Imperial Valley's Complete Guide To American Cockroach Control
July 17, 2020 - Cockroaches
Does the size of a creature affect how dangerous it is? Yes, sometimes. We can all agree that a tiger is more of a threat than your neighbor’s cat. The question is, is the same true with cockroaches? If it is true, then American cockroaches should be the most dangerous cockroaches of them all. To find out if they are, learn how to find cockroaches in your home, and to help you better understand why cockroach control is vitally important, here is our complete guide to American cockroaches.
What Are American Cockroaches?
American cockroaches are the largest known species of roaches here in North America. Besides their size, these pests can be identified by their reddish-brown, flat bodies, and the yellow figure-eight pattern just behind their head.
American roaches will feed on almost anything they can find. Although they prefer decaying organic matter, these pests have been known to consume odd substances including paper, glue, fabrics, toenail clippings, and even human saliva.
What might shock you is that the American cockroach is, in fact, not from America at all. The American cockroach originated from Africa and wasn’t introduced to our continent until 1625 during the early stages of colonization.
Why American Cockroaches Are Bad News
Have you heard of Salmonella? How about E. coli? These are just two bacteria of 33 that American cockroaches are able to carry and spread. If this wasn’t enough, these large roaches are capable of carrying seven dangerous human pathogens and six parasitic worms. When inside homes and businesses, American cockroaches spread these problems as they roam and scavenge for food.
American cockroach urine, feces, saliva, and shed skins contain allergen proteins. These proteins can attribute to allergic reactions as well as asthma attacks to individuals within cockroach-infested buildings. This issue is especially problematic for young children.
The question is, do these things make American roaches more dangerous than other roaches? No. Why? Because all roaches cause the same problems. You are just as likely to get sick if American roaches are in your home as you are if you have any other kind of roaches.
How You Can Prevent American Cockroaches
American cockroaches will enter into homes and businesses for a few reasons. Sometimes they come in to search for food. Other times they are pushed into buildings by inclement weather conditions. Regardless of why American cockroaches might invade your Imperial Valley home or business, here are four cockroach prevention tips you can try.
Keep up with cleaning. Cockroaches love living in and feeding on filth. The more you keep up with general cleaning, especially in tight spaces such as beneath stoves, dishwashers, and refrigerators, the less likely American cockroaches will be to invade.
Reduce available food sources. Cockroaches will eat practically anything, but there are some things you can do to limit their access to food. Making sure your trashcans are properly sealed and storing your leftover food inside airtight containers are two great ways you can do this.
Eliminate points of entry. If cockroaches can’t find their way inside, problems won’t start in the first place. To seal up your home against cockroaches, repair broken screens, fill in gaps, cracks, and holes with a caulking gun, and install fine wire mesh inside exterior vents.
Reduce moisture. American cockroaches love moisture. The more you keep up with fixing leaks, repairing broken gutters, and keeping humidity down inside your home or business, the less comfortable it will be for invading roaches.
The Easiest And Most Cost-Effective Way To Deal With American Cockroaches
When it comes to getting cockroaches out of Imperial Valley homes, you have no better option than to turn to the professionals here at Imperial County Pest Control. Our team of dedicated Imperial Valley home pest control and commercial pest control professionals has the training and treatments needed to quickly and effectively remove unwanted cockroach guests from your home or business. If that is what you are looking for, give us a call today. We would be happy to discuss our methods with you and help find which solution will best fit your individual needs.