Why Can’t I Get These Roaches Out of My Houston Home?

Four Common Cockroaches In Houston

Cockroaches have flattened bodies and move quickly on elongated, spiny legs. Most have wings, and long, thin antennae to help them find food and feel their way around in the dark (when they are most active). Certain species prefer the outdoors while others are comfy inside. Outdoors cockroaches enjoy decaying leaves, fungi, and small insects. When searching for food and water, cockroaches have no problem moving inside.

Some common cockroaches in the Houston area are:

1. American Cockroach: Commonly found in commercial buildings and sewer systems. This is the largest cockroach in Texas at 1½” -2” long. Both males and females can fly. They are reddish-brown, with tan to light yellow bands outlining the pronotum (the first segment of the thorax).

2. German Cockroach: The most plentiful of indoor cockroaches; widespread in urban areas, apartments, and restaurants. These cockroaches do not bother to live outdoors in Texas. Adults are 1/2”-5/8” long and are light brown with two dark stripes on the pronotum. Males and females have wings extending to their abdomen but do not fly.

3. Oriental Cockroach: Preferring cooler, ground-level sites such as basements, crawl spaces, and wet areas, these cockroaches grow to about 1¼” long. They are dark brown to black with short, non-flying wings.

4. Smoky Brown Cockroaches: Common outdoor cockroaches, smoky brown cockroaches prefer protected, moist, warm sites, away from moving air. They are rather large reaching 1¼” to 1½” long and are dark brown to black. Their wings extend beyond their abdomen, and their antennae are as long as, or sometimes longer than, their body.

A Formidable Houston Foe

Cockroaches are crafty at getting into properties. They can hitch a ride indoors on humans, through sewers, under doors, through basement windows, and garages. After accessing your property, they usually make their way to the kitchen looking for food crumbs under appliances, in drains, behind kitchen cabinets, and on the floor. They will also search for food and water in bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms.

Once a cockroach gets in, it can be a bugger to get out. Since they are primarily nocturnal, cockroaches are hard to find. The cockroach is a formidable foe that is comfortable and well adapted to living with and near humans making it hard to remove from your property.

Formidable attributes are as follows:

• They can flatten their bodies and are masters at hiding.
• They are hardy and resistant to many pesticides.
• They are incredibly quick movers.
• They can handle extreme temperatures.
• Where there is one, there are many.

How Dangerous Are Houston Cockroaches?

Cockroaches pick up germs on their body as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage. When they make contact with food or cooking surfaces, they transfer these germs. Cockroaches have been known to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria including Salmonella, Typhimurium, Entamoeba histolytica, and the poliomyelitis virus. Allergens can be found in their saliva, urine, and droppings which can lead to allergic reactions and asthma attacks, particularly in children.

Who Can Protect You & Your Family From Houston Cockroaches?

Cockroaches are crafty and opportunistic, which makes them difficult to detect and remove. All-Safe Pest & Termite offers licensed and certified technicians who are trained to identify and inspect for cockroaches. All-Safe Pest & Termite would be happy to help you devise a strategy to remove these pests once and for all. We have 30+ years of professional experience seeking and destroying these hardy pests. Let All-Safe Pest & Termite safely and efficiently eliminate cockroaches from your property.

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