Pest Control

Learn About Cockroaches and How to Get Rid of an Infestation

THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.LANDMARK HOME WARRANTY DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL, AND YOU SHOULD CONDUCT YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND/OR SEEK THE ADVICE OF APPROPRIATELY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS WITH REGARD TO YOUR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION. LANDMARK HOME WARRANTY ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY, FOR YOUR USE OF ANY AND ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.


How to determine what a cockroach infestation is and get rid of it quickly.

How to Identify a Cockroach

If you've never seen a cockroach before (which probably means you live in a much colder climate), this is what they look like:

A diagram of a cockroach.

They are usually between 1½ to 3 inches in length. Their bodies are flat and oval shaped with six legs that have hooks-like hairs . These legs allow them to run up walls and walk upside down. Their heads are small and flat, with antennas. Most cockroaches have wings, but not all of them can fly. They are usually brown or black in color and have long antennae.  You can identify a cockroach by its features or by the way it moves. Cockroaches are known to be nocturnal, and ‘scuttle’ with quick and rapid movements away from light or danger. If you turn on a light and see something brown scuttle out of sight quickly, you may have seen a cockroach.

Cockroaches are viewed as pests because they often carry disease, and can cause allergies, skin rashes, and stomach sickness. They also can get into food quickly and easily.

Different types of cockroaches are attracted to different parts of a home. A German Cockroach is attracted to water inside of a home, while an American Cockroach may be found somewhere where food is plentiful, like a dumpster. Cockroaches can squeeze into small places quickly and almost undetectably in search of food, water, and shelter. That’s why it’s important to learn how to identify and detect a cockroach infestation!

Signs of a Cockroach Infestation

These are common signs of a cockroach infestation.

If you start to find cockroaches out and about during the day, this means you have large cockroach problem. Cockroaches are nocturnal, so when they begin to walk around your home during the day, it means the population has become too large for their nest. You should pay attention to these warning signs and work to stop the infestation fast before it gets worse! Here are some of the warning signs of a cockroach infestation:

Cockroach Feces

Cockroach feces range in size depending on the type of cockroach. Some are as small as a speck of dust, and others are as large as a coffee bean. They’re spherical or pellet shaped. If you start seeing small black spheres within your home, you may have a cockroach infestation!

Cockroach Eggs

Next, if you see small egg sacs from cockroaches, this can also be an indicator of a cockroach infestation. Egg sacs look bean shaped, and are smooth . If you see cockroach egg sacs, you have a cockroach infestation.

Dead Cockroaches

While cockroaches usually hide during the day, dead cockroaches can be found at any time. Look for dead cockroaches in places that cockroaches may enjoy living , like the refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, behind pipes, or in moist areas of your home.

A Terrible Smell

Finally, with large cockroach populations, they tend to carry a musky, dirty smell into your home. If you have a musky smell in your home, you may be harboring a cockroach population in your house.

How to Get Rid of a Cockroach Infestation

​​​​​​​How to best get rid of a cockroach infestation.

Once you have determined that you have a cockroach infestation, the next step is to take action as quickly as possible. Here is what you need to do to eliminate the cockroach infestation:

1. Clean your house and remove food sources from cockroaches.

The first thing you need to do is get rid of any and all food sources a cockroach infestation might be feeding on. This means going through your pantry and cleaning up any open containers and moving them into airtight containers. Cockroaches love sugar and carbohydrates, so moving cereal and sugar into jars can help remove food sources from cockroaches. You should also sweep up and clean any spills and crumbs when they happen and take out the trash often.

2. Set baits and traps.

Next, you want to trap or poison the cockroaches . Make sure to do your research on this step, because some baits can be very dangerous for families with pets and children. You can buy sticky traps or create your own .

3. Seal up entry points.

Cockroaches can get into houses easily, through ripped screens, under doors, and through windows. Make sure to caulk and weather-strip around doors and windows to seal up any entry points a cockroach may find to squeeze into your house.

4. Call a pest control specialist.

Finally, you can call a pest control specialist who has access to different traps, bait, and sprays that can kill an entire cockroach infestation in one go. If you have a larger cockroach infestation, this might be your best option. Some home warranties do include pest control as a part of their treatments, so make sure to ask if your home warranty plan includes pest control.

Home Warranties and Cockroach Pest Control

Depending on your home warranty plan, you may have pest control covered. If you see any signs of a cockroach infestation in your home, be sure to call Landmark Home Warranty first. If pest control is covered in your plan, you can set up an appointment with a pest control specialist who will help you rid your home of the cockroaches! Usually, this only costs between $60-$100 – the price of your service call fee! Learn more and find plans that cover pest control services by going to www.landmarkhw.com/home-warranty-plans .

Pest Control Articles

Learn more about common household pests that could be living in your house! Then help control them with pest control services provided through Landmark Home Warranty.

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