Approximately 6% of American homes have some nasty tenants who are not paying any rent.
Cockroaches require just three things to set up shop: food, water, and warm shelter. And humans naturally create these conditions in their own homes.
Cockroaches have been known to survive on dead insects, toothpaste, soap, and even leather.
Unfortunately, it’s not often that people will have just one or two cockroaches in their homes. In fact, a couple of cockroaches can soon cause your home or apartment to be overrun by bugs.
Here are 5 warning signs that you could have a cockroach infestation:
1. Poop
If you find cockroach feces, it’s a good indication that you have a problem. Small roaches leave droppings that look almost like black pepper or ground coffee. Larger roaches will obviously leave larger droppings.
The more poop you find, the more roaches have moved in. If you find areas with lots of droppings, it’s a good indication that these are high traffic areas. These are the areas you’ll need to target when you’re ready to get rid of them.
2. Smell
You’re unlikely to notice a smell from one cockroach. But if you begin noticing a foul smell in your home, this can be a sign that you have a large number of them. This mating pheromone releases a smell that’s musky and oily, if you can smell it, you have a big problem.
Not only is this putrid scent disgusting, but the odor also shouldn’t be inhaled by humans, and can cause a number of health problems.
3. Casings
When cockroaches are breeding, they produce egg casings to hold multiple eggs at a time. If you find these casings, you definitely have a cockroach infestation. There are 4 common species of cockroaches in the US, and 3 out of 4 can hold 10-20 eggs in their casings. The German cockroach is even worse and can hold up to 50 eggs.
The casings are a brown color, and they have a long, round shape. If you find any eggs inside, you need to immediately take steps to stop them from hatching.
4. Dead Cockroaches
One of the reasons why it can be hard to know if you have a cockroach problem? They’re nocturnal. That means if you find dead cockroaches around your fridge, under your stove, in your cabinets, or elsewhere, you need to contact pest control.
5. Day Sightings
This is the biggest sign that you have a massive cockroach infestation. If they’re out during the day, it means that there are so many of them that they’re being pushed out from their nests in the daylight hours.
Dealing with a Cockroach Infestation
The sooner you detect an infestation, the sooner you can deal with it, and the less expensive it will be. Spend some time looking in places where cockroaches like to hide, like near your garbage, and keep an eye out for the signs mentioned above.
If you think you may have an infestation, the best thing you can do is call an expert ASAP. Get in touch today to learn how we can help.
