Most people have seen cockroaches and we are quite sure not many are fond of these pests. Perhaps you have seen the daring guy on television who lets hundreds of cockroaches scurry across his body. Gross! This makes the hairs on our arms stand just thinking about it. Have you tried to round up a cockroach in your home? You may have your own method of trying to rid yourself of these pests. Maybe you run away in the opposite direction. Maybe you’ve tried to chase them down with your shoe and they suddenly disappear. Their defense mechanism for survival is the ability to rapidly move their six legs at speeds of up to three miles per hour to flee from their captors. For this reason, killing these unwanted pests is best left to pest control professionals because they cannot hide from us.
There are more to cockroaches than their ability to outrun a pursuer.
Cockroaches are nocturnal and prefer the dark… while you sleep, they party. Cockroaches thrive in warm environments making Houston a hotbed for rapid cockroach multiplication. Cockroaches are not picky eaters and can make a meal out of almost anything…. like those crumbs that fell under your refrigerator or the glue holding boxes together in your garage. There is a common misconception that a clean house deters roaches. This does help, but roaches do not limit their infiltration to homes that leave dishes in the sink or food out on the counter. Even the cleanest homes have moisture around their pipes or in their bathroom. The scrappy nature of cockroaches makes anyone susceptible to a cockroach infestation. This is just another reason why it is important to let the pest control professionals treat roaches to ensure that the correct treatment is applied.
There have been roughly seventy different species of roaches identified in the United States.
Having an exoskeleton, they are able to squeeze into the tiniest of openings making your home a luxurious cockroach mansion. Since they are able to squeeze in small spaces, they are able to hide and may wreak havoc.
Cockroaches cause health and allergy issues for many people. Cockroaches make themselves at home leaving behind fecal matter and harmful bacteria. This is not only disgusting but also a serious health threat. We can assure you, they do not sanitize their legs before they run through your food or feast in your panty. By not allowing a professional pest control company to take care of even your smallest cockroach residents, you pose a serious health risk to yourself and your family.
3 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT COCKROACHES
- Female cockroaches reproduce at a very high rate. In fact, a single female cockroach produces approximately one hundred fifty eggs which incubate for six to eight weeks. We might not be math experts, but this high reproduction rate can easily cause your home to be overpopulated by unwanted residents. Our experienced Houston area pest control company can take care of this issue for you so that you can be confident that cockroaches and their eggs have been eradicated.
- Cockroaches can live for up to a week without their head since they breathe through tiny holes in their body. Their mouth is essential for drinking water so they will eventually die of water deprivation. In the meantime, they are still able to reproduce. People who decapitate cockroaches and believe that they have taken care of the problem are in fact allowing that cockroach to reproduce for up to an additional week. This is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when thinking that they have taken care of their roach problem. Without the assistance of a reputable residential pest control company, a small roach issue can turn into a serious infestation.
- Cockroaches are known to be able to hold their breath for up to forty minutes. This gives them the ability to survive being submerged underwater. Many people flush cockroaches down the toilet. This is not a good idea since the cockroach will likely survive and attempt to resurrect in a neighbor’s home. Your trusted Houston area exterminator can give you the peace of mind that these pesky creatures are eliminated altogether.
You may not have seen cockroaches in your home. As a reminder, just because you have not seen them does not mean that they are not there. In a hot and humid place like Houston, the conditions are ripe for roach activity. You want to take action to make sure that your home has proper barriers to discourage the dwelling of harmful cockroaches.
How Are Cockroaches Harmful?
Cockroaches are mainly deemed harmful not so much themselves or their behavior, but rather the diseases they carry and spread. It doesn’t take but a few roaches to literally make your entire household sick before you even realize you have roaches.
Diseases That Cockroaches Can Carry
Cockroaches spread disease differently than other insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks. While these insects spread diseases they carry directly—they bite you. Roaches actually spread diseases indirectly by mere contact or contamination of surfaces we touch and the food we eat.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented that these harmful insects are by and far one of the most significant threats to residential and commercial structures around the world.
Because they are capable of carrying so many different harmful bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses, and mold—they are deemed quite a serious health threat. Just take a quick look at some of the most common threats they carry.
- Listeria
- E. coli
- Staphylococcus (aureus and faecalis)
- Dysentery
- Salmonella
As if that is not dangerous enough, in many salmonella samples found on cockroaches so many have been found to be immune to antibacterial drugs that usually kill them. This only compounds the danger of risk when bacteria adapt to become resistant to the drugs created to kill them.
Cockroaches can even trigger asthma attacks.
This was first discovered over sixty years ago when hospital patients were exposed to cockroaches through direct contact. They began to develop rashes and have breathing difficulty. Naturally, they were already asthmatic, so the roaches didn’t cause asthma—but they did trigger attacks.
The reason these foul insects can have this effect on asthmatic people is—and yes, this is disgusting; their dried feces contains proteins that when atomized into the air are unknowingly inhaled. In many people with asthma, enough particles of this dried feces and trigger an asthma attack. We told you it was disgusting!
HOW COCKROACHES SPREAD DISEASE
Through Their Fecal Matter
Cockroaches are notoriously filthy pests. Because of these nasty habits, their fecal matter is equally as nasty, in the biological sense. For example, when a cockroach eats spoiled chicken or even dog feces, it takes on the bacteria and microorganisms in that food source. Those organisms can remain in roaches digestive systems or even multiply.
Cockroaches then expel their feces wherever they walk—your countertop, your toilet seat, your dishes…EVERYWHERE. This is why it is so important to ensure you have a Houston pest control expert on call to handle any roach problems immediately.
Through Their Saliva And Vomit
Yes, cockroaches have saliva and they do throw up. In fact, every time they eat, they throw up partially digested food—complete with all those aforementioned bacteria and pathogens. Cockroaches also use saliva to help digest their food. No matter how you look at it—it’s very unsettling and makes your skin crawl.
When we come into contact with surfaces they have vomited on, we then are likely contaminated and should wash our hands immediately. We know this business better than anyone, and we never said it isn’t disgusting.
Through Direct Contact
This might make your skin crawl, but one of the most common methods of disease transmission is by direct contact, i.e. crawling on you, scurrying across your bare feet, or even getting in your bed! Cockroaches feel welcome in any environment that provides shelter, water, and plenty of food. So if you can prevent cockroaches from even visiting your home—you can be ahead of the game.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? DITCH THE ROACHES TODAY!
It has been said that “Time Is Money.” When dealing with rapidly multiplying creatures like cockroaches, you must act today to prevent further infestation and damage. Our mission is to rid your home of cockroaches in a safe and effective way so that you can sleep at night.
Our highly skilled exterminators and pest control consultants have over fifty years of combined experience of controlling and eliminating cockroaches as well as other unwanted pests. Give us, the preferred pest control company of Spring, The Woodlands and the Greater Houston area, a call TODAY and let us fight the cockroaches or any other pests for you.
