The Easiest Way To Tackle A Cockroach Problem In Frisco

People who grew up taking castor oil have many stories of being chased around the house by a parent because they did not want to take the dreaded castor oil. Castor oil has many benefits, but it has a reputation as being an awful-tasting product.

Marketers know that reputation is everything. People will not purchase a product that has a poor perception. How does a product earn a poor reputation? It causes harm, or it does not live up to its promises. Products and services are not the only things with a good or bad reputation; pests may also earn a reputation, and one insect with a terrible reputation is the cockroach.

Cockroaches have a poor reputation because of the disease and problems they cause homeowners. So, when you see a cockroach running across the floor, you want it gone not only out of concern for the danger it brings to your house but also because cockroaches are embarrassing to have in your house.

If you stumble over cockroaches running across your kitchen or bathroom floor in the middle of the night, you need the Frisco pest control services of All-Safe Pest & Termite. Suppose a cockroach occasionally darts out from underneath furniture. In that case, you need licensed and certified technicians from the largest, independent family-owned and operated pest control service in the area: All-Safe Pest & Termite. For almost four decades, our award-winning team has removed cockroaches from houses bringing homeowners peace of mind and alleviating embarrassing situations.

We have included the following information for you to understand the pest invading your Frisco home and what you can do to take care of the cockroach infestation. 

What Do Cockroaches Look Like?

Thousands of cockroach species exist worldwide, and while they vary in size, color, and flying ability, they all share the characteristics of insects. Cockroaches are part of the Insecta class which means they possess six jointed legs, a body with three segments, compound eyes, a pair of antennae, and an exoskeleton.

Although cockroaches have the requirements to be classified as insects, they do have a few distinctions. Cockroaches have three pairs of legs like insects, but cockroach legs have horizontal spines or hair-like structures protruding from their legs. Also, the two long, slender, perpetually moving antennae are nearly as long as their entire body. Although a cockroach has three segments, it has a pronotum that covers part of its thorax, which makes it look like it has a long, slender one-piece body.

Like insects, not all cockroaches possess wings, and some have only wing pads. Of those cockroaches that have wings, not all fly, and those who fly usually fly short distances or use their wings more as gliders.

One insect that some mistake for cockroaches is the beetle, but upon closer examination, the differences are distinguishable. Beetles have wider thick bodies and shorter antennae and do not have spines on their legs.

The bodies of cockroaches infesting Frisco homes range from 1/2 inch long (brown-banded cockroaches) to 2 1/8 inches long (American cockroaches). Although oriental cockroaches, which are sometimes an issue for Frisco homeowners, especially outside the house, have jet-black, shiny bodies, most cockroaches that invade Frisco homes have a tan or reddish-brown body.

In summary, the following are characteristics of cockroaches:

• Body size: 1/2 to 2 1/8 inch
• Body color: Tan to reddish-brown (except for the black oriental cockroach)
• Legs: Six with spines
• Antenna: Two that are long and slender 
• Eyes: Compound
• Wings or wing pads: Yes

If you see bugs fitting this description, you have a cockroach infestation in your Frisco home. When an All-Safe Pest & Termite technician inspects your home, they will determine what cockroach species is invading your property. 

The Diseases Cockroaches Can Spread

Cockroaches earned their poor reputation through their foraging habits because they hunt for food in rotting garbage, drains, sewage, and animal feces. Since these filthy areas are ripe with decay, they foster bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms. It is disgusting to think that these areas attract cockroaches, but the problem is that the spines on their legs serve as a magnet to the pathogens lying on the surface. Later, as cockroaches travel through a home, the disease-causing organisms on their leg spines fall off and contaminate countertops, cooking surfaces, exposed food, drawers, and cabinets.

Cockroach legs not only attract pathogens, but they consume organic material laden with these unhealthy organisms. Like all living creatures, cockroaches eliminate waste, and as they move through a house, they defecate, depositing disease-ridden feces on surfaces. They also spread bacteria and other diseases through saliva as they chew on food product packages.

