, making it even more important to turn to professionals for cockroach control.

How Cockroaches Evolved to Become More Resistant to Roach Control

Cockroaches as a species well eat almost anything. Out in nature, they are helpful in decomposing dead plants and animals. In urban settings, they will feed on items like:

• Trash
• Crumbs
• Food
• Paper
• Clothes
• Books

Scientists and pest control professionals have long believed that roaches’ favorite food is glucose, or sugar. Capitalizing on this, glucose has been a common ingredient in cockroach control solutions for years. DIY solutions will often recommend mixing sugar with substances toxic to roaches, such as diatomaceous earth or boric acid. Commercial cockroach baits have also generally used a glucose substance mixed with the toxin.

Previously, including glucose has been a reliable way to get roaches to eat the bait. But now, these pest control solutions have been effectively killing off the cockroaches that like sweet foods. The roaches that survive are those for whom sweet foods do not taste as good. Scientists are hypothesizing that for some roaches, sweet foods taste bitter, making roaches less likely to eat them unless food is extremely scarce.

As a result, the roaches that prioritize other foods are living longer and are able to breed more, likely passing on that same trait that causes their offspring and effectively changing the biology of an entire species of roaches.

The best way to get rid of cockroaches in your home, regardless of what attracts them, is to rely on professionals for extermination. At 24 Hour Pest Control, we use integrated pest management to assist with cockroach extermination, reducing reliance on baits alone. We also stay current with pest control science to make sure we have the right solutions. Contact us to learn more if you have a roach problem.