10 things you need to know about cockroaches

They live in kitchens, hide under bowls, have six legs, two twitchy antennae and they scurry across your floor.

They’re cockroaches – creepy and gross.

And when they enter your home you want nothing to do with them.

In an exclusive CityNews story on Wednesday, it was discovered that Alexander Muir Gladstone Ave Junior and Senior Public School currently has cockroaches in their 60-year-old building.

Halina Siekanowicz, owner of Ladybug pest control, said cockroaches reproduce every 14 days when it’s warm out (Yikes!) and every 30 days in the winter.

Here is what you need to know about the pesky buggers:

Where do they live?
“In kitchens by food, around the food because they need real food,” Siekanowicz said.

How do you get rid of them?
“There are many different methods. Could be non-chemical like a sticky trap, or it could be a gel or powder. Worst case scenario a spray,” she said.

What food do cockroaches like?
“They like all kinds of food, any proteins.”

How fast do they reproduce?
“During warm weather about 14 days and during the winter time about 30 days,” she said.

How long do they live?
“Up to three years.”

Do they like light or dark spaces?
“They are nocturnal and go looking for food at night time. They need darkness and they are going to run away from sunshine. They don’t like the beach,” she said.

How do they get here?
When people have left over food left out they are inviting coackroaches.

But how do they actually get into Toronto?
“someone brought them in through their luggage,” Siekanowicz said.

How fast can these guys run?
“I cannot say how fast they run because I didn’t put a GPS on them. But they are quick.”

How can you avoid them?
“Keep your house clean. Don’t leave food around and just check every single day.”