What are the signs of a cockroach infestation?
Common signs include droppings (small, dark spots), a musty odour, shed skin, and seeing live cockroaches, especially at night. You may also notice egg cases (oothecae) and smear marks along walls or floors.
How do cockroaches enter my home or business?
Cockroaches can enter through small cracks and crevices, gaps around doors and windows, drains, or hitch a ride on bags, boxes, or second-hand appliances.
What attracts cockroaches?
Cockroaches are primarily attracted to readily available food sources, moisture, warmth, and dark, cluttered environments that offer ample hiding spots. Common attractants in homes and businesses include uncovered food, crumbs, greasy residues, pet food, and exposed garbage. Leaky pipes or damp areas provide essential moisture, while clutter and cracks offer ideal breeding and hiding grounds. Keeping premises clean, dry, and free of food debris is crucial for prevention, as our roach exterminators provide useful tips on preventing future infestations.
Why are cockroaches difficult to eliminate?
Cockroaches are highly resilient pests. They reproduce quickly, can survive on minimal food and water, and have developed resistance to many over-the-counter insecticides.
Is it ever possible to get rid of roaches?
While cockroaches are highly resilient pests that reproduce quickly and can survive on minimal resources, it is not impossible to get rid of them. However, successfully eliminating a cockroach infestation often requires professional treatment due to their ability to hide in inaccessible areas and their developing resistance to many over-the-counter insecticides. Expert products and solutions are necessary to control an infestation effectively and eliminate all stages of their lifecycle, ensuring thorough eradication.
Is there a guaranteed way to get rid of roaches?
Yes, professional cockroach pest control offers a guaranteed way to get rid of roaches. Our service provides a 3-month guarantee against cockroach infestation, including 2 additional visits within that period after the initial treatment. This comprehensive approach, using expert products and solutions like special bait gel, aims to eliminate all stages of their lifecycle and prevent future infestations, ensuring fast and effective control that DIY methods often cannot achieve.
What health risks do cockroaches pose?
Cockroaches can spread bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli, contaminate food, and trigger allergies and asthma, especially in children.
Do roaches bite when you sleep?
While extremely rare, cockroaches can bite humans, particularly when they are sleeping, but this usually only happens in cases of severe infestations where food sources are scarce. Cockroach bites are not typically painful and are more likely to occur on soft skin areas like fingers, eyelids, or around the mouth. However, their presence poses greater health risks due to their ability to transmit diseases and trigger allergies, which is a primary reason for professional pest control.
What does professional cockroach treatment involve?
A professional service typically includes an inspection, identification of the cockroach species, and targeted treatment using insecticides, baits, and traps. Follow-up visits may be necessary to ensure complete eradication.
How long does it take to get rid of cockroaches?
The time required varies depending on the infestation's severity and the treatment used. It can take from a few days to several weeks to eliminate all cockroaches, including their eggs.
What to do if you see a cockroach?
If you see a cockroach, especially during the day, it often indicates a larger infestation hidden nearby. Do not panic. The best course of action is to clean up any food debris or water sources immediately, and then promptly contact a professional pest control service. Early action is crucial to prevent the infestation from spreading rapidly. Our experts can inspect your property to determine severity and apply targeted treatment.
What to do if a cockroach touches you?
If a cockroach touches you, it's advisable to wash the affected skin area thoroughly with soap and water as soon as possible. While cockroach bites are rare, they are known to carry diseases such as Salmonella, E. coli, and to cause allergies. Good hygiene practices after contact can help minimize any potential health risks. If you notice signs of an infestation after such contact, professional pest control is recommended.
Why shouldn't you squish a cockroach?
You shouldn't squish a cockroach primarily because it can lead to several undesirable outcomes. Squishing a cockroach can spread bacteria (like Salmonella) and allergens present on its body and legs. If it's a female cockroach, it might release its egg case, scattering dozens of viable eggs and potentially leading to a new infestation. Additionally, the smell released by a squished cockroach might attract other pests. Professional treatment methods, such as bait gels, are designed to eliminate them without these risks.
Why does killing a cockroach attract more?
Killing a cockroach, particularly by squishing it, can release certain pheromones from its body. These pheromones, specifically aggregation pheromones, act as chemical signals to other cockroaches, potentially attracting them to the area. Additionally, the bodily fluids released can also contain bacteria and allergens, further emphasizing why professional, targeted eradication methods that don't involve squishing are preferred.
What happens if you vacuum up a cockroach?
If you vacuum up a cockroach, it is crucial to immediately empty the vacuum cleaner's contents into a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it outdoors. This prevents the cockroach from potentially escaping the vacuum bag and ensures any eggs or bacteria it might carry are contained. Simply vacuuming a cockroach is not an effective method of extermination for an infestation, as it does not address the source or hidden nests.
What smell do roaches hate?
Cockroaches are believed to dislike strong smells such as peppermint oil, cedar, citrus, bay leaves, and even garlic. These natural substances can act as repellents and may deter roaches from certain areas. However, while these smells might discourage their presence, they are not effective solutions for eliminating an existing infestation. Professional treatment, using bait gels and targeted insecticides, is necessary to actively attract and eradicate roaches that are already present in your home or business.
What naturally repels cockroaches?
Natural substances like peppermint oil, cedar, citrus scents, bay leaves, and even coffee grounds are commonly believed to repel cockroaches. These natural deterrents emit odors that cockroaches dislike, potentially discouraging them from entering or remaining in treated areas. However, it's important to note that natural repellents primarily serve as deterrents and are not effective in eliminating an existing cockroach infestation. For eradication, professional pest control methods are required to eliminate all stages of their lifecycle.
How do I know if I got rid of all cockroaches?
You will know if you've effectively gotten rid of all cockroaches by the absence of signs of their activity. This includes no new sightings of live cockroaches (especially at night), no fresh droppings, no musty odor, and no new egg cases or smear marks. Our guaranteed cockroach treatment includes 2 additional observation visits within 3 months after the initial treatment, during which the exterminators will monitor for any signs of continued activity to ensure complete eradication.
