Roaches are the disgusting bane of every home and place of business, and winter doesn’t change that. Whether it’s in a kitchen cabinet in your home or storage in a restaurant, it’s gross to discover cockroaches. Unfortunately, winter means you might see more of them.
Are Roaches Active in Winter?
Cockroach activity depends upon where they are. While roaches are extremely adaptable, they’re not fond of winter. In fact, they’re originally from tropical areas. Combine that with being cold blooded (which contributes to their ability to live a month without food and a week without water) and having no way to regulate their own temperature, and cockroaches need somewhat warm temperatures.
So, what do roaches do in the winter? They find a place to hide. Temperatures between 15 and Zero degrees Fahrenheit will kill a cockroach, and they cannot breed at temperatures below 40 degrees. So, once temperatures start to drop, roaches look for a warm place to hide.
A cockroach’s favorite place to spend the winter is inside your home. Not only is it warm and toasty for them (they can survive temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit), but they also have access to a ready food source and moisture. When temperatures start to drop outside, roaches try to get inside buildings, and it’s all too easy for them to use small cracks or holes to enter – and even hide in boxes that are brought into a home or business. Once inside your home, cockroaches will be very active but, because they’re nocturnal and don’t like lights, you might not realize they are there for some time.
Worse, some species of roaches specifically breed in the winter if they can find a warm hiding place. If a few cockroaches enter your home in the fall, it could turn into a full infestation by spring.
Common hiding places for roaches:
- Kitchen cabinets
- Bathrooms
- Walls
- Basements
- Subflooring
- Plumbing areas
- Oven
- Refrigerator motor
- Radiators
Are Roaches Worse in Summer or Winter?
Cockroaches can be a problem year round since they infest buildings. The number of roaches active in the summer is greater though so there’s a higher risk of infestation at that time.
However, if roaches have gotten into your home in the winter, they will be quite active in taking advantage of the available food and warmth. While there might initially be less in your home early in the winter, cockroaches can use the time to breed and increase their numbers over time.
Because of the cockroach’s susceptibility to freezing temperatures, leaving a possibly infested item outside through a prolong cold snap or putting it into a plastic bag and leaving it in a freezer for a week is one method to kill them. Of course, you can’t freeze your entire house to prevent roaches and cold temperatures can damage appliances and electronics. That’s why calling an exterminator like Arrow is the best option if you think roaches have infested your home.
Arrow Is Available All Year Round
Regardless of the time of year, if you think roaches have infested your home, call the experts at Arrow Exterminating right away. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can help you live in a critter-free environment. To get started, contact Arrow Exterminating today.
