Roaches may be hard to combat because they have a tendency to hide in your home. They breed rapidly and in some cases may develop a resistance to pesticides. Roaches can be a source of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. You may also get allergic reactions or asthma as a result of exposure to their feces and dead body parts.
Here’s what you need to know about cockroaches before calling an exterminator.
What Is a Cockroach?
Cockroaches in are medium to large sized insects that can grow to be over two inches in length. The tropical species are the largest kind of roaches. Thankfully, in Montreal they are generally quite a bit smaller, but can represent a real nightmare for home and business owners nonetheless.
Roaches have six spiny legs and two long antennae. Certain species possess wings, but even those who have wings are not great flyers.
Roaches can be the source of certain diseases because they are typically found near waste. Some species of roaches are actually beneficial to the environment. They act as recyclers of decaying organic material.
Signs of an Infestation
Roaches are attracted to sources of food in your home. However, they may get inside your home for other reasons as well. They might hitch a ride on something that is brought into your home, or they might even come indoors through cracks in your home’s exterior. They can also enter via drains and sewer pipes.
Roaches are nocturnal organisms. They prefer to live in the dark. They breed in dark, moist locations and can be found behind your appliances. Since they can flatten their bodies, they can fit in narrow areas.
You will notice roach feces during an infestation. These feces resemble coffee grounds or black pepper. The larger insects will leave feces that look cylindrical. The amount of feces that you notice can be a good indicator of the level and duration of an infestation.
Certain species of roaches emit a foul odor. This odor may be a strong oily or musty scent. You might also find the remains of dead cockroaches in your home. Their egg cases, known as oothecae, are sometimes noticeable behind your furniture and in other hidden locations.
How to Eliminate Roaches
1. Identify problem areas with a flashlight and glue strips.
The first thing that you need to do to eliminate roaches from your home is to examine your home for the locations of the infestation. Use a flashlight to try to identify the places where they are hiding. This may include behind the refrigerator, under your sinks, and in cabinets and shelves.
You can use roach glue strips to locate the large infestations. You can determine the most strategic places to place the strips from your inspection with the flashlight.
2. Use caulk to seal gaps that are letting in the roaches.
If you have a problem with roaches coming in from out of doors, then you will need to use caulk to seal any points of entry. Use the caulk to fill in possible entry points. These will include gaps between walls or tile, small crevices, and entry holes. You may want to install weather stripping on doors and window seals as well.
3. Place gel bait stations to reduce the roach infestation.
Gel bait can be effective in killing the roaches in your home. It usually comes in a tube and can be used in every area that you suspect the roaches inhabit.
You can also use bait stations to kill the roaches. The way that these work is that they attract the roaches inside of them to feed on poison. The poisoned roach then goes back to its home location and dies. The other roaches will eat the dead roach and die from the poison as well.
Bait stations kill off some of the roaches in your home but will not kill them all. You also may not like the sight of them scattered around your house. There are also roach hotels that only contain glue to trap the roaches, with no poison.
4. Use boric acid powder
Boric acid is a substance that is found in products like detergent and toothpaste. It is an effective killer of roaches. It is made by chemically combining boron and water. It is not very toxic to humans, but it is deadly for roaches. It is not recommended, however, as the sole method for ridding your house of roaches.
5. Call on a pest management professional.
If you want a professional job done without the eyesore of all of those bait traps, then it is time to call a pest management professional. They can get rid of the problem more effectively and offer an ongoing solution to the problem. They also can find a way to safely eliminate the problem in your household.
Extermination MG’s extermination experts have been effectively ridding Montreal homes and businesses of cockroach infestations for decades. Call us now for a free estimate!
