Nobody wants to see a cockroach running through their kitchen. Unfortunately, seeing one roach usually means there are many more hiding. If you’re seeing signs of cockroaches in your home, call Epcon Lane for treatment. We offer high-quality pest control in Cleveland that will have your home cockroach-free in no time.
Types Of Cockroaches You Can Find In Cleveland
There are four types of cockroaches that might be infesting your Cleveland home.
American cockroaches are the biggest species, growing to be about two inches long. These cockroaches can fly short distances. They’re reddish brown with yellow markings on the backs of their heads. American cockroaches are often found near sewers and drains as well as near food.
German cockroaches are typically only about half an inch long. They’re a lighter brown with dark stripes on their backs. German roaches have wings and are able to fly, but usually prefer to run. They’re commonly seen in kitchens and bathrooms—anywhere they can get food and water.
Oriental cockroaches are shiny black and around an inch long. They can’t fly. Oriental cockroaches are sometimes called “water bugs” because they really thrive in wet areas.
Pennsylvania wood cockroaches can also sometimes be found in Cleveland homes. Despite the name, these roaches are found in eastern, southern, and midwestern states. They’re usually around an inch long and dark brown with yellow markings. Male wood roaches can fly, but not for long periods of time. These roaches are often brought inside with firewood.
The Diseases And Other Health Concerns Roaches Can Create In Your Home
Cockroaches are annoying enough just to have in your home. But they can also cause serious health issues because of the diseases they spread. Cockroaches have little spines on their legs that pick up bacteria, viruses, and parasites that then spread wherever they walk. Some of these include E. coli and salmonella bacteria, typhoid fever, cholera, and gastroenteritis, as well as many others.
Additionally, cockroach saliva, urine, and fecal matter can cause allergic reactions and asthma flare-ups, especially in children.
Why It’s So Hard To Get Rid Of Cockroaches
Cockroaches can seem invincible. They aren’t, but they’re definitely hard to kill. They have tough exoskeletons that can withstand a lot of pressure, making them hard to squish. Many cockroaches, especially in established infestations, develop resistance to common pesticides. Cockroaches are also able to survive for weeks without food, and up to a week after losing their heads.
Not only are they hard to kill, but cockroach populations can grow exponentially. It only takes about a hundred days for a cockroach to grow from an egg to an adult. Those adults then start producing their own eggs. A cockroach colony can go through several generations within a single year, with each female cockroach producing hundreds of eggs over her lifetime. This is why it’s so important that cockroach infestations are taken care of as soon as possible. It’s much easier to get rid of an infestation before it’s grown.
Do-it-yourself cockroach control can be difficult. It’s much easier to prevent cockroach infestations in the first place by limiting their access to food, water, and shelter.
The three basic tips to prevent cockroaches include:
- Keep food in airtight containers
- Clean up any sites of standing water or excess moisture
- Seal holes and cracks in the walls
Putting as much food as possible into solid plastic or glass containers means that cockroaches can’t get to it. It also means they won’t be able to smell the food as easily.
Cockroaches prefer to live in humid environments, and oriental roaches especially love to live near water. Drying out areas of your home that tend to collect moisture—including bathrooms, basements, and crawlspaces—can help make your home less hospitable to cockroaches.
Cockroaches are pretty small and flat, which means they can fit into tiny spaces. When you have gaps under doors and windows or cracks in the walls, cockroaches can use those to get inside. Taking time to seal those holes up means there are fewer ways for roaches to enter your home.
Cockroach prevention is key, but it won’t do you much good if there’s an infestation already in your home. When that’s the case, it’s time to call in professional help.
The Most Effective Cockroach Control For Your Home
Because cockroaches are so hard to deal with on your own, the absolute best way to solve an infestation is to call in a professional pest control company.
Epcon Lane offers total cockroach control that’s also safe for you and your family. All of our treatments are EPA-approved. We believe in using multifaceted pest control approaches that work to keep pests from coming back in addition to getting rid of an infestation. Call today to learn more about our options for getting rid of cockroaches from your home.