Cockroaches are common in Plano, Texas. The warm and moist climate allows various cockroach species to thrive in this area. These small, unsanitary insects can be creepy to find in your home and extremely dangerous to you and your family. At All-Safe Pest & Termite, we have been providing pest control in Plano for years and know the proper steps to take to eliminate all roaches in your home.
How To Tell If You Have A Cockroach Problem
Cockroaches like to stay hidden as much as possible. However, there are still a few telltale signs that these filthy insects commonly leave behind. Some of the clues that you should watch out for include:
- Roach droppings: Roaches leave several droppings behind wherever they go. Cockroach droppings look like tiny, black specs that resemble ground coffee.
- Egg sacs: The female cockroach produces an egg sac, called an ootheca, that can hold up to 30 nymphs at a time. The rectangle-shaped ootheca is only about eight millimeters long and dark brown. On average, one female cockroach can lay about 80 to 90 ootheca in its life.
- Skin casings: A cockroach will grow quite a bit from when it hatches to when it reaches full maturity. As the cockroach grows, it will shed its old skin. Usually, a cockroach will molt about five or six times before it stops growing.
- Dark smear marks: When a cockroach leaves droppings behind, it often runs its body over the fecal matter, causing dark smear marks on your sheets, walls, countertops, or any other surface with high roach activity.
Roaches are also known to leave behind a strong, musty odor. The odor smells like that of an old, wet towel. If you notice a strong, musty odor in your home that you can't identify, it is time to have your home inspected for cockroaches.
Can Cockroaches In My House Really Make Me Sick?
Cockroaches are unhygienic insects that crawl over fecal matter, garbage, and other unsanitary surfaces every day. While climbing over these surfaces, roaches will pick up various bacteria and viruses along the way. Some of the illnesses that you can catch from cockroaches include:
- Leprosy
- Cholera
- Dysentery
- Typhoid fever
- Listeriosis
- Salmonellosis
- Campylobacteriosis
Many cockroaches will spread these diseases by walking over your food and food prep surfaces without your knowledge. If you see a cockroach in or around your home, you should disinfect any surface with which it comes into contact.
How Can I Prevent Future Cockroach Infestations In My Home?
A cockroach will come into your home in search of food, shelter, and water. A cockroach is less likely to get inside if you make these things inaccessible. Some of the best ways to prevent a cockroach infestation include:
- Keep a lid on all of your outdoor trash cans, and keep the cans away from your house.
- Keep all food, including pet food, in an airtight container with a sealable lid.
- Don't leave standing water around your home. Fix any leaky pipes or faucets as soon as possible. Also, make sure to wipe out any water droplets left in your sink or the countertops around the sink.
- Seal up any cracks or gaps that are around your home.
- Keep the grass in your yard cut short.
- Sweep and mop your home often to ensure no food crumbs are lying around.
It is also a good idea to keep your house tidy and clutter-free. If there are a lot of unused boxes, bags, and other clutter lying around your home, the roaches will have more places to hide.
What's The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Cockroaches?
Getting rid of cockroaches in your home can be an uphill battle if you're going it alone. At All-Safe Pest & Termite, we understand the best way to tackle a roach problem. If you are looking for a quick and hassle-free way to eliminate cockroaches from your Plano home, give us a call today!