May 1, 2025 | Pest Control
Cockroach infestations are a common issue for Newnan homeowners. These pests are more than just a nuisance; they can spread bacteria, trigger allergies, and contaminate food. With Newnan’s warm, humid climate creating the perfect conditions, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to protect your home.
Protect Your Home From Cockroach Infestations
Why Cockroaches Thrive in Newnan
The warmth and humidity in Newnan provide an inviting environment for cockroaches. They typically infest dark, damp spaces like basements, kitchens, and bathrooms, making them difficult to detect until the infestation has progressed. Common species in the area include German, American, and smoky brown cockroaches.
Cockroaches pose health risks by spreading pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli. Their droppings and shed skin can also exacerbate allergies or asthma, making prompt and effective pest control essential.
Simple Tips to Prevent Cockroach Infestations
Preventing cockroach infestations starts with making your home less appealing to these pests. Here are some key steps:
1. Keep Your Home Spotless
Cockroaches forage for food, so cleanliness is critical.
- Wipe down surfaces and sweep floors regularly.
- Store food in sealed containers and avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
- Take out the trash daily.
2. Reduce Moisture
Cockroaches thrive in damp areas, so eliminate sources of excess moisture.
- Fix leaky pipes and faucets promptly.
- Use dehumidifiers to manage humidity in basements or damp areas.
- Improve ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens.
3. Seal Entry Points
Block areas where cockroaches might enter your home.
- Patch cracks and crevices in walls and foundations.
- Repair torn window screens and install door sweeps.
- Seal gaps around pipes and wiring.
4. Minimize Clutter
Cockroaches love to hide in clutter. Keep your home organized and clear of piles of paper, old newspapers, and magazines to deter them. Opt for plastic storage containers instead of cardboard boxes, which can attract pests and give them a place to nest.
Why Consider Green Pest Control?
Green pest control is an environmentally responsible approach that uses low-toxicity solutions to manage pests. It’s just as effective but avoids the use of harsh chemicals, making it safer for children, pets, and the planet. Options include:
- Natural Repellents like peppermint oil and cedarwood to deter cockroaches.
- Green Bait Stations, which attract and eliminate cockroaches without toxic pesticides.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM), combines prevention, habitat modification, and minimal intervention for sustainable, long-term pest control. A professional pest control company can design and implement an IPM plan tailored to your home’s specific needs.
Green pest control not only eliminates cockroaches but also helps prevent future infestations while prioritizing the health of your home and environment.
Take Charge of Your Home
Cockroaches are a persistent problem in Newnan, but they’re not unbeatable. By maintaining a clean, moisture-free, and clutter-free home while sealing entry points, you can make it difficult for these pests to move in. For more severe infestations, don’t hesitate to seek help from a professional pest control company that offers both traditional and eco-friendly pest control options.
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Jan 17, 2024 | Florida Pest Control
It’s always alarming spotting a roach in your home. These pests are highly adaptable and seek out human environments for a food and water source. Once they’ve infested your home, it can be difficult to control and eliminate them as they reproduce rapidly! The first step in preventing roaches is understanding the signs of cockroaches and the factors that could attract them into your Florida home.
Common Signs You Have Cockroaches
- Smear Marks: Roaches seek out areas with moisture, where they will produce dark, irregularly shaped spear marks as they rest or crawl along walls. You can find these smears where the wall and floor meet.
- Droppings or Egg Casings: Depending on the roach species, droppings will vary but you can often find them near floor corners, cabinets, under the fridge, and under the stove.
- Musky Odor: If there’s a large number of roaches that have infested a home, a strong musky odor may be present in your home. This smell can indicate live or dead roaches.
- Allergies: Roaches contain proteins known to trigger allergy symptoms, including a stuffy nose, wheezing red itching eyes, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and an increased use of inhalers.
- Live Roaches: An obvious sign that roaches have infested your home is actually seeing them present on your property. If you’re seeing them during the day, overcrowding from an infestation could force them out into open areas.
Common Roach Prevention for South Florida Homes
The best way to avoid roaches from entering your Sanibel property is placing preventative measures throughout! Check out our tips on preventing cockroaches:
- Seal gaps and openings including in walls, around electrical sockets, around doors and windows, and along your foundation with silicone-based caulk or steel wool.
- Keep counters, sinks, floors, and tables clean of drink spills and food crumbs.
- Vacuum on a frequent basis; we recommend at least once a week!
- Don’t leave pet food outside overnight, instead bring it indoors and store your pet food in a plastic container with a tight lid.
- Consider enclosing your crawlspace to help reduce moisture and prevent household pests like roaches, mice, termites, and more.
If you’ve noticed the above signs of cockroaches, it’s best to call your local Florida pest control provider. These professionals will identify the type of roach, any entry points, and the best treatment and ongoing prevention for your home.
Oct 17, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Seeing roaches in your Lauderdale Lakes home?
Roaches are highly adaptable creatures and can find their way inside your home through the tiniest of gaps. Once they begin reproducing is when you start to see the problems that roaches bring. Understanding the factors that attract these pests into your home is the first step to preventing them!
