It’s one of the most dreaded fears of any homeowner or renter – cockroaches! These pesky, dirty creatures show up in the dead of night and multiple like wildfire, leaving the occupant feeling embarrassed and unclean. Unfortunately, roach infestations are more common than you might think and the key to controlling the problem begins with early detection.
Do I Have Roaches?
There are a few ways to figure out if you have a cockroach problem:
- Seeing A Roach: Although there are many different species of cockroaches, one of the most common in the United States is the American Cockroach, also known as “the water bug”. These cockroaches are reddish brown, with a length of about 1 ¼” to 2 1/8”. They have six legs and two antennas with an oval-shaped body. If you see one of these roaches in your house then it is a good indication of a larger problem. Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures so they prefer to come out when it is dark, so doing a nightly check is a good way to spot roaches in Charlotte, NC. They are common areas where there may be food or water, like under sinks, behind refrigerators, or under stoves. The best way to check for them is to keep the lights off and use a flashlight at night to check these areas. Cockroaches will scurry away when the light is shone on them.
- Finding Roach Droppings: During the daytime, you can check to see if you have roaches by looking for their droppings. Roach droppings tend to be small, black dots resembling coffee grounds. These droppings will be in the areas where a roach travels along floor molding, on the insides of cabinets, and under appliances.
- Odor & Eggs: Roaches can also leave a smell usually described as musky and strong. This smell can get worse with the number of roaches in the area. You may also spot the oothecae, which is a brown, pill-like casing that contains cockroach eggs. The female roach will leave these protective shells in sheltered areas like in or behind furniture, inside of books or cabinets.
Eliminating Roaches
Gaining control of a roach infestation on your own is hard, dangerous work. Stores offer solutions in the form of sprays and bombs, which contain harmful chemicals that permeate into every crease and crevice of your house and furniture. These store-bought chemical solutions end up exposing your children and pets to harmful chemicals and do not promise a lasting solution to the problem.