When you think of homes with a cockroach infestation you probably think of filthy city dwellings – but the reality is, cockroaches live anywhere they find access to food, shelter, and water. They are more than just an unwanted nuisance, cockroaches can transmit diseases like E. coli and salmonella to humans and contaminate food. They rarely come out during the day, unless you have such a serious cockroach infestation that they are being forced out of hiding, as they are nocturnal insects. Cockroaches can flatten their bodies to hide in narrow spaces such as beneath a rubber mat, under a floor drain, or even behind wallpaper.
How Do You Know You Have Cockroaches?
Since these insects don't come out much during the day, you will have to look for other signs rather than seeing the bugs themselves. Here are a few telltale signs you have cockroaches in your home:
- Cockroach fecal droppings: Similar in size to ground coffee, cockroach fecal droppings give you an idea of how many cockroaches you're dealing with and the areas that need to be treated.
- Dead cockroaches: If you look in your cabinets, near the refrigerator, under the stove and sink – you are likely to find cockroach corpses if you have an infestation. This is where they tend to hide during the day, so it's also the likely area where you can find the ones who don't survive.
- Musty odors: Cockroach infestations give off a musty, oily odor that gets stronger the larger your cockroach infestation problem becomes.
- Cockroach egg casings: Cockroaches produce oval-shaped egg casings that are brown in color and hold between 10 and 20 eggs each. You may find them under bookshelves, cabinets, behind furniture, under the stove, or in any small, hidden space.
How To Prevent Cockroaches
It is often easier to prevent cockroaches than it is to get rid of them. Here are some tips for preventing a cockroach infestation:
- Eliminate food sources. Clean and remove grease from kitchen appliances. Keep your food and pet food in tightly sealed containers. Use a disinfectant spray on food preparation surfaces and wash floors regularly to remove traces of crumbs and food particles.
- Eliminate water sources. Fix all leaking faucets. Dry your tubs and sinks and plug the drains when you go to bed. Place wet dish rags and sponges in zip-lock bags or toss them in the wash overnight.
- Keep cockroaches from getting in. Check that window screens do not have any rips or holes in them, as this is an easy way for cockroaches to gain entry.
Seek Professional Cockroach Control Services
If after you've tried all of the prevention methods and still have signs of a cockroach infestation in your home, give Big Blue Bug Solutions a call. Our professional technicians can verify if you do in fact have a cockroach infestation, and then take proper steps to both eliminate the existing infestation and prevent future ones from occurring.