How To Keep Cockroaches In Lewisville At Bay

How Cockroaches Are Harmful To Your Health

It helps to consider how roaches can impact your health and damage your property as you evaluate what is needed to keep cockroaches at bay. Why? Because cockroach pest control is hard work. You need to know why it is essential to do that hard work (or have someone do it for you).

• Cockroaches spread germs. They pick harmful bacteria up from trash heaps, garbage receptacles, sewers, compost piles, dead animals, pet waste, and other dirty places.
• Cockroaches spread diseases. These insects come in contact with disease-causing organisms as well as bacteria. They are known to transmit at least seven human pathogens.
• Cockroaches spread parasites. In a recent study, the cockroaches collected had six species of parasitic worms, including hookworm and Ascaris lumbricoides.
• Cockroaches aggravate asthma symptoms. Hospitalizations for asthma-related symptoms are higher in homes that have roach infestations. Studies have also shown that children are at greater risk.
• Cockroaches cause rashes when they crawl across the skin.
• Cockroaches accidentally bite as they feed on dead skin around the eyes and mouths of sleeping people.

Along with health concerns, cockroaches are destructive insects. They feed on paper and fabrics in the same way a silverfish does. They can mar wallpaper, damage books, and put holes in clothing. It is worth the effort to take steps to keep roaches out of your home.

Tips For Effective Cockroach Control

Cockroaches are primarily motivated by two factors: food and moisture. Roaches are omnivores in the broadest sense of the term. They don't just eat the food you eat; they eat pet food, dead animals and insects, skin, hair, toothpaste, wallpaper, cardboard, feces, and many other things. As for moisture, roaches don't just drink water; they also need water for hydration. You may have significant success controlling certain cockroaches by controlling moisture. Here are our best tips for food and moisture management around your home.

• Protect all garbage. Cockroaches eat rotting organic matter, damp cardboard, hair, dead skin, and other things in the garbage. Bag your trash and store it in a covered container.
• Clean your receptacles. Cockroaches can smell rotting organic matter from a distance. Keep your trash receptacles clean and free of odors that attract roaches.
• Stay on top of clean-up. Do you have a tree that produces fruit or nuts? Do you have a dog that leaves waste in your yard? Do you clip vegetation in your landscaping and leave piles on the ground? Keep your yard free of these potential food sources by diligently cleaning up.
• Do you have compost? If so, make sure to mix it properly. Compost that has an offputting aroma will attract cockroaches to your property.
• Remove unnecessary vegetation from your landscaping. Dense vegetation traps moisture and increases humidity. A simple step like this can make your landscaping less inviting to cockroaches. 
• Remove objects in your yard. Cockroaches stay hydrated by getting under things in your yard. Solid objects shield them from the sun. Organic objects, such as leaf litter and sticks, provide moist habitats.
• Use sticky traps in your home to tell whether or not your external cockroach control is working.

Once you've taken steps to make your property less attractive to cockroaches, turn your attention to sealing them out of your home. While it is nearly impossible to patch all potential entry points a cockroach may find, it is worth trying. Every opening you close removes one route a roach might use.

• Use a caulking gun to seal gaps, cracks, and holes where curb appeal is important. Roaches can get into your home through the tiniest cracks, so fill every opening you find.
• Use cans of spray foam to seal entry points where you're not worried about appearance. Expanding foam tends to look somewhat unsightly. It is best for concealed patches, such as filling in a wall void or gaps around your plumbing and wire conduits.
• Replace protective items that aren't getting the job done, such as screens, weatherstripping, door sweeps, weep hole protectors, and vent covers.
• Replace or repair rotting wood. Cockroaches are highly attracted to cracks in rotting wood because they are organic and high in moisture. Roaches also find food in stacked wood because many other insects are attracted to wood, both rotting and free of rot.
• Use a foundation repair kit to patch foundation cracks. You can use a kit for simple patches. Large areas of damage will need more effort to correct.

When you roll your sleeves up and do the hard work of cockroach control, you can naturally deter and control roaches. These steps also help to keep a long list of other pests out of your home. It is well worth the effort.