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Roosevelt Property Owners' Comprehensive Guide To Effective Cockroach Control

September 15, 2020 - Cockroaches

cockroach sitting on butter

Roosevelt, UT, residents see all sorts of pests year-round. Most of these pests are completely harmless, although annoying to deal with. However, if you plan on living in Utah during any month of the year, there’s one pest you absolutely must watch out for: cockroaches.

Most people know how gross cockroaches are – they look dirty, smell funky, and pop out at the worst times. However, cockroaches also pose serious threats to your well-being. Let’s go over how to identify these pests and the havoc they wreak in your Roosevelt home.

Cockroach Identification Guide For Roosevelt, UT

There are several different cockroach species that live in the Roosevelt area, and while each has slightly different features, they all share the same basic characteristics.

Each cockroach has six legs, body-length antennae, and flat, oval-shaped bodies. Some cockroaches have wings, though most do not fly; rather, cockroaches scuttle from place to place. These nocturnal pests move about at night, which is why you often don’t see them except at dusk or dawn. Different species of cockroaches vary in size and color.

  • American cockroaches, the largest of any U.S. species, grow to between 1 and 3 inches in length and have dark reddish-brown bodies.

  • German cockroaches, the most common of the roaches, only grow to around half an inch long and have tan-to-brown bodies. Additionally, these roaches have two black stripes on their heads. 

  • Less common but still prominent, brown-banded cockroaches measure around half an inch. They have a light-to-medium brown color and distinctive bands running across their wings.

  • Finally, Oriental Cockroaches, also known as water bugs, have black, shiny bodies and grow to between ¾ and 1¼ inches in length.

While other cockroaches exist in Utah, these species are most commonly found in homes. No matter the roach, cockroaches can wreak havoc on your health. Let’s explain why.

Cockroach Diseases

Cockroaches can carry 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 roaches because, although these insects exist naturally in the wild, they congregate anywhere that they can consume organic matter – especially if it’s waste.

Common diseases that roaches can transmit include salmonella, cholera, dysentery, listeria, giardia, typhoid, and the plague. Name an infectious bacteria, and a roach somewhere has it.

Additionally, roaches can make your allergies worse or even give you asthma. Roaches release proteins that some people are sensitive to, especially people with asthma. Long-term exposure to these proteins results in serious respiratory problems, and these problems may persist long after the infestation is over.

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 water and even longer without food. Regular spring cleaning is essential, even if it’s September because otherwise, cockroaches will happily camp out and reproduce in your house.

Reduce outdoor clutter. Regularly maintain your lawn, clean up foliage, and keep your plants trimmed. Overgrowth invites all sorts of pests, including cockroaches. On top of keeping the house tidy, consider the following as part of your Roosevelt pest control plan:

  • Keep trash secured. These pests often come near your home because there’s trash, compost, or food for them to feast on outside the home. These foragers then move inside when they reach your foundation walls, so secure your trash, as well as your pantry.

  • Check all bags and packages you receive. Some cockroaches like to hitchhike, meaning you can pick one up in your bag, or some stray roaches can scuttle around a package and get in your house surreptitiously. 

  • Reduce the humidity. Cockroaches prefer warm, damp spaces that they can hide out in during the day. This includes crawl spaces, basements, bathrooms, and the kitchen. Check the humidity in these spaces and respond accordingly. 

  • Seal any cracks in your windows, door frames, or home exterior.

Did cockroaches get in your Roosevelt house? Don’t waste another second trying to get rid of them – contact our home pest control professionals today at Pickett Pest Control.

Get Started With Pickett Pest Control LLC Today

(435) 781-0111

For quality pest control for your home or business, reach out to us at Pickett Pest Control!