Cockroaches transmit salmonellosis, typhoid fever, gastroenteritis, dysentery, E. coli infection, and other bacterial diseases. They also spread giardia, caused by a microscopic parasite, through their leg spines, defecation, and saliva.

All-Safe Pest & Termite offers pest control for roaches to protect your family and friends by eliminating cockroaches in your Frisco home. By removing the problem, you can rest easy at night because cockroaches are no longer spreading disease through the house. 

How Cockroaches Find Their Way Into Our Homes

Before we answer how cockroaches get into Frisco homes, we must first answer the question: why are cockroaches in my house? In many cases, cockroaches enter houses because they are on the property. You need to remove the following from your yard to deter cockroaches from your property:

• Standing water in water-collecting items and poorly draining ditches
• Leaf, mulch, and wood piles  
• Rotting fruit
• Animal feces
• Outdoor pet food bowls
• Open garbage containers 
• Exposed compost piles

Food, water, and warmth attract cockroaches to properties and into houses. Eliminating hiding places and areas with high moisture content will discourage cockroaches from staying on your property and reduce the possibility of them trying to enter your Frisco home.

Cockroaches do not need a wide gap to enter houses. German cockroaches are the most common species invading Frisco homes, and these 1/2 to 5/8-inch long, light tan insects can squeeze through 3/8-inch wide openings. Brown-banded cockroaches, who are only 1/2 inch long, may enter through cracks.

American, oriental, and brown-banded cockroaches enter homes through cracks in foundation walls, gaps between incoming pipes and wires, and openings around utility boxes, window frames, door frames, and crawl space vents. In addition to sealing cracks, screen crawl space vents with a wire mesh.

Cockroaches may penetrate a house by walking under exterior doors and into open garages. Install door sweeps and keep the garage door closed as much as possible.

Another way cockroaches enter your house is by using branches and shrubs as highways onto window sills and roofs. Trim shrubs and tree branches away and seal any cracks in the roofline and attic vents; repair holes in the window and door screens to prevent entry by cockroaches that have climbed onto the sides of the house.

Although German cockroaches may also enter homes the same way other cockroach species penetrate homes, they often get into a home by hitchhiking in grocery bags, cardboard boxes, and used appliances and furniture. Inspect any used items brought into the house and look through handbags and clothing after returning from an overnight trip to a public location.

Not only will a dry, clean property deter cockroaches from staying on your property, but maintaining a clean home will discourage them from staying should they find a way inside. Vacuum your home regularly and suction out cracks. Wipe countertops and eating surfaces after each meal. Clean and store dishes after each meal or before bedtime, and remove dog food from bowls before bedtime. Also, keep indoor garbage cans closed.

A professional cockroach remedy is necessary to win the war against cockroaches. When an All-Safe Pest & Termite technician inspects your Frisco home, they will identify entry points into your house so you can close off the pathways to prevent future infestations. 

The Fast And Safe Way To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

The best way to eliminate cockroaches from your Frisco home is to use a company with extensive experience with cockroach pest control in Frisco, All-Safe Pest & Termite. Our highly trained technicians know the habits and behaviors of cockroaches infesting local homes. As a result, they know the signs of a cockroach infestation and where to investigate for those indications.

Based on the discoveries from the inspection, we will create a strategic plan to treat your home based on the cockroach species infesting your house. The low-toxicity treatments we select: baiting, dusting, or liquid residual, will be tailored to effectively remove the type of cockroaches in the home.

A store-bought do-it-yourself product may bring instant satisfaction when you douse a cockroach, but the product inevitably fails to destroy the cockroach egg capsules glued throughout your home. Cockroaches reproduce at an alarming rate, and our decades of experience have taught us that one treatment may not eliminate the problem completely. So, we offer follow-up treatments and products to ensure the elimination of cockroaches in your home.

Our knowledge, experience, and award-winning service have earned us a "Top Pick" designation in an independent survey of over 10,000 metroplex homeowners. Contact us today to learn more and get your free estimate!