SEPA 735F98016 Roach Preve.il Activity Book For Kids ------- HEY READERS! Is your family bugged by roaches? You're not alone. Although people may think roaches like dirty places, even the cleanest homes can have them. Roaches are one of the most common household pests. Once they move into your home, they multiply quickly. That makes them even harder to control. When roaches are around, most people reach for the roach spray right away. These sprays contain poisons called pesticides because they kill or drive away pests like roaches. But pesticides may be harmful If they are used the wrong way. Your family can do a lot of things to control roaches before you need to use a pesticide. Read »17 this booklet and complete the activities to learn what kids and adults can do. LET'S START NOW! The average roach is about 1/2 inch to 2 inches long. But, the biggest ones can grow as long as six inches and have a wingspan of over a foot! Connect the dots to see just how big that is! Fortunately, you won't find these monsters in your home! 18 ------- Fascinating Roach Facts Roaches have blood that \e> almost white and breathe through their sides. Roaches have been on our planet since before the dinosaurs. That's millions of years! What?! Roaches can swim? That's right. A roach can hold its breath for 40 minutes too! Most roaches live in tropical places like rain forests. Even though there are thousands of different kinds, only about 5 are commonly found in people's homes. Fill in the blank with the number that correctly completes the sentence. HINT: Use each number one time. 1. A roach can run . 2. There are about 3. Roaches have miles per hour. kinds of roaches. legs. 4. Roaches can hold their breath for 5. Roaches have been around for minutes. years ------- Roaches Are Everywhere! German Oriental American Count how many roaches there are of each type. Hint: Make your counting eaeler by filling in each different kind of roach with a different color. ------- Roaches are OK when they are outside, but they don't belong in your home. They can smell bad, they can ruin food, and some people are allergic to them. So, how do you prevent roaches from partying in your home? ------- Starve Them Out! Clean up spills and crumbs right away! Don't leave open bags of food or candy lying around! Eat at the table instead of walking around the house with food! Clean your dirty dishes right away! Keep a tight lid on trash and empty it often] Don't leave pet food out overnight! Roaches will want whatever is left of your meal. It may be trash to you, but it is dinner to them. FACT A roach can find a snack just about anywhere. They eat crumbs, pet food, dead leaves, and trash. If they get really hungry, they might eat glue or soap. ------- Come and Get It! Hurry, get rid of the roach dinners In this kitchen before the roaches find them. Put an X through the ones you see. ------- Dry Them Out! / ^J c ve/7 o rt Remember to turn off the fre rro water after you brush your Satisfy ^ r rrop CQ y ^ *° Wipe water off the counters Pudu t roach magneT when you see it! / Drain dishwater out a Report leaky faucets, radiators, dishwashers, and you can ^ - these of water. FACT need water to live. Without it, they die within a week even though they can live up to a month without food. ------- Water Won arch Find these words: Hint: Worde may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or backward. PIPES, LEAKS, SINK, BATHROOM, RADIATOR, WATER z R W L R P \ P E S D C G A H A V C F R Z R D J T T D B E A L M 1 J W E X 1 1 K S Q E P P M R S A H O J B D T C Q B A T H R O O M 1 K L U Q O P A F D Y U H O P C R B R K H N G S 1 N K E J L E A K S X G R W M L D P C S V 7 ------- Keep Them Out! Check things like boxes and bags for roaches before bringing them into the house! Get rid of stacks of newspapers, paper bags, and cardboard boxes! Show your parents cracks or openings around baseboards and behind kitchen and bathroom counters] They could be ride into your home. Roaches can come in through very small openings. Help your parents look for spaces under or,> penmgs j j • i welcome signs doors and around pipes or vents! fo roache £_ FACT Roaches spend most of their lives hiding. They love cracks and can squeeze in just about anywhere. Young roaches can fit into a space as thin as a dime. An adult male needs a crack about the thickness of a quarter. Female roaches carrying eggs need more room - a space as tall as 2 stacked nickels. ------- Where Are the Roaches? Make this room a roach-free zone. Circle all of the roaches you can find. Good luck! Hint: There are 17 roaches. ------- What Have You Learned? You can do three things to prevent roaches in your home. They are... Them Out Them Out Them Out Pesticides are chemicals used to prevent or kill pests like roaches or weeds. Because these chemicals can be harmful, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is in charge of controlling how these chemicals are used in this country so that plants, animals, and people are protected. If your parents or a pest control operator uses pesticides in your home, I3E CAREFUL!!! DONT TOUCH PESTICIDES OR PESTICIDE CONTAINERS. ------- Send Them Packing! Now that you know how to prevent roaches, these roaches want to get away fast! Help them by finding a path through the maze. ------- Answers 1. A roach can run 5 miles per hour. 2. There are about 4,000 kinds of roaches. 3. Roaches have 6 legs. 4. Roaches can hold their breath for 40 minutes. 5. Roaches have been around for 500 million years. 16 German 1Q STARVE DRY KEEP 14 Oriental 12 American Z C D J P R G J W M (WATER) L H T X S B A D 1 A 1 P E V B 1 H C E K 0 F A S J R L Q B Z M E D D R 1 P)T C Q ft A T H R O O M r K H L 0 U P Q C O R) P B A R F K D H Y N U G 1 N E J q E A K X G R W M L D V ------- If you or your parents want to know more about pesticides, call the National Pesticides Information Center at 1-g>00-<35S>-PEST. Or find them on the web at http://www.ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/ ------- United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs (7506C) Washington, DC 20460 EPA-735-F-98-016 August 2007 Reprint Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 ------- |