In Texas, we are constantly battling cockroach problems, so it is important to really know more about the most common roaches found in our area. The main offenders are the American cockroach, German cockroach, and the Oriental cockroach! There are a few things that differ between them, mainly their size, coloring, and their specific food preferences. American roaches prefer to feed on any food crumbs or pet food they can find. German roaches are attracted to some strange items such as toiletry items and glue as well as sweets and meats. Oriental roaches prefer to feed on decaying food and garbage.
Though they have differences, these roaches are all share one similarity: they get inside our homes and can make us sick! Despite popular belief, cockroaches don’t just invade dirty homes. It doesn’t even matter if your home is spotless, roaches can find a way inside your home via grocery bags, delivery package, backpack, or other items. And you may not even realize that they have infested your home because they do all of their “dirty” work at night! These pests can also gain entry to our homes by crawling through tiny cracks around pipes, doors, and in the foundation and outer walls of your home. If your home provides these cockroaches with a warm, damp, dark place to take shelter in, they won’t hesitate to invade, no matter how clean you keep your home. Even worse, before invading our homes, these pests crawl through sewage, compost, and animal feces!
All of these cockroaches are dangerous to humans, pets, and other animals due to their unsanitary habits. They can carry viruses, bacteria, and parasites on their bodies and in their feces that can cause a variety of serious health concerns, including diarrhea, food poisoning, and dysentery. As these pests crawl around inside your home, they contaminate the surfaces and food sources in your home with these harmful, disease-causing bacteria and pathogens. In addition, their dried feces and shed exoskeletons can also cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks in some individuals.
Most people know that cockroaches are dangerous and will want to take measures to eradicate them right away. However, there are some DIY cockroach control methods that homeowners will want to avoid such as spraying harmful chemicals around the inside and outside of your home. Using chemicals in an attempt to eliminate the cockroach problems in your home can cause some serious health risks and is not a permanent solution to your roach problem.
The best way to avoid cockroach problems is to prevent them from occurring in the first place! One way to accomplish this is to rectify the common mistakes you could be making your home a target for cockroach problems. Some common mistake that homeowners make that attract cockroaches include not cleaning up food and food surfaces right away and leaving food out, not cleaning the counters before and after every use and storing food items in the refrigerator or in air-tight containers, and not taking out the garbage on a regular basis and storing it in bins with sealing lids.
The most important thing to remember when dealing with cockroach problems is to take action against these pests as soon as possible, or better yet, take preventative measures before an infestation has the chance to develop! If you live in the North Texas area, give us a call at Adams Exterminating Company! We can help rid your home of cockroaches as well as seal any entry points that cockroaches could use to gain access to your home and prevent future infestations! Contact us today to learn more about our residential pest control solutions.