It can be alarming to see a cockroach scurry across the countertops in your home. Unfortunately, Texas is home to around 30 different types of cockroaches, which means the chances of you seeing a cockroach in your home are fairly high. Here is a look at everything that you need to know about cockroaches in your home and why it is a good idea to seek the help of a professional Bryan pest control company like EnviroGuard.
Clear Signs You Have A Cockroach Problem
All cockroaches like to stay out of sight as much as possible. However, they can't help but leave behind a few clues that can alert you of their presence. Some of the telltale signs that you have a cockroach problem include:
- Roach eggs, called oothecae, are about 1/5 of an inch long and, depending on the species, can come in various shades of brown. One ootheca can hold up to 30 nymphs.
- Roach droppings are small, black specks that look like ground pepper.
- Foul odors are common when you have a roach infestation in your home. A roach's fecal matter contains a pheromone that has a distinct musty odor.
- Skin casings can be found throughout your home when you have a roach infestation. As a roach grows, it will shed its skin, leaving behind a thin, translucent casing.
Roaches have also been known to leave dark smear marks on the floor, walls, and other surfaces. If you see any unexplainable smear marks or any of the other signs, there is a good chance that you have a roach problem in your home.
Why Cockroaches Are Such A Health Hazard
Cockroaches are unhygienic creatures. They spend their days crawling over trash cans, fecal matter, and dead carcasses. After walking on these unsanitary surfaces, they will come into your home and crawl on your food and around the surfaces in your kitchen. They can also leave droppings and urine on your food preparation surfaces, which can cause you to become ill if you are not aware that they are there.
Some of the diseases and infections that cockroaches are known to carry include:
- Salmonellosis
- Dysentery
- Cholera
- Leprosy
- Campylobacteriosis
- Listeriosis
Even though cockroaches are small, these tiny insects can cause a lot of health problems for you and your family.
How And Why Cockroaches Invade Homes
Cockroaches only come into your home to search for food, water, and shelter. If they can find these three necessities somewhere else, they will leave your home alone. However, sometimes, homeowners unknowingly attract roaches to their homes by leaving food and trash out in the open.
When it comes to invading your home, roaches don't need you to leave the door open for them to come inside. They can fit their small bodies into the cracks and gaps around the exterior doors and windows of your home. To ensure that roaches cannot come inside your home, you should seal up any gaps or openings.
Call The Professionals For Total Cockroach Elimination For Your Home
Once cockroaches invade your home, they can be extremely hard to get rid of. If you notice any roaches are signs of roaches in your Bryan home, contact EnviroGuard immediately. We have years of experience dealing with roach infestations and we know what it takes to get rid of them for good.