How Much Do You Really Know About Oriental Cockroaches In McKinney?
McKinney, TX residents see all sorts of pests year-round. Most of these pests are completely harmless, if annoying to deal with. However, if you plan on living in Texas during any month of the year, there’s one pest you absolutely must watch out for- oriental cockroaches. Oriental cockroaches are the smelliest of any roach, making these pests a nuisance you’ll want to remove ASAP. However, oriental cockroaches also pose serious threats to your well-being. Let’s go over how to identify these pests and prevent the havoc they cause in McKinney homes.
Identifying Oriental Cockroaches
Oriental cockroaches share many characteristics with other roaches. This cockroach species has six legs, body-length antennae, and flat, oval-shaped bodies. These pests are nocturnal foragers, which is why you often don’t see them until dusk or dawn.
Additionally, the oriental cockroach, also known as the water bug, has a black, shiny body and grows between ¾ and 1¼ inches. Their rear end is striated, and they also have two wings, though these pests are incapable of flight.
While other cockroaches exist in Texas, oriental cockroaches are becoming a bigger problem around McKinney. Unfortunately, oriental cockroaches can wreak havoc on your health; let’s uncover why.
Problems Associated With Oriental Cockroaches
Oriental cockroaches vector a variety of serious pathogens. This is in part because cockroaches hang out in dirty places. Dumpsters, sewers, and alleyways are all common spaces for oriental cockroaches because although these insects exist naturally in the wild, they congregate anywhere that they can consume organic matter – especially waste.
Common diseases that oriental cockroaches carry include dysentery, listeria, giardia, and salmonella.
Additionally, oriental cockroaches can make your allergies worse. Roaches release proteins that some people are sensitive to, especially people with asthma. Long term exposure to these proteins result in serious respiratory problems, and these problems persist long after the infestation is over.
Finally, oriental cockroaches leave an awful odor. These pests communicate with each other through scent, and this scent will remain in the house and build as these pests multiply. If you still haven’t seen your oriental cockroaches, you may smell them through their musty, pervasive scent.
Oriental Cockroach Prevention Tips
A great place to start is to reduce clutter – both inside and out. Cockroaches can survive off of anything, rely on very little, and prefer to hide in cluttered, dark spaces. For reference, a cockroach can go a month without drinking water, and even longer without food.
Additionally, consider the following as part of your cockroach prevention plan:
- Keep trash inaccessible. Oriental cockroaches often come into your home because there’s enough trash, compost, or food for them to feast on outside the home. They then move inside when they find your property, so secure your trash, as well as your pantry.
- Check all bags and packages you receive. Some cockroaches hitchhike, meaning you can pick one up in your bags or packages.
- Reduce the humidity. Oriental cockroaches prefer warm, damp spaces that they can hide out in during the day. This includes crawl spaces, basements, bathrooms, and the kitchen. Ventilate accordingly.
- Seal any cracks in your windows, door frames, or home exterior. Also check to make sure your pipes, drains, and sewer lines are all properly sealed.
Did oriental cockroaches get in your McKinney household? Don’t waste another second trying to get rid of them – contact our expert pest professionals at Adams Exterminating Company.