When you see a cockroach inside your home, regardless of where you see it, their creepy appearance is enough to send shivers down your spine. However, a cockroach problem is more than a nasty nuisance–they pose a great risk to the health and well-being of you and those in your home. This is why removing them is paramount to maintaining a healthy and happy home life.

Even though they are resilient and persistent, there are effective ways to handle your cockroach problem in the long run. Allow our team at Dewey Pest and Termite Control to show you how to properly keep roaches out of your home with a few prevention tips and methods.

What Health Risks Do Cockroaches Bring?

First, we must dive into why cockroaches are a problem in the first place. According to the EPA, cockroaches and their droppings and sheddings can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms. They can also spread many diseases to humans such as salmonella, typhoid fever, and E. Coli. Removing cockroaches can help you safeguard yourself and your loved ones from these health concerns.

How Do Cockroaches Get In?

Once you’ve identified the risk of a cockroach infestation, there’s a key question to ask yourself: how do cockroaches get into your home and start an infestation? They can get in through a variety of ways such as through holes in your walls and floors or by catching a ride on luggage or groceries.

Some cockroach species, like the American cockroach, primarily live outdoors but may wander into your home occasionally. Other species, like German cockroaches, have one goal in mind, and that’s to overrun your living space.

Signs of a Cockroach Infestation

You may understand how cockroaches get in, but how can you tell if you have a roach problem or not? The answer to this question is through the many signs they leave behind. Common signs of a cockroach infestation include pieces of evidence like:

• Seeing a cockroach out in the open
• Droppings or dark smear marks
• Foul odors
• Shed skins and egg capsules

If you notice any of the previously mentioned infestation signs popping up throughout your home, take action as soon as possible by contacting a pest control professional near you.

Cockroach Prevention Tips

Before you have to call in pest control specialists, there are several cockroach prevention methods you can practice to keep these unsettling pests from invading. Allow us to share with you some of the most common yet effective ways you can cockroach-proof your home.

Seal Entry Points

If you find any cracks or crevices in your home, seal them! The most common places to find holes fit for roaches are along your wall, floor, and near your foundation. Once you’ve found an opening, use caulk to seal the hole up. Focus on the exterior of your home for openings since sealing interior holes is less likely to keep roaches out.

Maintain a Clean Home

After you’ve sealed your home of any unnecessary openings, focus on the inside of your home. Regular cleanings can greatly reduce your risk of a cockroach infestation. Make sure that you give special attention to dark and secluded areas where cockroaches are common to take shelter such as under sinks, corners of closets, and in cabinets.

Focus on the Kitchen

One specific area in your home that deserves special attention is the kitchen since it’s the most likely place for cockroaches to find food. You further discourage these pests by cleaning up and removing crumbs and food stains. Here are some good cleaning and sanitation practices you can use in your kitchen:

• Wipe down countertops
• Sweep floors regularly
• Vacuum any nearby carpeted floors
• Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink
• Clean up any spills or messes immediately

Properly Store Your Food

A key part of keeping a clean kitchen is to keep your food sealed and stored away. The presence of open food sources is one of the biggest lures for roaches to get into your home. Scientists have observed that cockroach species like the American cockroach have a keen sense of smell, so you don’t want to ring the dinner bell for them with food out in the open. Keep your food in airtight containers such as Tupperware so they’re out of roaches’ reach. 

Limit Excess Moisture

Cockroach prevention is also dependent on moisture control. Roaches need water to survive and often get their fix through leaky faucets and pipes or through puddles. In fact, they can only survive for about a week without water. By cleaning up standing water and fixing leaky faucets and pipes, you cut off another lifeline for roaches to remain in your home.

Call on Professional Cockroach Control

Even with attentive care and caution, home remedies cannot replace the effectiveness of professional services. When you turn to professional cockroach control, expect a team of well-trained technicians to inspect your property, identify the extent of your roach problem, and develop a specially tailored treatment plant to yield long-term cockroach prevention and removal.

Get the Best Cockroach Control Services With Dewey Pest and Termite Control

Cockroach-proofing your home starts with choosing quality pest control services. Call on Dewey Pest and Termite Control for help! With over 95 years of experience, our team of technicians proudly handles cockroach problems and more in neighborhoods across California. From small issues to full-blown infestations, we’ve got the tools and expertise needed to help you restore your peace of mind.

To receive your free quote on California cockroach control, contact our team online or give us a call today!