How to Keep Roaches out of Your Home
How to Keep Roaches out of Your Home. While they may be gross, roaches can happen to anyone and in any building, regardless of the conditions. Roaches are an unfortunate part of living in the St. Louis area, but the good news is that they’re harmless when you know what to look for and catch them early.
First, let’s get the facts straight courtesy of PestWorld. There are more than 4000 species of cockroaches roaming the world, and the most common are the American, German and Oriental species. They can live without food for a month and without water for a week. Roaches can breathe underwater for a half-hour, they’re attracted to beer, and can run up to three miles an hour.
Where Do Roaches Live?
Just like humans, roaches live where there is warmth, food, and a source of moisture. The first step to keeping clear of these bugs is making sure that food containers are properly sealed, clear out the recycling full of empty soda bottles, and clean spills up as soon as possible.
All of this can add up to create a pretty pesky pest invading your home or business, spreading disease, and being plain annoying. Because roaches and humans have lived together for millions of years (and we’re both still around!) it’s never easy to tackle this pest control issue on your own.
If you see one roach in your house, don’t try and get rid of it on your own — call in the pros ASAP. Roaches can develop an immunity to the sprays and repellents you buy at the hardware store so trying to eliminate them can feel like a never-ending process.
Calling a professional pest control team will give you the best chance at getting rid of roaches for good. The first goal is to determine what kind of bug is crawling around. Here’s what to look for.
What Are the Most Common Roaches in St. Louis?
American Cockroaches
The American cockroach is the largest and most major in the US. It goes by other names, like water bug, the Bombay canary or the palmetto bug. Female American cockroaches make protective cases for their eggs. These cases are capsule-shaped and contain about 16 eggs. After forming a capsule, the roach deposits it in a warm, humid area. American cockroach droppings are small, and sometimes people mistake them for mouse droppings. American cockroach droppings have ridges on the sides and they are blunt on the ends.
German cockroaches
German cockroaches are much smaller than their American counterparts. Their infestations are most associated with restaurants, food processing facilities, hotels, nursing homes and other institutional buildings. One of the most common sources of problems with German cockroaches comes from used items such as furniture and luggage. These cockroaches lay 40 eggs at a time, which mature in about two months. Because they reproduce rapidly, infestations can quickly become severe. German cockroaches are hardy and fast and have few natural predators inside human habitats.
Oriental cockroaches
Oriental cockroaches gain entry into households by going under doors and through gaps beneath siding, as well as by following pipes, sewers and drains into a structure. They often live in rarely used sink drains, garbage disposals, under cabinets that contain plumbing or in bathroom voids. As they forage for food in homes, the pests may transfer disease-causing bacteria to pantry goods and countertops.
What can I do about cockroaches in my St. Louis Home?
Some of the most common areas in your kitchen where roaches like to collect are under the dishwasher or refrigerator, in the pantry, and around the sink plumbing. Roaches can also get into your home through gaps in windows or even grocery bags that you carry in. Even if you don’t see one of these creepy-crawlies when you look, there’s a good chance some may be lurking. Part of the professional process we use to eliminate these pests is knowing which strategies and techniques to use on each home.
Ultimately the key is to stop the roach life cycle and give them the boot from your home, using methods that will keep pests under control year-round. Gel bait traps entice roaches, so cleaning and sanitizing your home thoroughly before this process can go a long way in supporting the pest control process.
Once the pros have taken care of business, it’s important to actively maintain cleanliness by keeping food in well-sealed containers and cleaning up ASAP after making a mess.
When you spot roaches — or even if you suspect they might be lurking — the first step is to call the pros to take a look. Our expert pest control professionals can walk you through the process so you can get rid of roaches for good. Get in touch!