Is there anything more disturbing than being able to hear an insect running across a floor? They are creepy enough when they silently crawl around inside homes. When it comes to cockroaches, there is not a single thing about them that doesn’t send chills down spines. They are too big, too fast, and all around the worst kind of pest. If you feel the same way, you are in the right place. We want to help you avoid cockroach problems so that you don’t have to hear, see, or deal with cockroaches ever again.
How To Identify Cockroaches
Everyone has caught sight of something out of the corner of their eye but not turned quickly enough to catch it. This often happens with cockroaches. Because of their speed and hatred for human interaction, cockroaches work very hard to stay out of view. If one is feeding on the kitchen floor as you walk in late at night, they will run for their lives. This can make identifying a cockroach infestation difficult. Here are some ways we recommend checking your home for roaches:
Look under kitchen appliances and throughout your home for pepper-sized droppings. For larger roaches, these droppings may be as big as grains. of rice.
Ask your neighbors if they have seen roaches inside their homes. Chances are if they are having a problem, roaches are either going to be or already are inside your home.
Check around leaky pipes, around the base of your refrigerator, and in food cabinets for long, hollow, light brown egg casings left behind by cockroaches. These are a good sign that roaches are nearby.
Take a whiff of the air in your home. Does it smell musty and dirty despite being clean? This is another common sign of roaches.
Most obvious, if you see a live roach running around in your home, you have roaches. To go further than this, if you see live roaches skittering about in broad daylight, it could mean your problem is severe. It usually takes overpopulation before roaches get brave enough to go out during the day.
Problems Roaches Cause
Besides the fact that roaches are creepy, there are many other reasons you don’t want them in your home. For one, roaches are carriers of many dangerous diseases including salmonellosis, poliomyelitis, and dysentery. When crawling through your home, they can leave dangerous bacteria on surfaces, and inside food they eat. For instance, if you find a box of cereal with a hole in it, throw it away. It may have had cockroaches in it and eating it could be dangerous for your health.
Cockroaches shed their skin while growing to adulthood. These skin particles float into the air and can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions.
Problems With DIY Pest Control
It can be easy to think that cockroaches are a simple problem to solve, especially when you find products that promise to be 100% effective at killing cockroaches. The truth is, the products are also proven to cause health concerns when touched or ingested by humans. If used improperly, products such as roach spray can be dangerous to your pets and family members as much as they are to roaches.
Our Top 5 Cockroach-Prevention Tips
1. Seal up your home's exterior foundation using a caulking gun to fill in gaps, cracks, and holes.
2. Reduce moisture throughout your home by fixing leaks, repairing broken gutters, and installing dehumidifiers in particularly humid areas.
3. Pick up pet food and water bowls once pets are done with them.
4. Clean regularly, making sure to get under appliances where cockroaches love to hide.
5. Contact a pest control professional and ask what they offer in terms of roach control.
Here at DANCAN The Pest Control Expert, we are equipped to deal with any pest problem you are up against, including roaches. If you suspect your Dallas home has a cockroach problem, or you are looking for a way to keep cockroaches out for good, we can help.
For information on our effective pest control plans, or to schedule a service visit for your home, reach out to DANCAN today.