What Attracts Cockroaches To Spring Homes?
While some people may only associate cockroaches with more humid, southern states, Texas homeowners aren’t immune to dealing with these pesky critters – especially if you live in Spring.
Cockroaches aren’t very picky about the homes they invade, but there are certain factors that may attract them to some homes more than others. Worried that your Spring house could become a hub of activity for cockroaches? Here’s what homeowners should know about the types of cockroaches that may invade your living space, how dangerous these roaches are, what attracts them to your home, and what tips you can use to reduce these factors.
Types Of Cockroaches In Spring, TX
Not all cockroaches are drawn to the same things, and identifying which roach you’ve got in your Spring house is an important step to understanding what brought them there.
American Cockroach
Also known as water bugs, flying water bugs, and palmetto bugs, American cockroaches have many names, and they’re also the largest house-infesting roach in the country. While many American roaches easily grow over an inch long, these pests can sometimes even grow close to three inches in length.
Along with their large size, you can usually recognize these roaches by the unique, yellow figure-eight marking on the back of their heads. They’re also one of the few cockroaches capable of flight. Once they become adults, American roaches have wings and may fly or glide short distances.
While this species doesn’t mind living outside, they’re likely to venture inside homes for food and water, and they have a preference for bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
German Cockroach
While German cockroaches usually don’t grow more than an inch long, they make up for their smaller size in sheer numbers. Not only do German roaches reproduce more quickly than other types of cockroaches, but they’re also the most common type of cockroach in the country.
Most people can spot German roaches by the dark stripes on their thorax. While they may have wings, these roaches aren’t capable of actually flying. Although they don’t mind spending time in sewers or drains, they prefer to live in the warmer, humid areas of your home, like your bathroom or kitchen.
Oriental Cockroach
While they may get mistaken for beetles, Oriental cockroaches are a lot more dangerous than your average insect. Most Oriental cockroaches have darker coloring with a glossy or greasy-looking sheen that separates them from other cockroach types. They can grow almost as big as American cockroaches, but they’re unable to fly like American roaches.
Many people consider Oriental cockroaches to be one of the most unsanitary types of cockroaches. They may live outdoors during the summer, but once the temperature drops, they have no trouble invading homes – especially rooms that are moist, dark, and humid.
Brown-banded Cockroach
Brown-banded cockroaches usually only grow up to ½ inch long, and they get their name from the dark brown bands that encircle their bodies. Both female and male brown-banded cockroaches have wings, but only male roaches are able to actually fly.
Brown-banded cockroaches don’t mind living outside, but if they manage to get inside your home, they’re not likely to leave. This species is more active at night, and prefers wandering around appliances, attics, or inside ceilings.
Wood Cockroach
Wood cockroaches can sometimes get confused with American or German cockroaches, but there’s a translucent stripe on the outside of their wings that sets them apart. The good news for homeowners is that wood roaches prefer living outside, but they can sometimes still accidentally invade your home – especially male wood cockroaches that are looking for a mate in the springtime.
How Dangerous Are Cockroaches In Spring, TX?
Cockroaches may be unsettling to look at, but they’re more than just a nuisance in your home – they can also pose a threat to human health, and here’s how.
Bacteria
While cockroaches don’t directly carry diseases like some pests do, they can spread harmful bacteria and pathogens, which may lead to disease. Not only can they carry salmonella, but roaches are also suspected carriers of microorganisms that cause dysentery, cholera, diarrhea, and even typhoid fever.
Cockroaches pick up bacteria from the unsanitary places they hang out in, like sewers and drains, and spread it around your home when they crawl over the surfaces you prepare food on.
Allergen And Asthma Triggers
While it may not affect everyone, people with allergies or asthma can have a more difficult time dealing with cockroach infestations. One of the enzymes in cockroach saliva, droppings, and discarded skin is known to worsen allergies and trigger asthma attacks.
This side effect can become especially difficult to live with as a cockroach infestation continues to grow and the roaches in your home keep reproducing.
Accidental Scratches
While cockroaches aren’t known to bite or be aggressive with people, they can sometimes scratch you. If you try to interact or grab a cockroach, their spiny legs may scratch you.
In some cases, a cockroach scratch can break the skin, and become another way for them to spread bacteria.
What Attracts Cockroaches In Spring, TX?
Some people may call cockroaches equal-opportunity invaders because they’re not picky about where they infest. While roaches can survive in both clean and dirty homes, they’re more likely to invade unsanitary homes because they’ve got easier access to the things they love. Some of the factors that may attract cockroaches or make an infestation more likely in your home include:
Food
Cockroaches will seek out food wherever they can find it, and if you’ve got leftovers lying around your kitchen, you’re just making things easier for them. Unsealed leftovers sitting out or crumbs and food scraps that never get cleaned up can all draw cockroaches in. Even dirty dishes can be an attraction for cockroaches.
