Once cockroaches move into your Western Massachusetts home, they can be incredibly tough to get rid of. Looking out for these five early warning signs can help you put a stop to an infestation before it gets started.
What to Look Out for With Cockroaches
Cockroaches are easily identified by their longer oval-shaped bodies, tan to reddish-brown color, antennae, and wings. There are several different varieties of cockroaches you may encounter in your Western Massachusetts home, but the most variation you will see between species is size and coloration.
With most cockroach problems, you are more likely to see signs of the insect’s presence before seeing the actual cockroach. This is mostly due to the pest’s nocturnal behavior and skills at hiding out; if you start seeing roaches during the day, you may have a much more serious infestation than you realize.
Look out for these five signs of a cockroach infestation to help you put a stop to this pest before it is too late:
- You may find droppings around your home that look like small pieces of pepper or coffee grounds. These are commonly found in kitchens or around trash and food storage areas.
- Cockroaches can leave behind stains that are generally brown in color. You may find these on your walls, floors, cabinets, or appliances – anywhere cockroaches frequent during their nighttime scavenges.
- As a cockroach matures, it sheds its skin and exoskeleton. You may find these cockroach pieces discarded around walls or near baseboards in your home. These are especially problematic in triggering allergies.
- Cockroaches let off chemicals to communicate with each other. A strange musty odor in your home that you never noticed before is a serious indicator of a cockroach infestation.
- You may find eggs and casings around your home in kitchens, bathrooms, or basements. They can range in color from white to dark brown depending on their age and are typically quite small.
Risks Associated With Cockroaches
Besides being an unsightly pest, cockroaches can bring several risks into your home. The most serious is the risk of asthma triggers and allergic reactions – cockroach exoskeletons and droppings are known respiratory irritants.
Cockroaches can also carry many diseases and bacteria from their movements through trash or other unsavory areas. As cockroaches look for food, they can contaminate your food storage and leave behind the risk of salmonellosis, E. coli, and gastroenteritis.
Because cockroaches are so invasive and reproduce so quickly, they are especially difficult to remove pests. In most cases, once you realize that an infestation is taking place, more cockroaches inhabit your home than you can see. They live in hard-to-reach areas and will often grow out of control in no time. To make matters worse, most cockroaches are also resistant to many do-it-yourself (DIY) pesticides, meaning that it is hard to eliminate an infestation all by yourself.
Professional Cockroach Removal
If you are spotting signs of cockroaches or seeing cockroaches moving around your home, the best thing you can do is call the professionals at American Pest Solutions. The expert technicians will help you evaluate your cockroach problem and provide effective removal solutions using customized treatment plans. Call us today for your free evaluation.