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.
Feb 28, 2023 | Pest Control
Augusta Pest Control: Eliminating Roaches
Having an influx of roach activity in your home is never ideal! Cockroaches are year-round pests and are known for their rapid rate of multiplying. The most common roaches found in Augusta homes include the American roach, German roach, and brown-banded roach. Once these roaches have invaded, it can be extremely difficult to get rid of them. Whether you see one roach, multiple roaches, or want to get ahead of the prevention game, consider these cockroach prevention tips below!
Clean Up
To survive, roaches need water and food, typically looking to our homes to search for both. The best way to discourage them from entering is to eliminate their food and water sources. After you’ve cooked or had a meal, it’s important to clean up all the dishes, washing them and putting them away instead of leaving them out at night. Likewise, clean up any leftover spills and crumbs from your meal as soon as possible. Don’t forget to clean your appliances too, as well as wiping down your stovetop, as roaches prefer areas with warmth and the likelihood of spilled food.
Eliminate Entry
Using their small bodies, roaches will enter homes through the smallest gap, hole, or crevice. At least once a year, consider inspecting your windows, doors, foundations, roof, attic vents, crawlspace vents, and even electric, gas, and plumbing lines for points of entry. A good rule of thumb is if you can see daylight shining in, roaches can get inside! Utilize caulk to seal smaller holes and steel wool or foam for larger holes. Consider utilizing a chimney cap and attic vents too.
Reduce Moisture
Moisture provides roaches with a reason to infest, making it essential to eliminate it. These pests only need a small amount to survive. While you’re inspecting for roach entry points, make a note of any leaking faucets, sinks, or pipes and repair them as soon as possible. Likewise, don’t forget to check behind appliances like your refrigerator for excess moisture. Also, consider enclosing your crawlspace to help control moisture underneath your home.
Call a Pro
While placing preventative measures around your home can deter roaches away, sometimes it’s best to call a professional for some extra help. If you’ve noticed roaches on your property or are looking to prevent them before they infest, consider contacting your pest control company. These professionals can thoroughly inspect your home, identify the type of cockroach present, identify areas of entry, and provide you with the best treatment and prevention options!
Aug 5, 2021 | Pest Control
Cockroaches are household pests known for spreading bacteria and triggering allergies and asthma. These nocturnal pests come out at night to feed and hide in cracks and crevices during the day. Roaches are attracted to moisture and are most commonly found in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, basements, and drains. Because they are nocturnal, you may not notice you have a roach problem until a full blown cockroach infestation has set in. Spotting the signs of cockroaches can help you head off an infestation before it gets out of hand. Here are 7 signs you may have cockroaches.
Roaches Next Door
If your neighbors mention having a roach problem, especially if you live in an apartment, condo, or townhouse, the odds are likely that they will make their way over to your home, as well. One way to help prevent this is by getting rid of what attracts roaches in your home. Don’t put open food containers in the trash; don’t leave crumbs on the floor; clean up messes as they happen; keep garbage cans sealed; and try not to store outdoor trash cans near your home.
Smear Marks
Roaches are attracted to moisture so they are often found in areas of high moisture in your home. In these areas, they will often produce dark, irregularly-shaped smear marks as they rest or crawl along walls. These smears are often seen on horizontal surfaces and where the wall and floor meet.
Droppings
Roaches leave droppings behind wherever they are. The size and shape of droppings vary between species. Some species leave behind a small brown stain. German cockroaches leave behind pepper-like specks that can also resemble coffee grounds. The larger American cockroach species leaves behind droppings closer to a grain of rice. The most common places to check for droppings are floor corners, cabinets, under the fridge, and under the stove. It is important to clean any droppings up when you find them as they are known to spread bacteria.
Egg Casings
Egg casings are long, hollow, light brown tubes that hold cockroach eggs, anywhere from 20 to 50 at a time. Although most species leave egg casings behind once the eggs are laid, some species actually carry them with them until their offspring hatch. Egg casings are usually found at the base of the refrigerator, in cabinets that store food, and near leaky pipes. If you find a casing that still has eggs in it, dispose of it by flushing it down the toilet.
Musky Odor
Roaches and their feces give off a musky, unpleasant odor. While one roach usually doesn’t emit a strong enough odor to be detected by humans, when larger numbers of roaches get together the smell gets stronger and more easily detected. While the smell is usually associated with live roaches, dead cockroaches can also emit the odor as part of the decomposition process.
Allergy Symptoms
The feces and exoskeleton of cockroaches contain proteins that can trigger allergies and asthma. If you don’t usually have allergies and have symptoms appear without a known trigger; or your current allergy and asthma symptoms seem to get worse without a known trigger this may indicate the presence of cockroaches in your home. Symptoms include stuffy nose, wheezing, red itching eyes, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and the increased use of your inhaler.
Live Roaches
If you see one roach, the odds are likely that there are many others present. Roaches are nocturnal and usually spotted at night. If you are seeing roaches during the day, overcrowding from an infestation may be forcing them out in the open.
The best way to avoid a roach infestation is to prevent them in the first place. Prevent cockroaches by:
- Thoroughly cleaning your home each week.
- Storing all food in tightly sealed containers.
- Cleaning up yard debris such as leaves or fallen tree limbs.
- Not letting shrubs, trees, or woodpiles touch your home.
- Remembering to clean under forgotten spaces such as under the fridge, stove, and inside cabinets.
If you have a problem with roaches or any other pest, contact your local pest control company for a free analysis and comprehensive treatment plan.
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