Cockroach Infestation Signs, Prevention, and Control of Roaches
Table Of Content
Sometimes an infestation can be so extreme that this is the best method. Essential oils — Much like the scent of lemons, certain oils can act as a natural repellent to roaches as well. Lemongrass and peppermint oils are known to be effective alternatives.
Moisture and Humidity
There are more than 4,600 species of cockroaches around the world, living in all types of environments, from the Arctic cold to the African Savannah. One notorious exception to much of what’s been said here are German Roaches. These are a species of small light brown roaches that often hitch-hike into your home and live in small cracks in kitchen cupboards and appliances. Not only can they be difficult to find and get to, they’re also one of the most prolific breeders and can grow from a baby to a parent in just over a month. Although cockroaches can grow to be quite sizeable, some species can still shimmy through cracks and openings as narrow as 1/16 of an inch wide!
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How to Keep Cockroaches Out
That means she can produce hundreds of baby roaches over time. If the infestation persists, contact professional pest control services to help you get rid of wood roaches. Cockroaches typically lay their eggs in areas that are not easily accessible to humans, such as cracks, crevices, or the space behind appliances. The name ‘woods cockroach’ is used to refer to a couple of roach species found outdoors.
How to Get Rid of Roaches: A Step-by-Step Guide
Otherwise, we would advise you to get a pest control operator to deal with the problem. Remove or minimize possible food, water and shelter sources around your property. Stay on top of your yard maintenance and check your irrigation system for leaking or over-watering. Make sure your property is treated regularly to deal with any pests already on site and discourage new populations from moving in. Most homes have a few elements that the bugs favor, like irrigation boxes and j-trim, so treating these areas effectively make a wold of difference.
Cockroaches are attracted to the food and shelter that comes with spills and clutter. Cleaning your home is the easiest way to keep roaches at bay. Roaches can survive for two weeks without water and three months without food, so you need to be incredibly thorough in this effort. Roaches can also be found behind appliances and electronics such as fridges, microwaves, clocks, and ovens, as these places are warm and close to food and moisture. In addition, they can squish into small spaces, such as behind cabinets in the small crack against the wall.
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This may cause health hazards such as food poisoning and infections. But some of the ways people try to get rid of cockroaches may come with their own hazards. They come in thousands of species, but only a few of them are common household pests.
If you have pets, you must be tactical about where you place these traps. Glue strips can get stuck on your pet’s paws, tail, or fur and are difficult to remove. We recommend placing traps behind cupboards, underneath refrigerators or other appliances, and in other pet-proof areas near the ground.
Protect Your Home From a Roach Infestation
Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring powder composed mostly of silicon. It is the fossilized remnants of microalgae called diatoms. This mineral kills cockroaches by acting as a desiccant—it dries out insects when it touches their carapace, making it highly lethal to most pests. It’s also harmless to pets and humans when ingested, though it can irritate the lungs if inhaled. According to the University of Minnesota, adult cockroaches produce between 16 and 50 eggs at one time depending on the species. It can take between three to four months for eggs to hatch and develop, and each roach can lay up to 600 eggs in their lifetime.
Cockroach Infestations
Finding a German cockroach indoors, on the other hand, is usually a sign of an infestation. German cockroaches are the small ones—about a half-inch long and a quarter-inch wide, with bodies that are tan or medium or dark brown in color. They typically get inside houses when people bring them in without realizing. Certain kinds of cockroaches, like American cockroaches, can make their way inside people’s homes almost by accident. American cockroaches are the big ones—well over an inch long, a half-inch wide, and medium reddish-brown in color.
You should also seal off any obvious crevices where the roaches may have previously entered from. So take a look around your doors and windows and caulk any gaps. Dusting cracks and crevices with food-safe diatomaceous earth is another effective strategy.
On top of that, Hodges states people often panic and use more than necessary. Glue strips are sheets or tubes covered in a sticky substance and they can quickly catch cockroaches within 24 or 48 hours. While Hodges says these won't work for large infestations, they can help with monitoring the severity of a roach situation and indicate the severity of an issue. Pepper Moran is a pest control expert with over five years experience in educating homeowners on affordable and earth-friendly ways to protect their homes from pests. One of nature’s natural pollinators, the cockroach provides some ecological benefits.
Being nocturnal, they’re easiest to find at night when you enter a dark room and flick a light on. You might also notice a sweet, unpleasant smell when there’s a heavy infestation. Borax — Borax is made from the same chemical compound as boric acid, and while it’s more often used for cleaning, it’s just as effective at getting rid of roaches. Simply combine the powder with something sweet that will attract roaches, much like the above method with baking soda. Fast and effective roach control is a tall order, and it’s best left to qualified professional exterminators.
These traps are often placed under sinks, large appliances and next to garbage cans, but they should be kept out of reach of pets and children. You will also need to reapply the bait as often as necessary and be prepared to find and clear the dead roaches yourself. Baking soda — While it’s well-relied on for everyday cleaning, baking soda is very effective at killing cockroaches too. All you need to do is mix it with something the roaches will likely consume — diced onions work well, as does sugar and cheese. We’ve pulled together a comprehensive guide on how to get rid of roaches, covering both homemade remedies as well as chemical-based solutions.
You will need to monitor the strips though and replace them as and when necessary. Divide the solution between a couple of plates and place them in high traffic roach areas, such as on the kitchen and bathroom floors. Once the roaches eat the baking soda, they will die quickly. The only drawback with this method is you will need to find and get rid of the dead roaches. May sure any curious pets don’t come across this home remedy either. With both Orkin and Terminix, you can schedule pest-specific extermination and prevention services for roaches and various other types of pests.
If you've noticed them in an isolated area, such as the kitchen sink, that's a decent clue they're hidden away in there. For a more precise indicator, put out strips of roach traps that are coated with a sticky glue to stop them in their tracks. Before you start spraying pesticides on every open surface of your house in an attempt to kill the roaches, you need to strategize. Plotting out an attack on a group of insects may sound borderline crazy, but you'll have more success if you plan ahead.
Adults are dark brown-black with a greasy sheen to their bodies. Apply perimeter and barrier treatments containing residual pyrethroid insecticide formulations. They can reach 1-3” in length and tend to be brown or reddish-brown with light yellow edges around their bodies. Light brown with two dark, parallel stripes running down the body.
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