It is a myth that cockroaches only infest dirty houses. Lots of clean homes get cockroaches. Cockroaches are flat, brown, insects that move quickly and prefer to hide during the day and come out at night. St. Louis has five common types of cockroaches. Of those, the wood cockroach does not reproduce inside, so if one is inside, it is only transitory. American and Oriental cockroaches can reproduce inside or outside. German and brown-banded cockroaches do not survive outside and are the most common cockroaches in houses. 

Signs Of Cockroaches In The Home 

Because cockroaches are so secretive, you will likely see the signs they leave behind before you see a live cockroach. Here are the major signs of an infestation. 

• Droppings are black pepper-like specks that are small but tend to build up in areas where cockroaches congregate. These places develop a musty odor as well.
• Smear marks are left in places lots of cockroaches travel. Cockroaches rub on things while walking over them and they leave behind a smear mark. The smear marks will be more evident the more cockroaches use the path.
• Discarded skins are left behind as cockroach nymphs molt. They leave these behind but they pile up in places cockroaches congregate.

Egg Capsules look like little brown purses. German cockroaches carry their egg capsules until right before the eggs hatch. Other types of cockroaches secrete them in cracks and crevices where they will be safe. German cockroach egg cases can carry 30-40 eggs. A German cockroach can be responsible for thousands of roaches developing and infesting your house in a year. Their numbers build quickly and they can become pesticide-resistant. Brownbanded cockroaches have 15-20 eggs per case and can rapidly develop a large population, too. 

Cockroaches Are Dangerous 

Cockroaches are not just unsightly, they can carry diseases. They walk through filth then walk over your food or food-preparation stations and tools. They regurgitate saliva while eating your food, leaving an off taste and odor behind. Or their feces, saliva, shed skin, and egg cases become dust and can be inhaled while you sweep or vacuum. They can transmit salmonellosis, typhoid fever, cholera, gastroenteritis, dysentery, listeriosis, giardia, and E. coli infection. Cockroaches have been shown to cause and inflame allergies in children, particularly in multi-family dwellings. These children can develop life-threatening allergies and/or asthma that can put them in the emergency room, especially if the exposure is chronic.  

Get Professional Help 

Cockroaches are hard to control. They hide in small cracks and crevices so that pesticides don’t reach them. Worse, one of the popular pesticides in some of those bug bombs makes cockroaches grow and reproduce faster. 

It doesn’t have to be this hard. Arenz Pest Management can get rid of your cockroaches for you. You can call us to schedule your no-obligation inspection (or use the contact form on our website). Whatever way you contact us, we will send a trained, professional technician to your house at an agreed-upon time.

When our technician gets to your house, he will speak to you about your cockroach and other pest problems. He will then do a top to bottom inspection, from the attic to the crawl space. He will also inspect the yard. After the inspection, he will formulate a plan of action to get rid of the cockroaches and give you an estimate for the cost of treatment. If you agree to the plan, he will treat your house for cockroaches and any other pests you are having problems with. Call Arenz Pest Management today at (636) 306-3931 and tell your cockroaches good-bye. 

Tags: pest prevention | st. louis cockroaches | pest control |

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