When they move indoors, American cockroaches prefer to live in moist, humid environments. They can also survive in dry areas with sufficient food and water sources. These insects favor temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When an American cockroach population infests a human home, the insects are drawn to food storage and preparation areas, as well as moist locations. In industrial settings such as restaurants and bakeries, they can be found in boiler rooms and steam tunnels. In residential and commercial buildings, the American cockroach typically infests basements and landscaping.
Driveways
Pavement ants measure approximately 1/8-inch in length and have brown to black bodies, pale legs and antennae. These ants are found throughout the Eastern United States and are major pests in the Upper Midwest. Pavement ants earned their name because they nest in cracks in driveways and under sidewalks, piling the resulting dirt in a mound on top of the pavement.
Excavation
Prior to construction, many planned sites are heavily forested, housing many of the animals, insects, and pest that inherently invade our homes. Constructors disturb many of these burrows during the excavation phase of building, resulting in the various pest concerns to nest deeper into the soil. During construction rodents gravitate to feeding areas such as dumpsters and scattered debris. Termites feed off the wood stored on the ground. This is the same wood used to build homes, commercial and industrial facilities. The infestation begins.
Pavement ants also dwell in the undersides of logs, bricks, stones, patio blocks and boards. Pavement ants may also nest under mulching or open soil close to building foundations. They rarely nest indoors, but when pavement ants do enter buildings, they are seen under floors, inside insulation and within walls.