Cockroaches live on every continent except Antarctica. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that 63% of homes in the U.S. have cockroaches or their remnants, including body parts, droppings, and saliva, all of which are enough to make you and your family sick. Luckily, there are options for removing cockroaches from your home by working with an Aiken pest control professional.
Sure Signs You Have A Cockroach Infestation
There are several signs of a cockroach infestation in your home, including:
- Droppings on your kitchen and bathroom counters that resemble black pepper or coffee grounds
- Dark brown or black smears in corners
- Brown, ridged egg capsules that are ¼ to ½ inch long
- A musty smell, especially in your kitchen or bathrooms
- Seeing actual cockroaches
There are three types of cockroaches in the Aiken area: German cockroaches, American cockroaches, and oriental cockroaches. They vary in size from ½ to 2 ⅛ inches long and in color from light brown to black.
You must know how to get rid of cockroaches because they aren’t just nuisance pests. They can make you, your family, and your pets seriously ill.
Why Cockroach Infestations Are Such A Health Hazard
Cockroaches are known carriers of at least 46 different pathogens that can make people sick, including salmonella, listeria, E. Coli, typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, giardia, and gastroenteritis. They can contaminate your kitchen just by walking across countertops and on food. German cockroaches also cause allergic reactions, primarily in children. However, anyone can develop a German cockroach allergy at any age.
To learn how to get rid of cockroaches in your house, turn to the highly-trained professional pest control technicians at Aiken Pest Control for help.
Why DIY Cockroach Control Usually Fails
Many people try the DIY route when it comes to eliminating cockroaches from their homes. However, these efforts are almost always doomed to fail. First, cockroaches multiply too quickly for you to keep up with them. They can breed up to six generations in a year, with females laying five to six egg capsules in their lifetime with up to 50 eggs inside.
Second, cockroaches have become immune to many commercially available cockroach control products. You can spray many of these products in cockroach-heavy areas and never make a dent in the population. As each generation of cockroaches becomes immune, they pass that immunity on to their offspring.
The most effective thing you can do about cockroaches in your Aiken home is never to have them in the first place. You can take several steps to make that happen.
The following steps are a great place to start:
- Clean up spills and crumbs in your kitchen as soon as they happen to deny cockroaches a food source.
- Don’t let dishes pile up in your sink – wash them immediately when you’re done eating for the same reason.
- Take out your kitchen trash every night to your outdoor garbage cans with tight-fitting lids. Wash out your kitchen trash can weekly.
- Seal your foundation. Caulk any cracks in your foundation, around your windows, and your doors so cockroaches can’t get inside that way.
- Repair or replace your window and door screens so cockroaches can’t use them as a point of entry.
All these steps will help minimize the chances of cockroaches in your home, but the best way to ensure a cockroach-free living area is to partner with a local pest control company like Aiken Pest Control. We have the technology, products, and know-how to keep cockroaches out of your Aiken home. If cockroaches have already made it into your home, we can eliminate them for good.
The Safe And Effective Way To Get Rid Of A Cockroach Infestation
By now, you should know what to do if you see a cockroach. First, squash it. Second, contact Aiken Pest Control and request a free inspection. We’ve been in the pest control business since 1967, and some of our customers have been with us for more than 40 years. Reach out to us today for your free inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Aiken.