Q I’ve been seeing plenty of cockroaches open air, particularly since development started on a brand new buying middle throughout the road. Are these the identical roaches that stay indoors? May the development be inflicting them to return out?
The roaches you see open air are in all probability not the identical sort of roaches that stay indoors. There are 5 species of cockroaches which are prevalent in Southern California. German cockroaches are the most typical indoor roach. They stay and breed in meals storage and prep areas and like heat (70-75F) humid environments. They’re probably the most troublesome since they will unfold ailments similar to staph, strep, hepatitis and different food-borne sicknesses.
Brownbanded roaches are a lot much less widespread than German cockroaches. They like a hotter setting (round 80 levels Fahrenheit) and are much less more likely to be present in meals storage or prep areas. They’re additionally an indoor roach species however want starchy meals similar to paper and glue. They are often present in cluttered indoor areas.
American, Oriental, and Turkmenistan cockroaches are the most typical out of doors roaches. Oriental cockroaches, also referred to as “water bugs”, can typically be present in garages, basements, and different cool moist environments. They like to remain open air however will migrate indoors.
American cockroaches, one other out of doors species, want a hotter, moist setting. They are often discovered (if, for some purpose, you’re wanting) in sewers, storm drains, and meter packing containers. In the event that they get indoors, they will contaminate meals with the nasty stuff that grows in sewers and storm drains.
Turkestan cockroaches are a comparatively current introduction to California and, you guessed it, are thought of invasive. They’re generally offered as meals for pet reptiles and tarantulas as a result of they’re straightforward to breed and maintain alive. Additionally they don’t odor as dangerous as crickets, so that they’ve change into fairly standard and are being shipped everywhere in the nation.
The College of California has a definitive information to cockroaches so if you wish to stand up shut and private you possibly can determine what sort of roach is roaming your neighborhood.
All out of doors roaches like to hang around in leaf litter and out of doors particles, so if the soil is being disturbed by development exercise, it’s probably that you simply’re seeing one in every of a lot of these roaches.
Q Why don’t you suggest salt as a substitute of Spherical-Up as an efficient weed management?
Salt is certainly an efficient weed killer, however it should stay within the soil nearly indefinitely. One in all my neighbors salted his garden proper earlier than his home was foreclosed. That was ten years in the past and the grass nonetheless is not going to develop in that spot. Salt tends to build up, so even for those who spot-treat weeds with it, the encompassing soil will change into increasingly saline because the salt spreads.
Though I don’t suggest Spherical-Up as a primary selection for weed management, it’s a fairly secure possibility. This doesn’t imply that it’s utterly innocent. All the time comply with label directions and precautions earlier than utilizing any pesticide or herbicide! For extra info: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/GENERAL/pesticides.html
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-683-6491 ext. 231; https://ucanr.edu/websites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
