Do you own a home in Sydney? Are you concerned with the persistent cockroach infestation at your house? Then stay right here. This article is just for you.
But before moving on to the different aspects of roach infestation, let’s start with some basic facts. Are you ready?
Whether you like it or not, this emerald city is also known as the “cockroach capital of Australia.” Surprised? But that’s the truth. In fact, various studies suggest that the way the number of apartments is going up, simultaneously the cockroaches are growing in number.
You will be surprised to know that one of the varieties of cockroaches, i.e., German, Australian, can increase since the female lays around 100,000 eggs in a given year. To combat against this world’s oldest and most widespread pests that can easily take over your home and health simultaneously, learn how to look for the signs first.
Let’s begin!
Cockroach Infestation- What to Look For?
Since roaches are nocturnal insects, they often look for dark and moist locations to hide and breed. So, ideally, they will find a shelter that provides them with a constant source of food. Here are the places where you can find them lurking around.
- Kitchen: If there are any leaks or broken storage areas, you can easily find roaches inhabiting such areas. Not only that, sometimes they hide under bigger appliances, such as stoves and refrigerators.
- Bathrooms: This is like their favorite home. Since the area is moist compared to other areas of your home, you can find them moving around in the pipes, bathtubs, showers, or drains.
- Basement: They can squeeze within cracks, holes, or leaky pipes.
- Laundry Room: You will find cockroaches hiding under the washers or a pile of clothes.
Now that you are familiar with their hideout places, the next step is to figure out the signs to identify them quickly. But before that, let’s take a moment to understand the types of roaches found in our homes.
Related: I Saw One Cockroach. Should I Be Worried?
Types of Roaches, The Creepy Crawlers
To begin with, these creepy crawlers are quite easily distinguishable. In fact, even the different types can be identified quickly based on their color and shape. On a general level, they can be anything between ¾ inches to 3 inches long.
Four types of cockroaches are usually found to infest our homes. These include:
German Cockroach: They are pale brown with two brown stripes present behind the head. They have a lifespan of approximately 12 months and lay the most number of eggs.
Oriental Cockroach: They are dark brown in color, or you can find some black ones as well. Their lifecycle is around six months long. This type of pest often feeds on decaying organic matter.
American Cockroach: They are reddish-brown in color and have yellow bands around their body. They even can fly smaller distances and live for around two years.
Brown-banded Cockroach: They are similar in color to American ones but only last for around 11 months. In this species, only males can fly.
But how do you know that they have infested your abode? Let’s find out now!
Related: Tips for a Profitable Dubia Roach Colony
Signs of Cockroach Infestation
Experts suggest looking for cockroach poop or feces to confirm if they are present. For instance, if you find droppings similar to ground coffee or black pepper, be alarmed that they are already hiding somewhere. If there are bigger roaches in your place, they will leave behind dark cylindrical droppings with blunt ends.
Is that all? Not really! Look at the following signs beside the droppings to confirm whether or not there is a pest infestation at your place.
Smell
These creepy crawlers often produce a disgusting smell that’s usually disturbing. So, if the number is more, expect the scent to be a lot greater. They can be musty, oily, or mildewy, depending on the type of area they have infested.
Eggs
Since they lay dozens of eggs at a single time, you can easily find the casing in which the female cockroach lays her eggs. You can find them new storage cabins, bigger appliances, or wet spots.
Nests
If you find cockroaches moving around, that means there are chances a nest is near. Look for the locations mentioned above to see if they are present in large numbers.
Since you know everything about these creepy crawlers, how to identify them, and how to spot them, you must be thinking, “why should you worry about them?”
The following section will help you understand the severity of pest infestation. Keep reading, and you’ll find out!
Health Impact of Cockroach Infestation
To those who have no idea about cockroaches, let’s get one thing clear. They are omnivores and not at all fussy about their food. So, whether it’s a delicious pie or garbage, it’s a tasty treat for them.
As a result, they can retain disease-laden pathogens in their digestive systems. And when they poop, it can leave the pest body. And since pests don’t follow any bathroom hygiene, these droppings can pollute the food containers or kitchen surfaces. And eventually, result in spreading microbes to people.
In fact, as per the WHO, there are more than 60 different types of pathogens that can reside in these creepy crawlers like Salmonella, E.coli, Giardia, Staphylococcus aureus, and so on. Thus, it goes without saying that it could impact the health of the family in many ways.
For instance, as per a study, more than 63% of homes with cockroaches resulted in the rise of people with asthma. As per professionals, you can catch a disease in many ways. However, the most common reason is eating the food items that are contaminated with these creepy crawlers’ poop or saliva.
Other than that, you can also get affected by the contaminated dust present with vomit, saliva, or droppings. Not to mention the drop in the aesthetic appeal of your house.
So, what to do to halt their rise in population? Please scroll down and learn more about it.
Related: Cockroach Bites: Signs, Dangers, Prevention, and Treatment (With Pictures)
Pest Treatment Options- How to go About it?
If cockroaches have invaded your abode, you must wait no more and get in touch with the Sydney Pest Control. As per the experts, the first step to deny every way to get them inside your home. Since they rely on food and water to inhabit a place, all you need to do is restrict them to this the most.
Doing so will force them to go somewhere else or die. However, this won’t be helpful if your house is already a breeding ground for these pests. In that case, you need the help of professionals to do the task for you.
Once you are done with that, you can follow the tips mentioned below to avoid re-entry into your beautiful home.
Related: How to Get Rid of Cockroaches and Keep Them Away
Clean Thoroughly
Since these pests are tenacious, you will require a stringent cleaning routine to limit their access to food or things that support them. For this, you need to deep clean all the appliances you use in the kitchen, such as microwave, toasters, ovens, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc.
Also, keep a check on spills and wipe them instantly. Seal the food items and clean the lids of the cans and garbage bins to limit their entry.
Don’t Allow Water to Stand
Like we mentioned above, roaches love water. So if there are any areas holding water, dry them up immediately. For instance, thoroughly check sinks and cover the drain pipes with a cap. Avoid overwatering house plants or leaving water in saucers or other items.
Make sure your refrigerator’s condensation drip pan is always dry. Check for any leaks or wet areas and repair them if necessary.
Store Your Food in Good Storage Supplies
If you remove the reason they come to your place in the first place, you won’t have to worry about the troubles later on. So, opt for airtight containers to store goods like grains, sugar, or cereals.
Further, instead of using countertops to place your bread, use a refrigerator. If you wish to save some leftovers, try using plastic bags.
Seal The Possible Entry Points
Check all the entry points at your home and try sealing the small cracks or holes. For pipes, opt for mesh copper wool to limit their entrance. Look for gaps or cracks in the windows and seal them. You can also opt for sprays or traps to inhibit them from inhabiting your home.
Final Words
It is pretty clear that cockroaches are nasty organisms that not only impact the value of your home. It also creates a stir in your life. Having said that, you must hire a specialist to treat roach infestation since they will provide you with a practical and customized approach to eliminate their presence from your home.
However, once you take their help, follow the tips mentioned above to locate, identify, and curb their presence in their earlier days. Otherwise, they will increase in number within no time, causing a threat to your health.
You would never want that to happen, right? So, take all the necessary measures and get rid of these creepy crawlers right away!