Keep in mind that cockroaches are resourceful. You may be putting leftovers away, but cockroaches can still survive on those tiny crumbs and scraps that get left behind.
Water
Most cockroaches are attracted to moisture, and homes with drainage or moisture issues are a big draw. This is also why you frequently find cockroaches in kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms, as this is also where leaky faucets or pipes can be found.
Besides plumbing problems, humidity can also serve as an attraction. Cockroaches may congregate in basements or attics with too much humidity, even if there’s not a direct water source.
Shelter
While homeowners have some influence over food and water attractions, cockroaches can sometimes invade your home because it’s nearby and they know it’s a source of shelter. As temperatures drop in the winter, even outdoor roaches are looking for a place to hunker down. If they’re able to find a way into your home, they’ll use it for warm shelter.
How To Reduce Cockroach Attractions In Spring, TX
We’ll touch on preventing cockroaches from getting into your home below, but here’s how you can reduce food and water attractions around your Spring home.
Keep any food products and items tightly sealed: Any food items, including pet food, can serve as an attraction for roaches, so you’ll want to make sure you keep them tightly sealed and properly stored.
Wash dirty dishes in a timely manner: Dirty dishes contain food particles, and leaving them in the sink too long can draw roaches in just like any other food item. Try to wash dirty dishes as soon as possible, and preferably before the end of the night.
Vacuum and sweep regularly: While you may think you’ve gotten every crumb and scrap, some may still end on the floor. Regularly vacuuming and sweeping your home, especially areas where you eat, can help reduce food particles even further.
Keep a tight lid on any garbage cans: Just like open leftovers can bring roaches in, so can an unsealed garbage can. Make sure you’re keeping both indoor and outdoor cans tightly sealed as well as regularly emptied.
Address drainage and moisture issues once you find them: Since moisture is a huge attraction for roaches, it’s important to make sure you’re addressing and dealing with leaky faucets, pipes, and other plumbing problems as soon as you notice them.
Install a dehumidifier: If there’s an area of your house that’s not well-ventilated, installing a dehumidifier can reduce the risk of cockroaches coming inside.
Get rid of excess clutter: Cardboard, paper, and other storage boxes can serve as not only a food source for roaches but also a hiding spot. Regularly clearing out excess clutter can prevent roaches from using these items in your home.
How To Identify Potential Entry-Points For Cockroaches In Spring, TX
Cockroaches, like any pest, need a way to get inside your home, and it doesn’t have to be an open door or window. Cockroaches often use tiny cracks and crevices in your walls or foundation to get inside, but how do you identify where these entry points are?
A good place to start is with the foundation of your home. You can walk around the exterior of your house and look for open cracks and gaps. Cockroaches don’t need a lot of space to get inside, so even the tiniest cracks or crevices can serve as an entrance.
Besides cracks in your foundation, roaches also have the potential to crawl under gaps in your doorways or through tears in your window screens.
Tips To Seal Off Potential Entry-Points For Cockroaches In Spring, TX
Once you’ve identified the potential entrances for cockroaches, it’s time to seal them up – and here’s a quick list of how you can do that:
Tip 1: Use sealant to get rid of holes in the foundation. Caulk, foam, or another type of sealant can fill in tiny cracks and crevices in your foundation and prevent roaches from slipping through.
Tip 2: Replace torn or ripped window and door screens. Along with regularly checking for tears or rips in your door and window screens, it’s important to replace or repair the broken ones you find.
Tip 3: Use weatherstripping to get rid of gaps around doorways. Since some doors may have gaps that are big enough for roaches to crawl through, you can use weatherstripping and door sweeps to block their entrance.
Tip 4: Inspect second-hand items before you bring them into your home: While it’s not the most common way for roaches to get inside, these pests can sometimes end up in your home accidentally through second-hand appliances or furniture. Before bringing in used items that you’ve bought, make sure you double-check those cracks and crevices as well as cardboard boxes for potential roach colonies.
The Most Important Tip: Contact The Professionals At Modern Pest Control
The tips above are a great place to start for cockroach prevention, but they won’t do much if you’ve got an existing cockroach problem on your hands. As quickly as cockroaches reproduce and as dangerous as they can be for your health, there’s only one foolproof way to get rid of them, and that’s with professional pest control help from Modern Pest Control.
Serving Spring and surrounding cities, we’ve been protecting local families for years, and keeping your home safe is always our number one priority. If you’re finding signs of cockroaches around your Spring home or you’re already aware of an existing infestation, there’s no time to waste. Call us today at Modern Pest Control to learn how our industry-leading experts can help solve the cockroach infestation in your home.