The Secret To Effective Cockroach Control In Houston, TX
When it comes to cockroach control in Houston, there's the right way and the wrong way. If you don't use the proper cockroach control method, you could end up with a large infestation and all the problems that come with it. For your safety and the good of your home, you should educate yourself on cockroach control.
The Houston Cockroaches
One of the first steps of cockroach control is knowing about the local invaders. In Texas, there are more than 30 types of cockroaches. However, you won't find all of these cockroaches in Houston, and some are more likely to invade homes than others. By understanding a little about cockroaches and their behavior, you can prepare yourself for keeping them away from your property.
American Cockroaches
These roaches tend to be a dark red or brown, and they have light yellow lining around their bodies. At times, American cockroaches can be almost three inches long. They have wings and sometimes fly but also spend a reasonable amount of time on the ground. The males of this species have very long wings that go past its body.
If you look at the back of an American cockroach's head, you might notice a distinct marking. One of how you can identify these roaches is to look for a figure-eight marking. This type of roach lays about 16 eggs at a time, and it takes about eight weeks for the eggs to hatch. While American cockroaches enjoy living outside on trees, they venture indoors to search for food or shelter. They like to live in areas of your home with low light and high humidity, which makes basements and bathrooms common living areas.
German Cockroaches
These Houston roaches are much smaller than American roaches, as they don't even grow to be one inch long. They are light brown and have two dark, parallel bands going down their backs. Even though German cockroaches have wings, they don't usually fly around.
If you thought American cockroaches were terrible, you should know that German cockroaches are even worse. They are the most common home and business invader and one of the most prolific breeders. In one sitting, a female German cockroach can lay up to 40 eggs. Usually, it takes one month for the nymphs to hatch and then only six weeks to six months for these roaches to become adults. A female can lay eggs as frequently as twice in one week.
While other cockroaches in the area seem to prefer the outdoors, German cockroaches look to live inside. They like wet and humid areas and are particularly attracted to bathrooms and kitchens.
Oriental Cockroaches
The color of this cockroach makes it easy to identify. Often black and shiny, oriental cockroaches look nothing like the other local roaches. They are sometimes called black beetles or water bugs and grow to be over an inch long.
Despite having wings, this cockroach can't fly at all. Its only way of getting around is crawling or hiding out in your belongings. A female can lay about 16 eggs at a time, and the nymphs hatch in approximately two months. In one lifetime, a female can have about 128 cockroaches.
There is good news, however. These roaches don't like to head indoors, or at least prefer to be outside. Generally, oriental cockroaches stay in dying organic matter or near your trash cans. If you have this type of cockroach inside, it's probably in your sink drain or basement.
Brown-Banded Cockroaches
These roaches have yellow or brown stripes across their abdomens and wings. However, the males and the females differ significantly in their appearances. The males are dark brown and have golden stripes, but the females are dark brown with reddish or brown wings. Only the males of this species can fly.
A female brown-banded cockroach only lays about 16 eggs at a time, and those eggs take about one to three months to hatch. Then, it's another 13 to 45 weeks before the nymphs become adults. Unlike the other roaches in the area, brown-banded cockroaches are unlikely to be in the wet areas of your home. Instead, they seek out warmth and often head for appliances and attics.
These roaches are particularly difficult to keep away because they feed on almost anything. Book bindings, bodily fluids, and anything else can be a meal for this cockroach. No matter what you do, you could struggle to keep this cockroach away.
All Cockroaches Are Dangerous
It's important to realize that all of the roaches in Houston are dangerous. When cockroaches walk around, they pick up bacteria and pathogens. They can bring harmful diseases into your home and make you or a loved one sick. If you own a business, cockroaches could contaminate your food and make a customer sick.
Cockroaches also trigger allergies and asthma. Unfortunately, even a tiny infestation makes your property a dangerous place. If you want to stay safe from roaches, you need a long list of measures to keep them as far away as possible.
Why Cockroaches Are So Hard To Deter And Eliminate
So, what about cockroach prevention? You can take measures to keep cockroaches out, but there's only a small chance that your efforts will work. Cockroaches are resilient and resourceful. Only a small crumb is all a cockroach needs to survive for weeks, and it can go for days with no water. If you take away food and water, you could still have a roach problem.
If you think about it, there's not much you can do to make your property unappealing to roaches. You could spend every hour cleaning your property, but it will still have crumbs. Your garbage cans, floors, and counters always have morsels for cockroaches. Likewise, your sinks always provide ample moisture for cockroaches.
