The Ultimate Guide To Effective Cockroach Prevention And Control For Longview Homeowners

Cockroaches are resilient pests that send shivers down the spines of Longview residents. They can quickly turn your peaceful abode into a battleground. If you're thinking, "No thanks!" we're with you. Join us today for our Ultimate Guide to Effective Cockroach Prevention and Control. That's a mouthful! Don't worry. This guide will be simpler than the title. We'll tell you how to identify common roaches like German cockroaches and American cockroaches, and explain how to guard yourself from harm. We'll share five simple tips to give you the absolute best protection, using all-natural methods. We'll also tell you how science is used to evaluate cockroach infestations and eradicate all roach activity. We've packed a lot into this short article. You're sure to learn something you've never heard about roach prevention and control. If you need immediate help with scary creepy roaches in Longview, remember that we're here to help. Gecko Pest Control has been offering modern pest control in Longview for over two decades. We have the professionalism and experience to get the results you want. Call, text, or email us to get connected. Our friendly service team looks forward to helping you.

Do you know that all roaches are not created equal? For example, it is much worse to find a German cockroach in your house than any other cockroach species. Why? Because German cockroaches are the most common species infesting homes. Since they are so common, they've been exposed to everything we use to control them. Cockroaches are genetically adaptable, and some German cockroach species are born with bait aversion and protection against common control materials. In a sense, they're super roaches. A licensed pest management professional is trained to apply the considerable measures required to stop these pest roaches.

German Cockroach Identification: Adults are tan with established wings and two black lines on the back between the head and wings. Nymphs may appear entirely black or black with a tan coloration in the center. Nymphs are also wingless.

The other well-known roach in our area is the American cockroach. It has gained notoriety due to its appearance in many blockbuster films. Is it as hard to get rid of American cockroaches as it is to get rid of German cockroaches? We're happy to say that it isn't as hard, but it isn't easy. American cockroaches may not have bait aversion at birth (not yet anyway) or the level of control material residence of a German cockroach, but they reproduce quickly and hide in gaps, cracks, recesses, and voids. They also have behavior patterns that allow them to avoid treated surfaces and bait. But American roaches have a weakness. They prefer humid or damp habitation. If your home is dry, they may choose to live outdoors. When they do, you may keep them out by sealing your exterior and removing preferential habitat options near your home.

American Cockroach Identification: Adults are chestnut with a yellow mark on the back that may look like a figure eight. They are also extremely large. A full-grown American cockroach is as large as 2 ? inches in length. Nymphs are wingless and are dark orange or reddish-orange, depending on the age.

A lesser-known cockroach species in Longview is the smoky brown cockroach. Like American cockroaches, these roaches prefer humid or damp environments. You may deter them by addressing plumbing issues and indoor humidity problems. They also prefer warm habitats and don't prefer air-conditioned environments that stay chilly.

Smoky Brown Cockroach Identification: These roaches top out at about 1 ½ inches. A helpful way to identify them is to see how they react to light. They are good fliers and tend to fly toward lights at night.         

The last cockroach we need to mention is the easiest to control but the dirtiest by far. Oriental cockroaches are strongly attracted to unsanitary environments. You can use this against them. They will not prefer to live in a home that is deep cleaned.

Oriental Cockroach Identification: It is simple to recognize these roaches if you see them. They appear entirely black and do not have wings that hang past the end of the abdomen, like the other roaches listed here. 

When looking for any of these roaches, you'll need to use a flashlight, and search at night. They are active at night and some, like Oriental cockroaches, blend into the darkness. If you find roaches in your home, there are a few facts you should know regarding their ability to make you sick. Let's take a quick look.

Cockroaches Are Known To Trigger Allergies And Spread Disease

Now that you know a bit about cockroach Identification, you can use that knowledge to evaluate the threat. Oriental cockroaches are the worst when it comes to making people sick, but the other roaches listed above are certainly not harmless. All cockroaches are attracted to unsanitary things. They also eat unsanitary things. As they move about in your home, they're going to move microorganisms that have the potential to make you ill. The least harmful roach species on our list is the smoky brown cockroach because it can live easily on natural detritus. But even this species can get into trash or crawl in sewers.

