Roaches crawling over kitchen floors and counters are a disgusting and alarming sight. You must take steps to stop a roach infestation from taking place. Sharing your living space with them is more than just uncomfortable. The presence of roaches in your house can expose you to the pathogens and diseases that these pests may carry. If you want to get rid of your pests, including cockroaches, contact a pest control technician to get the job done for you.
Signs that Roaches Have Infested Your Kitchen
Seeing even one roach may already make you cringe. Then you will wonder if you are dealing with a simple roach problem or a full-blown infestation. The discomfort only becomes more intense if it involves your kitchen. As you prepare your family’s food in the kitchen, you never want dirty pests to set up camp there. You may have a roach infestation if you notice the following signs:
- Roaches scurrying around at any time of the day. Roaches prefer to be out of sight unless they are scavenging or if they share space with a lot of insects. Roaches tend to be active at night, but if they appear during the day, this could mean you have a serious issue to deal with.
- Roach droppings. Roaches eat anything and leave droppings behind. Such droppings look like coffee grounds that can be hard to identify if you are not aware of what to look for.
- Smear marks. Roaches leave streaks behind. Usually, such markings can be found on walls. These dark, irregular smears are often visible in areas where roaches are most active.
- Strange odor. A roach-infested area has a unique scent due to the pheromones in roach droppings. Such a musty smell can draw other roaches.
- Egg cases. Also known as oothecae, roach egg cases can hold up to thirty nymphs.
- Property damage. As roaches eat anything, they can cause damage. If there is an ongoing roach infestation in your house, you may find chew marks on food packaging and damage to materials like leather.
Fighting Roaches
Cockroaches can be hard to handle, particularly if you are dealing with a major infestation. If you think roaches have infested your property, contact a pest control professional for a consultation. But if you want to stop the problem before it becomes a serious one, below are tips you can consider:
- Prevent entry. To ensure roaches cannot enter your home, conduct regular home maintenance, which includes sealing up cracks, covering open areas, and fixing screens.
- Don’t give them access to food. As with other pests, roaches need a source of food to survive. An untidy kitchen is a great target for these pests. When roaches attack your kitchen, they will look for unopened food, garbage, crumbs, debris, pet food, pet water bowl, and dishrag to survive. To keep roaches away, get rid of their food source. Store food in airtight containers, clean up spills immediately, clean the kitchen frequently, and take the trash regularly to a garbage bin with a tight lid.
