How To Keep Cockroaches Out Of Your Columbia Home

To know whether you have a cockroach problem, it’s critical that you can identify the bugs you’ve got as roaches. There are three types of cockroaches that typically infest Columbia homes: American, German, and oriental cockroaches.

American cockroach versus German cockroach identification is simple. American roaches are approximately four times the size of German cockroaches, growing to two to three inches long, as opposed to German roaches that top out at just over half an inch in length. Oriental cockroaches are in between, at about one inch long. 

Beetles are among the bugs most commonly mistaken for cockroaches. One way to tell the difference is that the cockroaches’ wings look leathery, while beetles’ wings are hard. Roaches are also sometimes confused with water bugs since American roaches are often called water bugs in various locales. However, true water bugs don’t have antennae, are attracted to light, and live in water. Roaches have antennae, run from light, and can’t survive in water. 

Cockroaches are filthy, disease-carrying bugs. They excrete these pathogens in their feces, which they then walk through, giving them the ability to contaminate any surface they touch.

Here are a few of the different illnesses cockroaches are known to carry.

• E. coli
• Giardia
• Listeriosis
• Dysentery
• Gastroenteritis
• Cholera
• Typhoid Fever
• Salmonella

Cockroaches can also cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks, especially in children. Allergy testing can show if you have an allergy to roach feces. For those who do, breathing in the air where cockroach feces and pheromones are present can cause a reaction.

If you had an infestation in the past or are afraid of getting some unwelcome new roommates, it’s important for you to know how to deter cockroaches.

Here are five tips to prevent cockroaches from setting up shop in your home.

1. Keep all your food in airtight containers. Roaches can chew through things like bread bags and cereal boxes, but they can’t get through Tupperware or other similar food-storage containers.
2. Make sure your kitchen is clean. Cockroaches love a messy kitchen with food drying on dishes in the sink, crumbs under the toaster, and spills on the counter. Clean everything up promptly to deny cockroaches and other pests a food source.
3. Fix any leaky pipes you might have since cockroaches are attracted to water. Also, dry out your sink after you’re done using it. Use dehumidifiers to make your home less hospitable to roaches, especially in your bathroom or crawlspaces.
4. Seal up any points of entry into your home. Full-grown German cockroaches can sneak in through remarkably small gaps. Make your caulking gun your new best friend to seal all those cracks and crevices.
5. Eliminate clutter all over your house. Roaches hide anywhere they won’t be disturbed, including in piles of papers and cardboard boxes. Clear off your desk, countertops, tables, nightstands, and anywhere else where clutter may be living.

These steps may seem like extra work, but it is far easier to prevent cockroaches than it is to get rid of an infestation.

For the best cockroach control, you need to hire a professional pest control company. Professional pest control technicians have the experience you need to get rid of cockroaches for good. They can use a professional cockroach treatment you may not have access to, so they can eliminate your roach problem once and for all.

Warrior Pest stands ready to take care of all your pest control needs, including getting cockroaches out of your home or business and keeping them out. It was an honor to serve my country, and it will be an honor to serve you! Call now to get your free estimate and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Columbia, MD.