Discovering massive cockroaches on your property is often a frightening and disgusting experience. As a homeowner, these pests are the last bugs you want living in your home. Cockroaches are filthy, disease-carrying insects and a major health risk to you and your family. Read on to learn more about the dangers of cockroaches and how you can keep them away for good.
How To Tell If You Have A Cockroach Infestation
Although cockroaches tend to live in sewers, dumpsters, and other filthy places, they'll make their way inside homes if the conditions are right. These pests will seek out warmer temperatures when the weather begins to cool, making your house an attractive place to hide. Cockroaches frequently enter dwellings by being carried in boxes or grocery bags. They can also crawl up drains and enter through faucets and showers. Once they get inside, these sneaky pests stay out of sight until it's dark when they're most active.
There are several ways to tell if you have a cockroach infestation. Here are several telltale signs you may have a problem:
- Seeing actual cockroaches in your house
- Dark, irregular smear marks on baseboards and walls
- Discovering oblong-shaped egg capsules
- Noticing an unpleasant, musty odor
- The presence of droppings that resemble coffee grounds or black pepper
- Shed skins from molting, or discarded body parts
Contact a Raleigh pest control company, like Pest & Termite Consultants, at the first signs of cockroaches in your home.
Why Roaches Are So Dangerous To Your Health
Unlike some other worrisome pests, cockroaches seldom bite or sting. However, they do carry a host of dangerous germs that can cause severe illness in humans. Because they live in filthy places like local sewers, these bugs can bring dangerous pathogens into your home, contaminating any surfaces they may travel across. Cockroaches may also gain access to your food supply and make anyone who then eats that food extremely ill.
Some of the diseases cockroaches carry include dysentery, cholera, and typhoid fever. They also have bacteria like salmonellosis, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and E.coli. Cockroaches can even house dangerous pathogens like tapeworms. In addition to diseases and bacteria, these bugs may cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Enzymes in cockroach saliva, body parts, eggs, and excrement can lead to asthma attacks in certain people, and children are the most susceptible. If you suspect you have an infestation, it's important to get rid of cockroaches right away to keep you and your family safe and healthy.
Five Tips To Prevent Future Cockroach Infestations
The most effective way to prevent a cockroach infestation from taking over your home is to keep it clean. Here are five top preventative tips to keep your house roach-free:
- Keep your kitchen clean. Wipe up spills and food messes immediately. Sweep or vacuum frequently to clean up crumbs.
- Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink. Wash them after each use or place them right in the dishwasher.
- Avoid leaving pet food and water out overnight. Clean bowls after meals and store pet food in an air-tight container with a secure lid.
- Take the garbage out frequently. Store trash in a container with a lid and keep the surrounding area clean.
- Eliminate excess moisture around the home by fixing leaky pipes and dripping faucets.
Unfortunately, sometimes home remedies to prevent cockroaches fail. Instead of trying to deal with these pests on your own, call in the professionals at Pest & Termite Consultants.
Call The Pros At The First Sign Of Roaches In Your Home
The best way to kill cockroaches is to work with a leading pest control company, like Pest & Termite Consultants. We've been keeping local homes cockroach free since 1993 and will make sure these pests stay away from your property for good. To learn more about our services or schedule an extermination appointment, give us a call today.