You get up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water from the kitchen. As you flip on the light, you see a roach skitter across your kitchen counter...or even worse, scurry across your bare foot. It’s just the worst. Roaches might end up being around long after we’re gone; but for now let’s all agree they don’t belong in our kitchens!
Be on the lookout for several types of roaches found in our area:
The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is the most common and largest species of roach in Texas. We often refer to this particular species as water bugs or palmetto bugs. They’re very common in larger commercial buildings, sewers and outdoors; but they’ll move into your home in search of water and food.
The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) comes in second place, but spends most of it’s life living in your homes instead of outdoors. They can live a long time, up to 2 years, and reproduce a lot. These are the roaches that will most often infest your kitchen and food supplies. An infestation of German cockroaches in your home can spell trouble.
These two species are followed up by the Oriental (Blatta orientalis), Smokeybrown (Periplaneta fuliginosa) and the Turkestan cockroach (Blatta lateralis), which is becoming more common in Texas.
What attracts roaches to your home? Unfortunately, lots of things.
The biggest attractant is food. Even a speck of food will bring them to your kitchen. Human food, dog food, bird food … they love it all! Keeping all food tightly sealed is the best way to keep roaches at bay. Roaches can carry diseases such as salmonella and E. coli, so you’ll want to throw out any food that cockroaches may have touched.
Ok, so you’ve scrubbed your kitchen down. No more roaches, right? Wrong. They can live up to three months without food. Now, they are seeking out damp, dark, cool places to hide. Anywhere in your home that humans aren’t active could be a resting spot for roaches. Boxes, books, shelves in your garage, unused rooms, or attics are favorite hiding places. They’ll also hang around the pet bowls as the water and food are a regular smorgasbord for them.
Roach Fact: Roaches are more than 350 million years old! And they’ve been
around so long that nobody knows their exact origin. They’ve been around a lot
longer than we have so they’re instincts to survive among us are sharp.
How do roaches get in? Roaches enter through tiny cracks around windows and doors. They can also be transported into the home in bags of potatoes from the grocery store, moving boxes or even from guests who have roaches in their own home.
Keep your home pest-free!
Just one roach is one too many...we get it. There are some things you can do to prevent roaches in your home. Keeping your kitchen counters wiped down and free of all food and crumbs is a big plus. Be sure to clear the garbage Disposal before you close up your kitchen for the night. Sealing all windows and doors will keep them from coming indoors, as they can enter through spaces as thin as a dime.
If you have a roach problem, or want to prevent one, we can help. If you see one roach, then there are countless more in hiding. We’ll develop a plan to eradicate an existing infestation, to keep your home roach-free. Learn more about our BUNDLES!!!