Have you ever thought of one pest you would like to live with between bed bugs or roaches for huge sums of money if you ever got the chance? The truth is both pests are hard to deal with, but bed bugs are easier to cope with.
Having bed bugs or roaches as uninvited guests is very frustrating as both are in the list of pests you would not want in the house. But if you ever have to choose between these pests, think of which of them is a bigger nightmare.
Let’s look at which of these pests deserves the best or worst roommate award.
Differences between Bed Bugs and Roaches
1.Appearance and look
To start with, let’s get up close and personal with these pests. I know you might want to scratch just thinking about them but lets know how they look and their size.
Bed bugs are smaller, usually just a few millimetres long. They’re reddish-brown in colour, oval, and flat perfect for slipping into tight spaces. When they swell up they turn into a darker red than brownish red.
Not to be confused with fleas or ticks, bed bugs are exclusively human bloodsuckers. These little “vampires” spend their nights feeding and their days hiding, waiting for you to doze off again.
Roaches, on the other hand, are larger than bed bugs, with most species being at least an inch long. Roaches come in various shades of brown, have long antennae, and are capable of flying or gliding .
They have a hard shell, making them look like mini-tanks and they’re tough to kill, too. Roaches have been around for over 300 million years; they know what they’re doing.
2.Habitat and Behaviors
When it comes to habits and behaviors, bed bugs or roaches bring their own horror.
Bed bugs are very low-profile pests. Their whole survival strategy is basically staying hidden from people and waiting for when you sleep to strike.
They feed on you while you sleep, they inject a bit of anaesthetic so you don’t feel anything. Their bites cause redness and itchiness that lasts for days.
Unlike roaches, bed bugs aren’t interested in your kitchen or bathroom. They only stay as close to you as possible, usually hiding in your mattresses, box springs, or your bed frame. They don’t like light, which is why you probably won’t see them unless you’re actively looking.
Roaches are the exact opposite of bed bugs, they’re very extroverted.and always out and about whenever they please. They’ll scuttle across your floors, crawl over your countertops, and if you’re really unlucky, they might even surprise you in the shower.
They’re more social than bed bugs, too, often hanging out in groups and working as a team to find food and water.
Roaches are also impressively resourceful. They can eat just about anything: crumbs, grease, toothpaste, book bindings, glue, and even each other if food is scarce.
Roaches are nocturnal, but they’re bold enough to roam in daylight if they’re hungry or thirsty enough.
Which One Will Really Make You Cringe?
If you’re squeamish, brace yourself, because this is where things get icky. whether its bed bugs or roaches they are all nasty.
Bed bug bites are itchy, and they can appear in clusters or lines. While they do not spread disease, their bites can be very painful if you’re sensitive to them, causing welts and intense itching.
Roaches, however, carry bacteria and can spread diseases . They leave behind droppings, shed skins, and even an oily, musty odor when in large numbers. Their waste can trigger allergies and asthma, especially in children.
And there’s “roach dirt”, a polite term for the droppings they leave all over your belongings. Roaches are also known for being able to survive without food for a month and water for a week.
How Hard Is It to Get Rid of Bed bugs or Roaches?
Bed bugs are no joke to exterminate. DIY methods may work for minor infestations, but once they’ve settled in, you’ll likely need professional help.
Treatments like heat treatments, freezing, and strong insecticides are often required to wipe them out. Plus, you’ll need to wash and dry everything at high temperatures, and seal any potential hiding spots. Even after all that, they can be maddeningly persistent.
Roaches, though equally stubborn, offer a few more DIY solutions. Cleaning thoroughly, using boric acid, and setting traps can reduce their numbers.
Still, once they establish a colony, professional pest control is usually necessary to eliminate them completely. Roaches are also known to develop resistance to insecticides, so your exterminator may have to switch things up to stay one step ahead.
How to get rid of them
Now that you know what you’re dealing with, let’s talk about prevention. Here’s a handy comparison of steps to keep each pest out of your life.
Keeping Bed Bugs or Roaches Out
- Inspect luggage and clothing after travel: Bed bugs love hotels and can hide in your stuff if they are in the room you stayed at.Thoroughly check your things before leaving to ensure you do not carry bed bugs home.
- Seal cracks in furniture and walls: Bed bugs and roaches love squeezing into tight spots especially when there is space for them to stay. Make sure you seal all cracks on the bed or woods in your home to prevent them from hiding in there.
- Clean up food and water sources: No crumbs, no cockroaches this keeps them away as they do not have any food to feed on.
Conclusion
If you had to pick the lesser of two evils, the choice comes down to your tolerance for these pests. Roaches are dirty, and will invade any space with food or water and will literally give you diseases while bedbugs are discreet and not all over the place.
Ideally, neither should be sharing your space, but if you had to pick a winner for “worst roommate ever,” roaches may just win it for their resilience and sheer audacity.
To get them out,Seal cracks in furniture and walls,Clean up food and water sources and Inspect luggage and clothing after travel
