Cockroaches are highly adaptable creatures. They can be found in various habitats such as on plant leaves, beneath barks, in insect nests, and in rotting wood. They consume a wide variety of food, including decaying trash. That is why roaches transmit different illnesses to humans. Also, they are associated with asthma and allergies. A combination of cleanliness and professional pest control in Portland is the key to controlling a cockroach infestation.
What to Know About Cockroaches
Roaches live in areas near people’s homes, especially the kitchen. They can transmit microorganisms that cause typhoid fever, gastroenteritis TB, hepatitis, and dysentery. Also, these pests may transmit viruses and parasitic worm eggs. The danger they present is so great that their population should be controlled.
Identifying a Roach Infestation
Every homeowner wants to establish a protection system against pests. But a lot of people cannot determine if they must plan a pest inspection, control, and extermination services regularly. In addition, because roaches are active at night, they cannot be seen in plain sight in daytime. They emerge at night to find food, making roach control and removal harder. But while you may not see them during the day, they can leave behind proof of their presence. If you notice the following signs before you spot a cockroach, you can do something to avoid a full-blown infestation:
- Cockroach droppings. These droppings look like coffee grounds. While they can have varying lengths, they are less than 1mm long.
- Smear markings. When roaches crawl on water, they leave behind brown smear marks. Naturally, a significant number of such marks means an infestation exists and must be controlled as soon as possible.
- Egg capsules. Roaches deposit their eggs in a capsule. Eggs capsules are found in damp, dark areas like along drains, inside closets, and in the trash if there is an ongoing infestation.
- Skin shedding. Roaches lose skin many times while they transform from being larvae to adults. If an infestation occurs, you can find skin droppings in your home’s dark and moist areas.
- Unusual odors. Roaches produce this odor when they defecate in their sleep. You may notice a musky stench in a roach-infested area.
How to Control a Roach Infestation
To ensure effective roach control, educate yourself about the issue and address it. Roach control includes the following:
- A thorough inspection. You can flush roaches out of their hiding spots with a pyrethrin aerosol spray or a torch. Also, you can use sticky traps to monitor the roach population in the long term.
- Prevent access to essentials. To deprive roaches of their much-needed food, shelter, and water, keep your home clean and minimize the availability of water by fixing faulty pipelines and taps. Also, you must store food in airtight containers and empty the trash regularly. Seal up gaps and gaps to prevent roaches from getting inside.
- Apply insecticides. Treating an entire infested area involves using space sprays or ultra-low volume devices. But these sprays may not penetrate the habitats, so employing fewer sprays and more baits and dusts may be a better option.