Blog
Cockroach Identification And Prevention For Michigan Homeowners
9/19/13
Cockroaches are a very resilient pest; in fact they have been able to survive since dinosaurs have roamed the earth. There are about 4,500 species found worldwide, but only about 30 of those are associated with humans. In the Michigan three common types of cockroaches to infest homes and businesses include:
-
American Cockroaches- A large roach that can grow to be 1-1/2 inches in length and are reddish brown in color. Inside homes they can be found in basements and bathrooms.
-
Oriental Cockroaches- Another large cockroach that can grow in length up to 1 inch and are a dark, oily black in color. In homes they can be found in bathrooms, wet basements, in crawl spaces and underneath porches.
-
German Cockroaches- These are smaller roaches, growing in length between ¼-5/8 of an inch in length; they are light brown or tan in color with dark stripes down the head. They are often found in kitchens and bathrooms but are likely to spread to other areas if there is a large infestation.
Having cockroaches in your home can be very dangerous for you and your family; they spread bacteria they’ve collected from garbage, animal feces, sewers, and drains by walking across kitchen counters and other surfaces. They will not only crawl across kitchen surfaces, they may also forage in drawers, walk across food and even visit your dish cupboards. This increases the risk of making your family sick and them spreading Salmonella, dysentery and diarrhea. Also the excrement and shed skin that they leave behind has the potential to trigger severe asthma attacks in some people, especially the young and old and those with weakened immune systems
So how do roaches get inside in the first place? Like ants, spiders and even mice, cockroaches enter homes through cracks in foundations and gaps around windows and doors while searching for food and shelter. Once inside they have the ability to spread like wildfire if not taken care of quickly and effectively. That’s why it is so important to contact a professional Michigan exterminator at the first sign of a roach problem.
If your home is roach free and you want to keep it that way, you can take steps to prevent roaches from taking over. Here are a few cockroach prevention tips:
-
Cockroaches often get into homes by hitch hiking a ride inside in bags, packages and boxes so make sure to inspect these items before bringing them into your home.
-
Garbage in your home should be routinely taken out and stored in containers with tight fitting lids and kept away from the exterior of your home.
-
Dirty dishes should not be kept in your sink overnight and food should not be kept on your counters, it should be kept in the refrigerator or in sealed containers.
-
Leaky pipes or other moist areas in your home should be fixed since cockroaches are drawn to moist, humid areas.
-
Cutter should be reduced or eliminated in order to remove potential hiding spots for these pests.
As you can see, taking away shelter, food and water sources can certainly help prevent these nuisance and potentially harmful pests from choosing your home.
To get rid of cockroaches don’t waste your time with products you can buy at the hardware store, instead contact a local pest control provider for help. Pest control professionals will tackle the problem using tried and true methods that not only eliminate cockroaches and other pests, a year round pest management program will ensure that insects don’t return for another visit because it includes treatment (for both inside and outside), and in most cases, quarterly follow up visits. Partnering with a pest control company ensures accurate cockroach identification and control and will also protect your home against other household pests, no matter what time of year.
For more information on roaches and cockroach control in Detroit and throughout Michigan, Rose Pest Solutions can help. In business since 1860, this Michigan pest control company has the experience and technologies to quickly and efficiently rid your home of roaches and other pest problems.