Would you know a roach if you saw one? We're guessing you probably would. In fact, we'd be willing to bet that you could pick out a cockroach in a lineup of several common household pests. The only pest that comes close to looking like a cockroach is a beetle. But beetles have a hard, protective cover over their wings. This makes it easy to tell them apart from cockroaches—well, most of the time. Sometimes cockroaches only have wing pads. It is usually female roaches that don't have the noticeable, shiny wings that make cockroach detection easy. Another reason you might not recognize a cockroach is when you see a baby cockroach. Immature cockroach nymphs don't have wings, and they are very small. If this isn't enough to make them hard to identify, those little suckers move as fast as the adults. They can be gone before you even think to try and identify them. But don't let that stop you. It is very important to recognize when cockroaches have gotten into your home. They are incredibly dirty insects that can spread more than 40 organisms that are associated with illness.
When cockroaches get into your Connecticut home, you're probably not going to know that you have an infestation. Cockroaches don't prefer to be seen. The only cockroaches that show themselves are roaches with bold personalities. These are the explorers of the group. They go out, find food and water resources, and let the rest know. But very few cockroaches are bold. The ones that usually only show themselves at night. Most cockroach species are nocturnal by nature.
If you see a cockroach in your home, it is important that you know what you're looking at. That one cockroach is giving you a big warning sign. It is telling you that there is a strong possibility that your home is overpopulated with cockroaches. A large population and limited food resources can cause cockroaches to be bolder than they prefer to be. When you begin to lift couch cushions and find dozens of roaches running for cover, you'll be left with no doubt how bad your infestation is.
Signs Of An Infestation
Okay. Seeing cockroaches isn't a good way of detecting a cockroach infestation, so what is? Here are some signs cockroaches will leave in your home. If you spot these signs, you can know for sure that you have an infestation.
Oothecae. This is a fancy word for cockroach egg casings. The oothecae of cockroaches look like little purses. Inside these purses can be up to 50 eggs. You'll find oothecae littered about in areas of infestation. German cockroaches carry the ootheca with them until the eggs inside are ready to hatch. This makes this cockroach species more difficult to detect. Look for oothecae in dark, moist, or humid areas of your home. You might find them in your basement, cellar, boiler room, laundry room, cabinet under your kitchen sink, or voids within your bathroom.
Feces. Cockroaches leave their black feces everywhere. You'll find it on floors, walls, and ceilings. This waste material will be in humid locations and probably be hidden from view, though not always. Look behind appliances, in gaps between stored items, on insulation in your attic, in the voids above drop-down ceilings, and in other similar locations.
Pheromones. If you have cockroaches in hidden places of your home, you may be able to smell them. Cockroaches release a pheromone that can be described as an oily, musky smell. They're also prone to be where there is rotting organic matter. If something is rotting in your home, you're likely to smell it. That rotting food item might be what attracted those cockroaches to your home in the first place.
What To Do About Cockroaches
If you discover an infestation, it is not a good idea to attempt to exterminate those types of cockroaches on your own. Cockroaches have the ability to grow new exoskeletons that are resistant to chemicals found in their environment. Applying inappropriate chemical pesticides can lead to a serious health risk. The best solution is to contact Big Blue Bug Solution and have one of our licensed pest professionals take care of your cockroach infestation. We provide industry-leading pest control in Connecticut. Find out if you're in our service area.
