What Roosevelt Property Owners Need To Know About German Cockroaches

No one likes turning on the kitchen light at midnight to see a dozen cockroaches scurry for cover. Just the experience of seeing roaches in your Roosevelt home is disturbing. But do you know how dangerous it is to have these filthy creatures in your home? Today we are talking about German cockroaches, the dangers they bring, and how to keep them out of your Roosevelt home.

First thing’s first: you need to know how to physically identity a German cockroach. These pests are pretty small,  measuring in at around half an inch long. The German cockroach is lighter in color, sporting a light tan or beige hue, as opposed to the typical roach’s shade of dark brown or chestnut. The most distinct aspect of the German cockroach’s appearance, however, is the pair of black stripes that run down their prothorax.

The second thing you need to know is that German cockroaches are very prominent pests indeed. Sure, the American cockroach might be a more common name in the nation as a whole, but in the state of Utah, this beige roach is a very potent threat. Moreover, German cockroaches don't care whether the building they sneak inside is a house or business property, they just want to settle down and find food.

How Resilient Are German Cockroaches?

Third, you need to know how hard it is to kill German cockroaches. Their tough exoskeletons and thin bodies make them incredibly difficult to squish. If you somehow cut off a roach's head, it can continue to live for weeks. And they can hold their breaths for up to forty minutes! So forget about trying to drown them. On top of this, roaches can form a natural resistance to new insecticides in just a few generations. To make matters worse, if there are no male cockroaches around, females will reproduce anyway, laying between forty and sixty eggs at a time. Need more? Don’t forget that cockroaches resist radiation better than almost any creature on earth.

As if all this isn’t bad enough, cockroaches are a huge health risk. They can pick up viruses like cholera, salmonella, or E. coli and spread them to humans. If they make it into your kitchen, a German cockroach could get into your food storage areas and give you food poisoning. And some people can have or develop an allergy to roaches, triggering skin rashes and difficulty breathing after coming too close to these pests and their saliva, feces, or shed skins.

Tips For Preventing A German Cockroach Infestation

Here are five handy tips you can use right now to help prevent the spread of these unrelenting creatures around your Roosevelt property.

1. Block off your doorways from being free passageways for hungry roaches! Install door sweeps on every exterior door and keep an eye out to ensure all windows remain tightly closed whenever possible.
2. Roaches, like any living animals, need water to sustain their tiny bodies. If damp spaces are also dark and too small for human disturbance, you’ve got yourself the perfect German cockroach nesting place. Set up proper ventilation in any crawlspaces left open so as to reduce moisture that may build up within. And use dehumidifiers in areas of your home that are high in humidity.
3. Declutter any location where cockroaches can hide. German cockroaches can hide under or behind any object, but they have their favorite spots. Roaches often hide in closets or storage cupboards, particularly those in kitchens or bathrooms, so keep yours neat and tidy!
4. Reduce the alluring smell of food crumbs or trash by cleaning often, both around the kitchen and wherever you happen to bring food.
5. Don’t bother with simple insecticide sprays that could potentially poison you too. Instead, enlist the help of an experienced and reputable team of pest control experts.

Nobody wants to deal with an infestation of German cockroaches, but here’s the secret – you don’t have to! With the specialized assistance available to you at Pickett Pest Control, not only will you not have to get your hands dirty, but you will rest easy knowing that your Roosevelt property is completely cockroach-free! Don’t hesitate! Call Pickett Pest Control today.