How To Get Rid Of Roaches: A Comprehensive Guide For Elizabeth City Homeowners

Local cockroach control can keep your home free of these notorious pests, and today's article will give you the information you need to keep cockroaches away for the long term. 

There's just no accounting for how persistent cockroaches have remained and how thoroughly they have invaded communities throughout the United States. To put it another way, roaches aren't going away anytime soon. But you can and should take steps to ensure that your home stays roach-free. 

Today, we'll walk through how you can identify a cockroach infestation, provide details on why cockroaches pose a health risk, and list out some important prevention tips to implement in your home. Join us for this comprehensive guide to roach removal and prevention. 

Visible Signs Of Roaches: How To Identify An Infestation

Okay, so what does a cockroach look like? It's a basic question but also a very important one to answer, especially for the uninitiated. Cockroaches are oval-shaped insects with six legs and two long antennae. They are usually brown or tan or a mix of both. 

Newborn cockroaches are just a fraction of an inch long, but some species' adult roaches can be larger than an inch and a half. Cockroaches are also nocturnal and generally prefer dark places, so it's more common to see them at night or in some sort of hiding place. 

Beyond looking for the cockroaches themselves, there are a number of other signs that can suggest the presence of an active cockroach infestation. For example, you may notice an unpleasant smell that you can't explain or see stains along walls or baseboards. 

It's possible for small numbers of cockroaches to go unnoticed for a time, but colonies don't stay small for long, and an infestation is sure to reveal itself one way or another. When you do spot cockroaches somewhere in the home, it's vital to take action as soon as you can. Not only does removal protect your home, but it also protects your health as well.  

Health Risks: Cockroaches Spread Disease And Trigger Allergies

Cockroaches pose health risks to humans, and how serious are those risks? First of all, do cockroaches spread disease? Well, if you've already seen the header, then you know the answer, but yes, cockroaches definitely can spread diseases. 

This doesn't mean that every single cockroach is guaranteed to spread certain diseases with their presence, but the possibility alone is a serious risk. Roaches can also contaminate surfaces, making it very easy for you or someone else in the home to unknowingly ingest these germs. If there's a cockroach infestation in the home and you suddenly notice strange symptoms or changes in your health, contact your doctor immediately. 

A lesser known fact is that cockroaches can also trigger allergies for certain individuals. Once again, this is due to cockroach contaminants and the things they leave behind in the home, such as shed body parts, droppings, and saliva. And so, a surge of allergy symptoms could also be a sign that cockroaches are present.  

Effective Ways To Keep Roaches Out: Essential Prevention Measures

Moving on to how to prevent cockroaches, we've compiled a short list of key prevention tips that you should prioritize all throughout the year. 

• Avoid clutter in the home since this can offer hiding places for cockroaches. 

• Keep your kitchen clean and put leftover foods in airtight containers. 

• When bringing storage boxes or furniture to your house, check them for signs of pests before bringing them inside. 

• Try to eat meals in just one room to avoid leaving crumbs around the house. 

• Also, make sure that there are no food sources or water sources just outside the home. 

• Seal openings in the exterior walls of your house.   

These aren't difficult steps, but consistency really is king when it comes to cockroach prevention. Even a short lapse can let cockroaches into your home, and it can be very hard to get them out, unless you have some help, that is. 

Expert Cockroach Elimination: Call In The Pros Right Away

If you've started noticing cockroaches in multiple parts of your home, then it's definitely time to seek out professional roach control. Ideally, you should contact a pest control company immediately after seeing just a single roach in your home. 

Early detection and professional treatment are much less complicated than managing a full-on infestation. But even in the case of an infestation, pest control pros have the tools and the know-how to get your home back to normal as quickly as possible. 

For residential cockroach removal services from Albemarle Termite & Pest Control, please give us a call or send us a message through our website.