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NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & MENTAL HYGIENE
behind the head marked with two
dark stripes, which run lengthwise
on the body. Young roaches are
wingless and nearly black with a
single light stripe running down the
middle of the back, and the adults
are about 5/8 inch long. Egg capsules
are light tan in color and usually
yield about 36 baby cockroaches.
German cockroaches are the most
common roaches found in houses
and restaurants. Most cockroaches
have a flattened, oval shape, spiny
legs, and long, filamentous anten-
nae. Immature roaches are smaller,
have undeveloped wings and resem-
ble the adults. They eat food of all
kinds and may hitchhike into the
food service establishments on egg
cartons, soft drink cartons, sacks of
potatoes or onions, used furniture
or appliances, beer cases, etc.
Once they find their way into the
food establishments, German roaches
generally develop their population
in kitchens and bathrooms. During
the day, these roaches may be found
hiding behind baseboard moldings,
in cracks around cabinets, drawers
or pantries, and in and under stoves,
microwave ovens, refrigerators, dish-
washers, and other restaurant equip-
ment. The presence of German
roaches during the daytime is usually
an indication of a severe roach
infestation. Most roaches like to live
very near to the food and water
source.
German cockroach females,
unlike the American roaches, carry
the egg capsule protruding from
their abdomen until the eggs are
about to hatch. During the last three
or four days prior to dropping her
egg case, the female German cock-
roach does not seek any food or
water. The case is then placed in a
secluded location, with the nymphs
emerging sometimes within the
hour or as long as a week. A female
may produce four to six cases dur-
ing her lifetime, each containing 30
to 50 eggs. Eggs hatch in 28 to 30
days, and nymphs develop in 40 to
125 days. Female roaches live about
200 days, with males living not
quite as long.
American Cockroach
Adult American cockroaches are 1
and
1
/2 inches long (38mm), mak-
ing them the largest of the house-
infesting cockroaches. With reddish
brown, fully developed wings, the
American cockroaches have a yel-
lowish margin on the thorax or
body region behind the head. When
disturbed, they may run rapidly and
adults may fly. Immature cock-
roaches resemble adults except that
they are wingless.
American cockroaches generally
live in moist areas. They prefer
warm temperatures (around 85°F)
and do not tolerate cold tempera-
tures. In food establishments, these
cockroaches live in basements, around
pipes and sewers, and may move
outdoors into yards during warm
weather. These cockroaches are
common in basements, crawl spaces,
cracks and crevices of porches,
foundations, and walkways adjacent
to buildings. Because of their fond-
ness for sewers, large populations of
American cockroaches will be seen
in many cities after heavy rains or
flooding. Due to the large size and
slow development of American
cockroaches, large infestations of
these insects are not common with-
in food establishments. However,
during certain times of the year,
these cockroaches may move inside
food establishments from outside
sources. For example, in winter
these cockroaches may move
indoors, seeking warmer tempera-
tures and food. Cockroaches may
enter food establishment through
sewer connections, under doors,
around utility pipes, air ducts, or
other openings in the foundation.
Cockroaches: Control
It is difficult to prevent the inva-
sion of a food establishment with
insects, especially roaches that may
come from an adjoining building or
in packages delivered to the premis-
es. The emphasis must be placed on
elimination of harborage and breed-
ing places within the establishment
as well as extermination.
All cracks and holes in the floor,
walls and ceilings should be elimi-
nated by filling with cement, plaster,
putty or plastic wood. Seams in fix-
tures and equipment should receive
the same treatment.
Equipment and fixtures should be
placed flush against the wall and
floor; if not, then a sufficient dis-
tance away from the wall and above
the floor to facilitate cleaning
around it.
All potential insect-breeding
places, such as rubbish, debris and
stagnant water, should be eliminat-
ed. Garbage should be kept in tight-
ly covered metal cans, and the cans
should be thoroughly cleaned after
being emptied. The room, in which
garbage is kept, prior to removal,
should be constructed of impervi-
ous washable material, preferably
cement, and should have facilities to
wash garbage cans. If this room can
be refrigerated, the cold temperature
will prevent insects from breeding,
and odors from decomposing
garbage will be reduced.
Sanitation and good housekeep-
ing are very important factors in
insect control. The food establish-
ment and equipment therein should
be completely cleaned each night
before closing, not only for good
sanitation, but to remove all grease,
food encrustation, and food particles
on which the insects can feed.
In addition, roaches can be
destroyed with effective insecticides
applied by a licensed pest control
operator.
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PROTECTION TRAINING MANUAL