Once cockroaches are inside your home, they can be very secretive. You may not know that cockroaches are around until your home is crawling with them. Because roaches are such good hiders, it can be hard to get rid of them. You probably don't know where to set bait or which areas of your home have the most roaches.
Unfortunately, there's only one effective method of cockroach control or elimination. The only way you can be confident that you're safe from Houston's roaches is to work with a professional. They understand cockroach behavior and have access to the tools needed to get rid of roaches for good.
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Methods Can Cost You
Because cockroaches have such quick breeding cycles and are dangerous, there's a high risk that comes from using DIY cockroach control. No matter what method of roach control you use, it probably won't work. You may be able to kill off a few roaches, but others will remain.
The more cockroaches you have in your home, the greater your risk of health complications. Furthermore, the harder it will be to remove these pests from your home. Instead of hiring a pest control company to get rid of a few roaches, you'll need to pay more for them to eliminate hundreds of them.
In the end, DIY cockroach control costs much more than working with a professional. This is why we always recommend calling for assistance before it's too late. You should be on the lookout for signs of an infestation and call a pest control company right away.
Tips For Keeping Cockroaches Out
Even though DIY cockroach control isn't very effective, you shouldn't give up. You can do a few simple things to make your property less appealing to the home invaders. While these steps won't guarantee you a cockroach-free home, they will provide you some level of protection.
Seal Up Potential Cockroach Entrances: Cockroaches look for an easy way to enter homes like most Houston pests. They look for cracks in your walls, gaps around your electric wiring, and space under your doors. Even large cockroaches are relatively flat and can enter your home through a small opening. After you inspect your home for cockroach entrances, use creative ways to seal them up. This could mean using caulk on cracks, installing weather stripping, or hiring a professional. When you have fewer openings for cockroaches, you're less vulnerable to an infestation.
Proper Food Storage: People often know about good food storage techniques but don't practice them. Does proper food storage take time? Yes, but it can also save you from serious trouble with cockroaches. Rather than leaving your home full of food for roaches, you should seal up the food in your pantry. Use containers with tight seals to close up bags of rice, flour, and pasta. After someone opens cookies or chips, they should place the food in a sealed container or ziplock bag. In addition to making food less accessible to roaches, your efforts also reduce the chance of contamination. You don't want cockroaches or other pests walking across your food.
Proper Trash Storage: Your garbage cans could also attract local cockroaches. For your home to be less of a target, you need to seal up your garbage cans. You can buy indoor and outdoor cans with lids and make an effort to tie up your garbage before you place it in a can. If your garbage cans frequently overflow, buy multiple cans. You want to make your garbage as hard to access as possible. Although your cans may be outside, they're enough to draw attention to your home. A hungry roach could wander inside and decide to make your house its new home.
Address Moisture Problems: Because most local roaches seek out areas of high humidity, you should make an effort to reduce the humidity in your home. This tends to be a problem in bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. If you don't already have proper ventilation, consider hiring a professional to install vents. Certain rooms are beyond ventilation. If moisture seems to be an ongoing issue, you can buy a dehumidifier. A small unit may be all you need to lower the humidity in your room. It would be best to look for potential high humidity causes, like a leaky faucet or a roof leak.
Declutter: Clutter is untidy, and it gives cockroaches access to food and hiding places. If you don't want roaches scurrying around your home, take time to declutter. Every few months, look at your basement, living areas, and attic. What do you have that you no longer need? Throw out or store items that take up space. If you choose to store anything in your basement or attic, place it in a container that seals tightly. Otherwise, the darkness could make for a perfect cockroach hiding spot. At least once every three months, schedule a deep clean. You can do it yourself or rely on a professional. However you choose to do it, don't ignore your pantry shelves, cabinets, or behind appliances.
Deep Clean: Spring cleaning is essential, but this isn't the only time of year that your home deserves a deep clean. If you don't pull out your appliances and clean behind them, you make your home appealing to cockroaches. All of the crumbs behind your fridge or stove could feed an army of roaches.
The Real Secret To Roach Control
With all that said, there's only one secret method to effective roach control. If you want to keep cockroaches away and eliminate current infestations, you need the guidance of a professional. Here at Modern Pest Control, we offer total cockroach elimination.
Our team doesn't waste any time getting to work. For years, we've been providing quality home pest control and commercial pest control services to Houston home and business owners. With access to the top tools for the job, our technicians can effectively deter and eliminate cockroaches from your property. Don't live in fear of roaches or spend your time wondering when the subsequent infestation will happen. Call us today and receive ongoing cockroach control from a team of trained professionals.