Having cockroaches is a serious problem and a danger to human health. When a cockroach is born it comes out of the egg a fully formed tiny cockroach and then goes through hundreds of stages of moulting. This is the process of sloughing, shedding, or casting off unneeded parts of its carapace. Most invertebrates go through this process but none so frequently as the cockroach. What is more, this moult is very light and can float in the air like dust. It is coated in dangerous bacteria as cockroaches live in sewers and can be inhaled causing serious lung infections and illnesses of the respiratory tract. When they crawl on your food they will eat so little you may not notice. If you eat that food you will get sick. Food poisoning is only the beginning. This is why it is so important to inspect your home regularly. Look for the following: Dropping may look like specks of black pepper but can be larger for some of the bigger cockroach species like the American and Brown Banded cockroach. They may even look like tiny pellets. Seem a lot of this or smears of it can tell you you have an infestation. Cockroaches also create a specific smell that is pungent in the air and quite a foul smell. If you notice a change in the odour of your home you should inspect further. You can also look for egg sacks or Othecca which are how cockroaches reproduce. The reason the sack is continued in an Oothecca is that cockroaches only have a single pathway through their bodies, or a Gastrointestinal tract, for both food and reproduction which means the eggs must be protected from the cockroach’s stomach acid. Unlike other insects that contain a fluid with free-floating organelles, the cockroach has a full complement of proper organs except for a separate birthing passage. This means you can find tiny egg sacks that match the colour of the cockroach that is infesting your home. They are smaller than a penny so look carefully and use a magnifying glass to observe them. If needed take the photos to an etymologist and they can tell you if it is an actual cockroach ootheca.
If it is then you will need to take action right away. Many domestic treatments can handle a cockroach infestation in its infancy. However, once the infestation has been going on for longer than a few months you may need to go straight to a professional for a commercial-grade treatment. This is why home inspections for pests are so important. You must act immediately and use everything you have access to. The best domestic treatment is a three-pronged attack. Insecticide dust or silica dioxide is a powerful treatment that catches in the crevices of cockroaches and can even sever their limbs and scratch the waxy coating that keeps fluid in their bodies. Permethrin derived from the chrysanthemum flower is a powerful chemical that will kill them when they touch it. Follow that up with gell bait and you should be free of cockroaches in short order.