Cockroaches tick all the boxes when it comes to being one of the worst pests in Florida.
First, they are not only very good at hiding and can squeeze through the smallest cracks in your home, but some can also fly due to their two pairs of wings; this makes it easy for them to invade houses, even if you are careful about keeping doors and windows closed.
Cockroaches are vectors of several diseases, none of which you will want to contract, like cholera, giardia, listeria, and salmonella. To be contaminated, you do not need to touch a cockroach, as some of these illnesses are airborne. Finally, they can cause allergies and asthma attacks. The bad news is that cockroaches are very resilient pests. They can survive on little more than hair, feces, glue, and other non-food items for a few weeks to a month and can even hold their breath underwater for over half an hour. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that these prehistoric insects are still around and thriving today.
If you have cockroaches in your home, you will want to learn how to identify them and understand why they are a serious risk to your health. Get educated on the best way to eliminate roaches in your house fast with safe and effective treatments and five no-sweat tips to prevent future infestations. If you are struggling with a cockroach problem on your property, Hawkeye Home & Pest Solutions provides pest control in Sanford that you can rely on to eliminate cockroaches quickly.
How To Identify The Cockroaches In Your Home
There are ways to identify the cockroaches in your home, and learning them will come in handy to discern if you are dealing with this pest or bugs similar to cockroaches. It may include giant water bugs, crickets, or even Asian long-horned beetles.
You are dealing with cockroaches if you see the following:
- Cockroach exoskeletons: A cockroach’s life cycle is divided into three stages, namely the egg, nymph, and adult stage, and takes about half a year to complete. During the nymph stage, cockroaches molt about a dozen times and discard their exoskeleton. If you have cockroaches in your home, you will likely find their shells throughout, especially in areas where roaches are likely to concentrate.
- Cockroach droppings: Feces are probably one of the last things you want to see in your home, but they are unavoidable with a cockroach infestation. With ridges along the sides, roach droppings look like ground pepper or coffee. You could contract dangerous diseases while handling them, so be sure to use gloves and plenty of disinfectants, or better yet, reach out to a local pest control company that can do the dirty job for you.
- Smear marks: Unfortunately, cockroaches do more than leave piles of droppings around your home; they also leave smear marks which could be due to their feces dragging along walls, floors, and ceilings, but could be from them rubbing against surfaces. No matter the reason, smear marks are unhygienic and a health hazard.
If you see any of these signs of cockroach infestation, or even if you just noticed your first cockroach, it is crucial that you understand why roaches in your home pose a serious risk to your health and that of everyone in your household.
Why Roaches In Your Home A Serious Risk To Your Health
Regarding health risks, roaches are one of the worst pests that could invade your home for many reasons.
First, they can transmit dangerous diseases and health issues, including diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, leprosy, dysentery, and polio. Some of these can be life-threatening, especially for children and the elderly, and are easy to contract if roaches are getting into your food supply. They spread bacteria and viruses all over your kitchen counters and dining table and on surfaces you are likely to touch throughout the day.
If you have cockroaches in your home and get sick, it is crucial that you seek medical help as soon as possible. Cockroaches are also a health hazard because sharing the same air as these unhygienic invaders exposes you to allergens and asthma triggers, in addition to several of the illnesses previously listed. These allergenic factors can come from roach urine, feces, and discarded exoskeletons. And finally, they can cause injuries because of the spines on their legs, which can cause scratches, wounds, and possibly infections. While cockroaches prefer to hide during the day and become active at night, some will not hesitate to run toward people if they feel attacked. If you have active cockroaches in your home> Read on to learn the best way to eliminate roaches fast.
The Best Way To Get Rid Of Roaches In Your House Fast!
The best way to get rid of roaches in your house fast is to hire a pest control company that provides top-quality cockroach control services.
At Hawkeye Home & Pest Solutions, we have over 40 years of experience handling various pest infestations. We have the expertise needed to tailor our services to your unique situation, whether you have children, pets, or specific pest control needs. Contact us today, and a team member will help you schedule a home inspection at a convenient time.; this will allow us to determine why roaches took over your property, both inside and outside, and devise a safe yet effective treatment plan complete with prevention tips to ensure that your infestation is gone for good. We also offer follow-up visits to ensure your house remains safe from pests long-term.
Whether you are dealing with German cockroaches, American cockroaches, Australian cockroaches, or any other type, we can help. Still, time is of the essence as these icky invaders reproduce very quickly. After we have dealt with your cockroach problem, you will want to try the following five no-sweat tips to prevent future cockroach infestations.
Five No-Sweat Tips To Prevent Future Cockroach Infestations
Knowing how to keep cockroaches out of your house is crucial in your efforts to prevent an infestation from returning, but there are effective methods to avoid future problems.
These five no-sweat tips to prevent future cockroach infestations can be practical following professional cockroach treatments:
- Keep trash cans closed and clean: Cockroaches are opportunistic and will find food sources anywhere they can, including trash cans. Whether your garbage cans fill up quickly or not, it is always best to empty them regularly and keep bins as far from the house as possible. You will also want to ensure that the lids are tight-fitting and that trash cans are wiped down and disinfected regularly.
- Clean all food prep and dining areas: As cockroaches can find enough food to live inside garbage cans and kitchen drains, they can easily thrive on kitchen scraps. Be sure to store properly or throw away all leftovers, wipe down spills as soon as they happen, and try not to leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight. It is also a good idea to wipe down and disinfect all surfaces, especially kitchen counters, dining room tables, and bathrooms. And finally, don’t forget to vacuum and mop your floors often.
- Seal off entry points: Closing off cockroach entry points can be difficult because these sturdy pests can flatten themselves and come indoors through even the tiniest cracks, especially when young. Still, it does not hurt to try and keep them out as much as possible by fixing all cracks and holes in the structure of your home without forgetting basements, garages, and attics. Be sure to keep windows and doors closed whenever possible, and consider getting them fitted with fine-mesh screens.
- Don’t bring cockroaches in: Sometimes, you can do your best to keep roaches out and still bring them in by accident. Cockroaches can get in through cardboard boxes left on your porch, grocery bags, and more.
- Schedule regular inspections: One of the best ways to keep cockroaches away is to have professionals inspect your home, trained to detect the factors that might be attracting these unwanted pests inside your home. Because cockroaches can spread diseases and cause significant property damage, regular inspections are well worth the investment.
These five easy prevention tips should help keep cockroaches at bay, especially if you combine them with a pest control professional who visits a few times a year.
If you have found one cockroach in your apartment or house, you are likely dealing with a much bigger problem than you initially thought. Cockroaches will rarely wander out in the daytime when you can notice them. Instead, they will wait until your home is quiet and then come out to spread diseases. They will take over your food supply, potentially causing many expenses in restocking pantries. They might cause damage through their feces, smear marks, and eating through the adhesives in the structure of your home. Please do not wait for your infestation to worsen, and let us take care of it safely and effectively.