Cockroaches – Send ‘em Packing!

Cockroaches have been around for hundreds of thousands of years – well 320 million years to be exact (but who’s counting?) – so the battle against them will never be completely won. But do not fret, because there are a number of measures you can take to send ‘em packing and to keep your home protected. These pesky critters can be incredibly frustrating to deal with. Because they usually hide during the day and do not come out until dark, it can be difficult to determine if you have an infestation. 

Take it from the Pro’s: If you have spotted one roach, it usually means you have a much bigger problem. 

If you notice the presence of cockroaches in your home, or have an infestation on your hands, it is important to act quickly to get these nasty nuisance critters out of your house. Not only do they have a cringe-worthy appearance, but they are considered to be dangerous as an asthma trigger and allergen source. They may also carry transport certain bacteria that can cause human illness if left on food. Being pro-active with cockroach control is pertinent in the Coastal Empire, and lucky for you Yates-Astro is here to help.

Before we get in to our 4 Tips From the Pro’s below, it is important to know a bit more about cockroaches as a species. 

What Attracts Cockroaches?

Cockroaches on some pieces of bread

Cockroaches have the same basic needs as humans: food, shelter, and water. They are attracted to your home by the smell of food, which is why they are commonly found in or around the kitchen. They are most attracted to: 

  • Sugar
  • Starch
  • Grease
  • Cheese
  • Meat

Guilty of keeping fruits and veggies around for too long and they begin to rot? Do your best to break that habit! Rotting fruits and vegetables can give off a very pungent smell that will definitely attract these pests. An easy way to combat this is to make sure all food is properly sealed up and not give off any roach attracting odors. All of the food you store away – including pet food – should be sealed in air tight containers. This will allow you to keep the odor in and the bugs out

What Do Cockroaches Eat?

Cockroaches feasting

Cockroaches will eat nearly anything that has even the slightest amount of nutritional value. They are often referred to as omnivores to the fullest extent. Let’s take a look at some of the things that cockroaches will eat: 

Inside Your Home
  • Any human food
  • Pet food
  • Hair
  • Crumbs
  • Nail clippings
  • Book bindings
  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Wallpaper paste
Outside Your Home (Their Natural Habitat Without Humans)
  • Other insects
  • Decaying matter
  • Plants
  • Animal feces
  • Dead bodies
  • Their own young and other cockroaches
  • Dead trees
What do cockroaches eat when Yates-Astro gets involved? Their final meal. 
Can You Starve a Cockroach?

Dead cockroach

Contrary to popular belief, it is not possible to starve a cockroach. This is because getting rid of everything a cockroach wants to or could eat is a task that may never be achievable. Fun fact about cockroaches – even if you manage to completely isolate them from food, that will not be enough to make them perish. Cockroaches can live for one month without food because they are cold blooded. This means that their bodies are more effective in storing food and providing energy over long periods of time. 

What is more crucial to a cockroaches’ survival than food is actually water. A cockroach can only live a week or so without access to water, so if you are trying to deny a roach its essentials to live, deny access to water. Even this task is tricky, especially in the Coastal Empire, due to the high humidity levels inside our homes. Excess moisture in the air, standing water, and even leaky pipes are attractive to cockroaches. Using a humidifier to get of excess moisture in your garage or basement is helpful; as is regularly checking under your sinks and anywhere you have pipes to make sure that there are no leaks or standing water. 

4 Tips From The Pro’s to Send ‘em Packing 

Hand picking up a cockroach

1. Seal your food. As previously mentioned, make sure all food is sealed in airtight containers so that any odor released does not attract cockroaches. This will prevent them from being able to get in to your food.

2. Declutter your home. Clutter, most commonly paper and cardboard, can provide breeding grounds, shelter, and even food for cockroaches. Get rid of those stacks of paper and cardboard that have been cluttering up your home!

3. Take out the trash. Back to food odor! Your trash is bound to have some kind of odor, so take it out anytime you have food scraps sitting in there for too long.

4. Clean your dirty dishes. Unrinsed dishes left in the sink is a huge source of food for cockroaches. Conveniently located food and water is a cockroaches dream, so do not lay out the welcome mat for them in your sink!

If you have taken the above mentioned precautions to avoid roaches in your home but continue to notice roach activity, seeking professional help from Yates-Astro is your best bet in fixing the problem. A roach infestation is serious business, and is a hard thing to tackle on your own. Our climate provides ideal conditions for these nasty pests so give us a call today to learn more about roaches and how we can protect your home and family from them.

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