Inside your home, cockroaches will trigger allergies and spread diseases because of their exposure to unsanitary things. Here are a few ways they may impact your health.

• You may wake up with a rash on your arm or a swollen eye or lip.
• You may have conjunctivitis.
• You may experience a dangerous asthmatic response if you have asthma.
• You may have flu-like symptoms, such as fever and vomiting.
• You may experience stomach pains or diarrhea.
• You may develop chronic illness as a result of exposure to a pathogenetic virus, such as poliomyelitis (often referred to as polio).

The threat presented by cockroaches is dependent on the conditions present, prior exposure to pathogenic sources, and the species of cockroach. You can, in a partial way, reduce the health risks associated with cockroaches by maintaining a high level of sanitation and protecting your food from exposure. Ultimately, it is best to not have cockroaches in your home. Let's look at how you can work to keep them out.

Five Simple Tips To Prevent Cockroach Problems

The best time to deal with cockroaches is before you have them. Cockroach prevention is hard work, but easy to understand. We'll break it down into five tips you can use indoors and outside of your Longview home.

1. Moisture Control

Cockroaches are looking for damp conditions. Fix leaking faucets and other plumbing issues indoors. Install a dehumidifier to reduce moisture in the air. Clean out your gutters and repair broken points. Trim your landscaping and water your plants in the morning. Steps like these reduce moisture and humidity, which attract roaches.

2. Sanitation

Trash management is the heart of cockroach control. Remove trash every few days and don't let trash sit for more than a week. Keep trash in covered containers and wash your containers to reduce smells that attract roaches. On top of trash management, deep clean your home to remove crumbs, oil, grease, food particles, hair, dust, and other things cockroaches eat. Yes. They eat hair and dust. They also eat human and pet waste. It is gross but true.

3. Protect Food

When you protect your food from cockroaches, you do three things. You seal the smell of the foods inside the containers so roaches can't smell the food. You create a seal that cockroaches can't penetrate. And, most of all, you keep roaches from chewing a hole to get inside. Cockroaches can chew through paper and cardboard. They don't do so well with glass and hard plastic.

4. Block Access

Cockroaches may chew through paper and cardboard, but they don't chew through wood. The only way a cockroach can get into your home is to squeeze through an entry point that already exists. A caulking gun or a few cans of expanding foam may stop them. Check the seals around your exterior doors and make sure there are no gaps. Finally, check the pipes under your sinks and all of your baseboards. No gap is too thin for a cockroach to squeeze through. 

5. Remove Hiding Places 

Cockroaches hide near your home before they get into your home. They'll hide under piles of leaves, dead branches, toys, yard equipment, landscape boards, stacked stones, and more. Remove all hiding places next to your exterior walls. Keep in mind that roaches can even hide underneath a welcome mat.

If you're diligent, you can deter cockroaches and keep them out, but life can get busy. When you need help, keep Gecko Pest Control in mind. We offer year-round perimeter pest control to keep cockroaches, and a long list of other pests, from entering your home.

Contact The Pros For Total Cockroach Eradication

When you find signs of cockroaches in your home, it is time to contact a pest management professional. These insects are elusive, resilient, and resourceful. A professional will identify the roach species and use devices, materials, and methods that are known to eliminate them. These devices and materials are applied according to strict protocols for safety and efficacy. Along with treatments, your technicians will apply surveillance to make sure no cockroaches remain in your home.

Let the Longview home pest control team at Gecko Pest Control guide you toward an effective resolution to your cockroach problem. We can evaluate your cockroach infestation and recommend an appropriate treatment and get the results you want. Navigate to our contact page to tell us about your roach issue, or simply call. We're here to help!

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