Roaches In Your Houston Home Can Be A Bigger Problem Than You May Think

What would you do for a million dollars? Would you eat a live cockroach? Many people couldn’t bring themselves to even touch one of these pests for that amount of money. There is just something innately creepy about these bugs. Their flat bodies, long antennae, and quick movements make them a terror to behold. What makes things worse is that cockroaches like to invade and live inside homes in Houston. We do not want you to find these potentially dangerous insects around your living areas. To help you avoid this pest problem, we are going to break down everything you need to know about roaches in today's article, including what types of cockroaches invade homes in our area; the life cycle of these pests; the harm they cause to residents; the downfalls of do-it-yourself prevention; and the many benefits professional pest control can have. For immediate help eliminating an active cockroach infestation inside your Houston home, get our team involved. Modern Pest Control is a local company that provides advanced treatments for a wide variety of invasive species, including roaches. We would be happy to inform you about what pest control in Houston looks like and find a service time that works best for you and your home. Learn more about the cockroaches in Houston by reading on. We have everything you need to know to become somewhat of an expert on these pests!

Types Of Roaches That Commonly Invade Houston Homes

The world is filled with so many different types of pests, many of which are insects. One of the most common home-invading insects in Houston is the cockroach. Now, all cockroaches are not the same. These pests come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common species in our area is the German roach. This pest is ½ to ⅝” long and has a light brown to tan, oval-shaped body, two long antennae, six barbed legs, and two almost parallel lines behind its head. This smaller species is easily able to squeeze into homes through tiny gaps and cracks. Larger species like the American cockroach, are less common inside houses, partly because of their larger size. This roach can grow to be 1 ¼ to 2 ⅛” long and has a reddish brown body and a pale yellow figure-eight pattern behind its head. Other kinds of cockroaches that live in Houston and occasionally invade homes are oriental roaches: 1" long and jet black; brown-banded cockroaches: ½” long with a dark brown body and light bands around its wings; and smokey brown cockroaches: 1 to 1 ½” long with a mahogany-colored body. 

 Although very different in size and appearance, all roaches like the same things. Inside homes, these pests gravitate to secluded, moist areas. They love locations where their backs and bellies can touch a surface at the same time. This provides a level of comfort for these nasty insects. Common places where you might find roaches inside your home are: behind and around appliances, in basements/storage rooms, and tucked away in laundry rooms. If you see one of these pests late at night after turning on a light, you will not see it for long. Cockroaches are incredibly fast on their feet. The German roach, a smaller and more common species in our area, is able to move at three miles per hour. What makes things even creepier is that these pests can shift from floors to walls to ceilings without breaking pace.

All cockroaches start out as eggs. To keep their eggs safe, females lay them in clutches inside large casings. These casings vary in color and size depending on the species. With oriental, brown-banded, and American cockroaches, egg casings can be used for identification. This is not the case for German cockroaches as they carry their young with them until they are ready to hatch. Keeping this in mind, it is important that you know some other signs of cockroaches to identify these pests without seeing them inside your home. Here are some simple steps to spot an infestation inside your home.

• Thoroughly inspect cabinets, pantries, and underneath appliances for roach droppings. These droppings look similar to ground coffee beans.
• Investigate floors and countertops for smear marks. These streaks are left behind after roaches rub their dirty bellies on surfaces.
• Check under appliances, inside pantries, and in other secluded areas for living and dead roaches.
• While checking for roaches, look for their shed skins and egg casings. Most egg casings are ⅜” long and reddish-brown to mahogany in color.
• Smell the air around your home. If things are clean but there is still an aroma of grease and grime, that might be a sign of roaches.
• Inspect books, cardboard boxes, and paper around your home for damage. Roaches love to eat these tasty treats.

For assistance spotting roaches inside your home, consider scheduling a thorough pest inspection. We offer this service at Modern Pest Control if you want a trusted local company for the job at hand.

The Dangerous Diseases Cockroaches Are Known To Spread

There is no denying that cockroaches are creepy to look at. The question is, are these pests a threat? This all depends on a few things. The biggest factor is whether or not the cockroaches inside your home are clean. Now, roaches are actually religious groomers. They are always cleaning their bodies of dirt, grime, and oil. The problem lies with the items these bugs ingest. A cockroach is a lot like a trash can. It takes in nasty items that shouldn’t be left lying around. These items might include rotting vegetation, spoiled meat, fecal matter, and dead animal remains. Consuming these items inside or around your home leaves roaches teeming with harmful bacteria. This bacteria is spread through a roach’s fecal droppings onto countertops, left-out food, and other areas around homes. You might get sick from interacting with a contaminated surface or item, or by consuming food with roach droppings in it. Some common diseases cockroaches carry and can spread inside your Houston home are E. coli, giardia, listeriosis, typhoid fever, cholera, gastroenteritis, and salmonellosis. The last thing we want is for these pests to get you or one of your family members sick.