Best ways to prevent roaches in your Lauderdale Lakes home:
Remove Food Sources
Roaches prefer to eat sugar, carbs, and protein but will eat about anything they can find. Regularly clean up any leftover food, spills, or crumbs on tables, countertops, and appliances, especially after cooking or eating a meal. After a grocery trip or storing leftovers, look to place your food in airtight containers. Be sure to also empty your trash at least once a week and clean out the trash container of any spilled liquids or leftover food regularly.
Remove Water Sources
Did you know that roaches can survive without water for 2 weeks? It’s true! Despite this, they still seek out water as much as they can and will enter homes if they’ve found it. It’s important to remove any standing water inside or outside of your home. Look to remove water near drains and sinks, particularly overnight. Your crawlspace and basement can create excess moisture; consider utilizing a dehumidifier or installing a moisture barrier or crawlspace enclosure to help.
Remove Shelter
Roaches love clutter, making it essential to remove any unnecessary items from your home, garage, and attic. Get rid of any old cardboard boxes, newspapers, and magazines. Check your interior walls, skirting, electrical outlets, baseboards, sinks, and cabinets for any gaps or openings, sealing them as soon as possible. Make sure your windows and doors are sealed and consider utilizing weatherstripping. Likewise, ensure all your exterior lighting turns off at night as it can attract rodents and household pests.
If you notice more roaches than normal in your Lauderdale Lakes home, be sure to give your local pest control company a call today for a free inspection and a customized pest plan to help prevent cockroaches!
Aug 25, 2023 | Pest Control
Roaches are common household pests that are highly resilient and difficult to eliminate. They reproduce quickly, making them hard to keep under control once an infestation has been established. Cockroaches will infest anywhere they can find an available supply of food, water, and shelter. They are commonly found in areas near food and moisture (kitchens and bathrooms). They are also prevalent in multiunit housing (apartments, condos, etc.). Once established in your home, roaches can cause serious health risks for you and your family. Here are some of the reasons roaches are dangerous to your health.
Carriers of Diseases
Roaches are known to carry at least 30 different types of bacteria including typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and poliomyelitis. They spread these diseases to humans by contaminating food and surfaces in our home. We can also inhale bacteria from the air near a cockroach infestation.
Allergy and Asthma Triggers
The allergens roaches carry can trigger asthma in those who are already afflicted with it. They are also known to cause asthma in those who didn’t previously have it. The incidence of allergic reactions can increase when roaches are present in the home. They are triggered by cockroach debris, including discarded shells, saliva, body parts, and feces. Their saliva is also known to cause skin rashes and sneezing.
Surface Contamination
Roaches can be found scavenging through the trash, dumpsters, on spoiled food, and even feces. They pick up contaminants from these surfaces as they crawl through them which stick to their legs and bodies and are then left behind as they crawl across our food and clean surfaces. When we eat food or touch surfaces that have been contaminated by roaches, it can cause sickness for us, as well.
Cockroach Prevention
Making your home less inviting to roaches is the first step in preventing them. Here are some cockroach prevention tips you can utilize in your home.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink.
- Take the trash out when the can is full.
- Clean toilets, tubs, and sinks regularly.
- Clean countertops with a cleaning solution.
- Keep floors swept, mopped, and vacuumed.
- Clean up pet feces from your yard.
- Keep food sealed tight.
- Throw out old or rotted food into an outdoor trashcan.
- Wipe off stovetops, tables, and counters after meals and food prep.
- Clean up spills immediately.
- Fix leaky pipes, faucets, toilets, and roofs.
- Use bathroom fans when bathing or showering to help reduce humidity.
- Remove any cardboard, newspapers, boxes, or other clutter.
- Caulk cracks and crevices throughout your home.
If you have a problem with roaches or other household pests, contact your local pest control company for an inspection.
May 16, 2023 | Pest Control
It’s quite common to see an influx of roaches after a heavy rain. American cockroaches and Oriental cockroaches are commonly found outdoors. Heavy rain flushes them out of sewers and other hiding spots and sends them scurrying for a dry place to escape, often inside your home. Once inside, they’ll seek out dark, warm, moist hiding spots to take refuge. Cockoaches can be quite a problem when they infest your home. They contaminate any surfaces they touch and can trigger allergies and asthma. What can you do to keep these pests out of your home after a rain? Here are 10 roach prevention tips to utilize this season.
- Install screen drains in sinks and tubs.
- Keep your water traps full.
- Don’t leave any food out overnight, including pet food.
- Store food in sealed containers.
- Don’t leave dishes out overnight.
- Clean out sink drains regularly.
- Take the trash out often.
- Regularly inspect pipes to clear any blockages and help prevent leaks and/or bursts.
- Keep gutters clear of debris.
- Ensure weatherstripping is used on doors and windows.
If you implement these roach prevention tips and still have a problem with roaches or any other household pests, contact your local pest control company for an evaluation.
