Let's Talk About Cockroach Control In North Texas

Roaches are unsanitary pests, plain and simple. It is the primary reason they are considered a serious health concern. But many North Texas residents don't truly understand how, why, or how much of a threat roaches are to human health. Join us today as we look at common cockroaches in our region, the unique ways they present a danger to residents, and the challenges of DIY cockroach pest control. If you are currently dealing with a cockroach infestation and you need advice, click over to our contact page or give us a call. Adams Exterminating Company offers cockroach pest control in North Texas and solutions for ongoing cockroach prevention and pest management. We'll help you find the right control solution for the cockroaches you're battling in your home. 

Types Of Cockroaches Found In North Texas

The cockroaches we find most of the time are German, American, and oriental cockroaches. Each is unique in its own way. If you understand what makes them unique, you'll understand how they can make you sick and what is needed to control them. Let's walk through some simple facts about each.

American Cockroaches: These roaches go by two names that provide some insight into what makes these roaches tick. They're called water bugs or palmetto bugs. In both cases, these names were given to American cockroaches because of their attraction to moisture and moist habitats. You can use this knowledge against them. If you fix leaky faucets and other plumbing issues and use dehumidifiers in humid areas, you may make your home uncomfortably dry for American roaches. It isn't a guaranteed solution, but there is a chance. Their high moisture requirements cause American cockroaches to go in and out of structures, which can expose them to dirty, stinky, and unsanitary environments found only outdoors. 

Oriental Cockroaches: These black cockroaches are drawn to humid environments, just like American cockroaches. Moisture control and installation of dehumidifiers will drive these roaches out of your home. They also need extremely unsanitary conditions because they lay their eggs in rotting organic matter. If you keep a clean dry home, these roaches will prefer to stay outdoors. Unfortunately, their attraction to unsanitary outdoor environments makes them the worst roaches to find in your home. They are far more likely to make you sick than the other two listed here. 

German Cockroaches: There is no other cockroach quite like the German cockroach. Of the three roaches listed here, this species is the hardest to control. The reason is that German cockroaches do not have the limitations of the others. They do not require extremely unsanitary environments in which to lay their eggs. In fact, female German cockroaches carry their eggs around with them. They also don't need high levels of humidity or available moisture sources. While they certainly like areas of a home that are humid, it is not a requirement for life. If you have these roaches in your home, we suggest getting a professional German cockroach treatment. There is, however, a plus side with these roaches. Under certain conditions, they're not nearly as much of a health threat as the others. If German cockroaches stay indoors and don't go in and out, and the environment inside a home is sanitary, the health risks they present are low.    

Now that you know how common cockroaches in North Texas behave, let's dig in a little deeper and talk about how they spread diseases inside our homes. The more you know, the greater your ability to guard yourself and your family from harm.

The Diseases Cockroaches Can Spread

If you find a cockroach in your house, the first thing you should know is that it is not a beetle. A beetle is dirty because it crawls in the dirt. A cockroach is dirty because it crawls in trash receptacles, dumpsters, sewers, and other unsanitary places. It also feeds on unsanitary things, such as carrion, animal waste, rotting food, etc. 

Inside your home, a roach is drawn to dirty drains, mop buckets, grime on the sides of your oven, juice stains, your garbage disposal, and unmentionable areas of your bathroom. It is an unpleasant topic, we know. But you need to understand that roaches don't accidentally come in contact with dirty things; they're drawn to them.

When a cockroach crawls on counters, cutting boards, dishes, silverware, shelves, and other things, they leave microorganisms that are invisible to the naked eye. These are the primary reason for roach-related diseases.

Along with spreading microorganisms such as salmonella and E. coli, they also deposit materials that are considered allergens. Recent studies reveal that cockroach infestations lead to increased hospitalizations in urban areas, particularly for children who suffer from asthma.   

While not prone to biting people, roaches can accidentally bite sleeping people. They are known to feed on dead skin in eyebrows, eyelashes, and around the mouth. When a roach accidentally bites, the wound is immediately infected with the bacteria on the roach's body. If you wake with a swollen eye or swollen lip, keep this in mind. Roaches are likely to blame. 

Why You Can't Get Rid Of Cockroaches On Your Own

When it comes to managing cockroaches and dealing with a roach infestation without training in pest management, we strongly recommend sanitation. Check out our other blogs to learn how to get rid of cockroaches naturally. We do not, however, recommend the use of cockroach control products. Misapplication of these products can actually increase health issues. But, even if this were not the case, we would still not recommend them. Why? Because cockroach control isn't simple. There is no silver bullet. Cockroach control is a scientific process that requires the application of several products and methods. A pest control technician is best equipped to evaluate a cockroach problem, identify the roach species, select appropriate control products, and apply a multi-pronged strategy to systematically arrest an infestation. Here are just a few ways DIY cockroach control falls short:

• The wrong bait is used and the roaches don't take the bait. Each cockroach species has food preferences. Some won't take bait at all. You need to know what roaches you have, what bait will work, and how to apply bait to test and make sure it is working.

• The right bait is used but deployed incorrectly, causing the roaches to become bait averse. Cockroaches have defensive behavior patterns to guard them against eating dangerous food sources. Some German cockroach populations are born with bait aversion and bait may not work on them at all.

• Control products are used to cull populations, but the cockroaches reproduce faster than they are eliminated. If you realize this is happening, it is frustrating. It is even more frustrating to find out your control efforts failed long after they failed.

• Products are used to remove cockroaches, but steps are not taken to prevent more cockroaches from getting inside.

• Repellents are used, but cockroaches don't seem to mind.

• Surfaces are treated but cockroaches just go around them.

• Roaches are treated directly with a control agent but just walk away unphased.

The primary issue with cockroach control is that it requires specialized knowledge. If you don't know how roaches behave or what products work best for the specific species in your home, you'll allow roaches to remain in your home and present a health risk.

Contact The Pros At The First Sign Of Cockroaches

In light of the many ways cockroaches can impact your health, and the complexity of cockroach control, it is best to hire a licensed and experienced pest professional. It is also best to hire a professional at the first sign of trouble. Cockroaches reproduce quickly; a small infestation can turn into a big infestation faster than you can imagine. There are also ways you can make the cockroaches in your home harder to control, like causing them to become bait averse. If you do this, it could increase the cost of your cockroach treatment.

When you hire a trained individual to apply a multi-pronged strategy to control cockroaches, you'll get the results you want. You'll also have options for ongoing cockroach and pest control around your home. Year-round pest control comes with routine perimeter treatments. These liquid treatments make it hard for roaches to live near your exterior walls and nearly impossible for them to get inside your home alive.

Are you in North Texas? If so, consider contacting us to learn more about cockroach treatments or to get started with year-round pest control service for your North Texas home. Our Home Guardian Pest & Termite Control service plan has everything you need. You'll get service every other month and ongoing protection from cockroaches, wasps, hornets, ants, spiders, termites, and a long list of other common pests in our North Texas service area. 

Every home can benefit from a high-quality pest control service plan. Let those cockroaches be the inspiration to get the pest control you've always needed. Navigate to our contact page to connect with us, or give us a call. We offer impeccable service, effective control solutions, and competitive pricing. Get started today.