Spreading diseases is by far the biggest threat roaches pose inside local homes. It is not, however, the only problem these pests cause. For instance, did you know that a roach’s fecal droppings and shed skins can act as irritants for people with allergies or asthma? It’s true. If you have an active infestation inside your home and you start to have breathing problems, this is why. Another common problem with roaches is property damage. Now, the damage these pests cause is not usually severe. It is mostly isolated to their habit of eating wallpaper, book bindings, stamps, leather, and cardboard boxes. The good news is that this behavior can be stopped quickly by addressing problems inside your home.

Why Do-It-Yourself Cockroach Control Usually Fails

There are two sides to cockroach control; prevention and elimination. Prevention is something that you can do on your own using simple DIY methods. Here are six options we think you should know.

1. Walk around your home’s exterior and look for gaps, cracks, and holes in its foundation. Purchase a caulking gun and some silicone caulk to fill in these potential entry points. For damage larger than a quarter in width, consider bringing in a professional for more extensive repair work.
2. Inspect your home’s windows/doors. Make sure they are in good working condition and that they are properly sealed with things like weatherstripping, door sweeps, and screens. Do your best to keep unscreened windows and doors closed when you are not using them.
3. Clear up brush, sticks, leaves, and other organic clutter from your yard. These places provide roaches with easy hiding spots close to the exterior of your home.
4. Eliminate sources of water build-up after it rains. After you do this, look for ways to prevent this build-up in the future. This might involve filling in holes or repairing damaged gutters.
5. Address moisture problems inside your home by fixing leaky piping and wiping up moisture spills. It also helps to utilize a dehumidifier to keep air moisture to a minimum.
6. Clean up food messes as they occur around your home and keep up with general chores like dishes. A few dirty plates are all a roach needs to feed all night long.
7. Vacuum your carpets regularly and wipe down countertops and stovetops after making a meal. We also recommend deep cleaning your stove and oven at least once a month to remove burnt food residue. Don't forget the crack between your stove and the cabinet.
8. Organize storage areas and do your best to keep clutter to a minimum around your home. The fewer places roaches have to hide the better.
9. Store all of your leftovers, pantry items, and pet food inside airtight containers. Glass containers are especially helpful as they allow easy visibility to check for bugs. Also, storing food inside a refrigerator is a great way to keep it out of reach of hungry bugs.
10. Limit the rooms you eat in to just one or two. This will make cleaning and reducing food sources easier.

There is no denying that preventing cockroaches takes effort. If you want help with keeping these pests out of your home, we have many amazing options at Modern Pest Control. All you have to do is reach out to our team to learn more about our services. We will find one that suits your needs and solves your pest problems!

Eliminating cockroaches is far more difficult than keeping these pests out of your home. Due to their resilience, durability, and ability to avoid danger, these local insects are among the most challenging pests to address without professional help. If you are intent on trying to address an infestation inside your home yourself, please consider these three things. First, many store-bought pesticides contain harmful chemicals which can hurt your family members and pets, if used improperly. Second, roaches are quick to avoid danger. If they feel like an area or item threatens their health, they will avoid it until it is safe again. Finally, attempting different DIY elimination methods costs money and takes time. If you do not find success with the first method, you could be out a hundred dollars. Two to three more attempts and you may be paying more than a professional treatment plan and have probably added a grey hair or two to your head. Our goal at Modern Pest Control is to put in the effort so that you do not have to. Our treatment plans are designed to be cost-effective and work for any size infestation. We would be happy to pay you a visit to assess the problems you are facing and offer simple solutions to remove roaches fast.

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Roaches Safely And For Good

Whom should you trust with your pest problems? There are many companies here in Houston to choose from. The trick is finding a provider that does not simply handle pest problems but also works hard to ensure homeowners are well-educated and have all the tools necessary to make an informed decision about service. We do our absolute best to do this at Modern Pest Control. Our team works tirelessly to guard local homes, eliminate active pest problems, and provide helpful articles like this to keep our community informed.

Our services start with a thorough inspection. We will pay your home a visit to identify what pests are causing you trouble. Your technician will then offer some treatment options to remove active threats. If you are looking for long-term protection, ask about our general pest control plans. We have many great options to handle simple and complex pest problems. Many of our plans include comprehensive roach control.

Contact Modern Pest Control and discuss your options for service. We will answer any questions you have and make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision for your Houston home and property. We are here to help!