What You Should Know If You're Seeing Roaches Around Your Frisco Home

One word is likely to come into your mind if you find a cockroach in your house. Yuck! Cockroaches are disturbing pests because you don't know what germs they are carrying, and they are sure to be carrying germs! Roaches are attracted to filthy things and prefer to eat decaying organic matter. They also eat feces. But, apart from the obvious sanitation issues related to cockroaches, how bad is it to see a roach in your home? Join us as we look at what it means to have cockroaches in your Frisco home, the fastest way to get rid of them, and five tips to prevent future cockroach infestations. If you're currently dealing with roaches, keep in mind that you don't have to read an article about roaches to get control of them. The All-Safe Pest & Termite service team is available to assist you with cockroach pest control in Frisco. We can tackle the difficult task of roach control for you. If the title of this article caught your attention and you're just curious about what it means to find roaches in your home, read on. We have some great information to share with you today.

One Cockroach Usually Means Many More

It isn't good to see even one cockroach in your home. Most pest roaches are nocturnal insects that prefer to hide in cracks, crevices, and dark voids. You will not likely see them until the population grows to a point where the cockroaches have to compete for food resources. Three common nocturnal cockroach species in our area are German, American, and Oriental cockroaches.

The worst of the three are German cockroaches. They do well in structures and can grow an extremely large population. If you are fortunate to see one of these roaches at the onset of an infestation, such as in a wall void or a secluded space inside your home, you should know that your problem will only grow. These insects aren't going anywhere. You can also expect to have difficulty getting rid of these roaches. They are the most common structure-infesting insects in the world. As such, German cockroaches have adapted their physiology to protect themselves from common cockroach control materials. There are also some populations of German cockroaches that are born with bait aversion. When professionals tackle German cockroach infestations, they throw everything but the kitchen sink at them. It is usually the only way to get rid of these pernicious pests.

Another cockroach species you might have trouble with is the American cockroach. These large, shiny, chestnut-colored cockroaches can take to living indoors, particularly if they find humid spaces. Once they establish themselves, they can grow a large population.

Of the three nocturnal roaches listed above, Oriental cockroaches are the dirtiest. But they're also the least likely to infest human structures. They are most likely to reproduce outdoors and go in and out of your home. There are a few reasons for this. They have a high moisture requirement and will not tolerate the dry conditions humans prefer. They also lay their oothecae (egg cases) in rotting organic matter that is pungent to humans. If you see one of these black roaches inside your home, take some comfort that you might have success controlling them with natural methods.

• Fix leaks
• Install dehumidifiers
• Add ventilation
• Keep your home clean
• Deep clean your kitchen
• And seal potential entry points in your exterior.

It is not good to find these or other nocturnal roaches in your home, but what about diurnal roaches—the ones that are active during the day? If you see some light brown roaches in your home that don't seem to have a problem hanging out in the light, they're likely wood roaches. While having them in your home is not good, they're not nearly as bad as the others. Wood roaches prefer to feed on organic debris in your yard, not the food in your trash. They're also not inclined to live in your home. If you have a wood cockroach infestation, you may keep them out by sealing exterior entry points and removing organic debris near your exterior walls, such as leaves, sticks, and stacked wood.

The Health Hazards Roaches Bring Into Your Home

Pest roaches are not clean insects. Even wood roaches can get into unsanitary places in nature. When roaches invade your home, you can expect to deal with illness. 

• Most of the time, roaches cause a general stomach ailment. You may mistake these symptoms for the cold or flu and not realize roaches are to blame.
• In rare cases, greater illness is possible when roaches infest a home. Cockroaches spread typhoid fever, staphylococcus, campylobacteriosis, cholera, leprosy, and more. The symptoms of these are more severe.
• Cockroaches pick up many parasitic worms as they explore dirty places. In a recent study, researchers collected six species of parasitic worms, including hookworms. The human digestive system can pass these parasites through, but complications and health issues may arise in certain cases.
• Cockroaches spread allergens. Researchers have recently discovered increased hospitalizations for asthma symptoms in cockroach-infested homes, with children affected the most.
• Cockroaches often cause rashes when they crawl across the skin. You may get one of these rashes during the night and not link it to the roaches in your home.
• Cockroaches don't prefer to bite people because they don't feed on living tissue, but they can accidentally bite when they eat the dead skin around the eyes and mouths of sleeping people.
• Cockroaches leave waste, shed skins, and other materials around your home. These materials can contaminate surfaces or cause airborne sickness.

The most important thing you should know about cockroaches is that having them in your home is not good. We've discussed how you may control them with sanitation, moisture, and exclusion work. The last thing you need to know is how to get rid of roaches with cockroach control products.

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Roaches In Your House Fast!

Many products work to arrest roach infestations. Unfortunately, DIY roach control often fails. Why? Because people don't know how to get rid of cockroach infestations. Without training and experience, the cockroaches in your home will likely avoid treatment. The best way to get rid of roaches is to hire a licensed pest management professional. If you're in Frisco, contact All-Safe Pest & Termite for assistance. We use industry-leading roach control solutions to address cockroach infestations. These may include baiting, glue boards, exclusion work, liquid barrier treatments, and an application of EPA-approved repellents on the interior of your home. 

Once the roaches in your home are gone, what is the next step? You can get year-round pest control to prevent future infestations, take steps to prevent infestations on your own, or do both. Let's look at five tips that will help you keep roaches out.

Five No-Sweat Tips To Prevent Future Cockroach Infestations

Cockroaches are only motivated by a handful of factors. They prefer to live in damp, unsanitary environments rich in food resources. They prefer cluttered spaces with lots of gaps to tuck themselves into and objects to hide underneath. And, when they find these conditions near your home, it is only a matter of time before they get inside.

• Keep things clean. A bad smell is a promise of food. We strongly recommend keeping trash receptacles as clean as possible. If you have compost, mix it properly to reduce odors. Don't over-fertilize your landscaping or lawn.   
• Remove or protect food sources. Cockroaches are omnivores in the greatest sense of the word. They eat fresh food, rotting food, hair, dead skin, dead animals, paper, cardboard, and pet waste. A clean yard is a good start to deterring cockroaches. 
• Remove clutter and junk piles. Cockroaches hide under many things. They prefer organic hiding places, such as leaves, brush piles, and stacked wood. They'll also hide underneath man-made items. Clean up organic debris, move objects away from your exterior, and stay on top of pet waste clean-up. 
• Address moisture problems. A clogged gutter, dense landscape vegetation, plumbing issues, poor gradation, and other factors can make your perimeter moist and inviting to cockroaches. Correct these conditions to deter them.
• Seal potential entry points. Roaches don't chew holes to get into your home. They use entry points that already exist. Use a caulking gun and expanding foam to seal gaps, cracks, and holes. Also, replace protective materials, such as screens, weatherstripping, door sweeps, weep hole protectors, and vent covers.

Taking these steps is often enough to keep roaches out with no need for cockroach control products. If the cockroach pressures on your property are high or you have conditions you can't correct, year-round pest control can provide the extra protection you need.

In Frisco, Texas, contact All-Safe Pest & Termite to get started with a perimeter pest control plan. We provide a multi-pronged solution that covers a list of pests, including cockroaches. Connect with us to learn more or to schedule a service visit. We can help!