Home & Garden Pest Control

Getting rid of cockroaches

While no one cares to admit it, even the nicest homes and restaurants may have cockroaches, especially during the warmer months of the year. Fortunately, these unappealing bugs do not bite, but they do pose a number of health and safety risks through the spreading of germs and bacteria.  As a result, it is important to know where these pests dwell, in order to know how to keep them out of your own dwelling.

There are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide.  The most common species is the German cockroach followed by the Brownbanded cockroach and the American cockroach.  Since these insects are cold-blooded, they are able to live without food for a month at a time, but they can only live without water for a week. Known to reproduce quickly, if you see one, it's likely many more are hiding and multiplying in and around your home or office. 

Outdoors, cockroaches live in moist, dark, planted or landscaped environments. They survive on nutrients from plants, insects, pet droppings and trash. Once inside the house, they go to the kitchens, bathroom drains, sinks, tubs, disposals, trash cans, potted plants, under sinks and sink overflow vents. They survive on the waste in the sinks and drains as well as anything in the trash cans. 

Cockroaches are some of the most adaptable creatures on earth, which is why controlling and eliminating them can be very difficult. In order to ensure their termination, follow these steps to help keep your home safe:

 1. Remove clutter, lawn trimmings, leaves and yard clippings away from your home.  Then, remove lumber, firewood or any other debris you may have around the perimeter of the house.

 2. Repair and adjust your sprinkler overspray and check your timer to make sure you aren't over-watering your grass.  Repair any leaks in the garden hoses, sprinkler lines and hose bibs. 

3. Repair any gutter leaks, and re-direct your air conditioner condenser line away from your home.

It is also important to keep your food sealed and stored properly. Your kitchen should be the only place where food is stored and it should be cleaned regularly to prevent crumbs and trash build-up. Homeowners should inspect and seal all cracks and holes in homes, because these small crevices often serve as ideal entryways for  cockroaches and other pests. Cockroaches are particularly great at hiding and their eggs are naturally protected from most of over-the-counter insecticides, so a professional grade solution works best.

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