Cockroaches Making Themselves At Home In Katy

Texas, like most of the United States, is home to several species of cockroaches. These pests love the heat and humidity of Texas and can easily get into your home at any time of year. It's rare to find anyone who doesn't hate cockroaches, and for a good reason! These nuisance pests can also spread disease and cause health problems for your family. Let's take a closer look at what exactly draws them into your home.

What Exactly Is A Cockroach?

Cockroaches are nocturnal insects that come into your home looking for shelter and food. There are over 4,600 types of roaches in Texas. Yikes! Four main species live in Texas and may try to get comfortable inside your house.

American cockroach - This is the largest species of cockroach and can grow over 2 inches in length. They can fly short distances and are reddish-brown.

Oriental cockroach - This species is the next largest, at 1 ¼ inches in length. They’re also darker than other cockroaches, ranging from dark brown to shiny black. Luckily, these roaches can’t fly.

German cockroach - The German cockroach ranges between ½ to just over 1 inch in length. They’re the lightest cockroach, a pale brown, and they aren’t known for flight.

Brown-banded cockroach - The male brown-banded cockroach can fly, though females cannot. They can be reddish-brown or dark brown and usually grow up to ½ an inch long.

What Risks Are Associated With Cockroaches?

Cockroaches are known as a filthy pest, because they are, quite literally, drawn to filth. They spend time in trash, excrement, and even decaying matter. They then carry the bacteria from these locations into your home and spread pathogens as they scurry across surfaces in your house. As they move around, their shed skin and fecal matter can also cause allergic reactions in some people and can worsen symptoms of asthma. These are disgusting bugs that you certainly don’t want running wild in your home.

What Are The Best Ways To Prevent Cockroaches?

One way to prevent roaches in Texas from coming into your home is to minimize their access points. You can do this through routine maintenance to seal off the exterior of your home. Unfortunately, cockroaches can get in through even the smallest of spaces. They can also come inside through vents and pipes. To avoid sheltering them, keep your house and storage areas decluttered. By taking away their hiding places, you're making it harder for them to stay inside.

The second thing you need to do to prevent cockroaches is to eliminate their food source. Do this by keeping your kitchen clean at all times, washing dishes at night, and keeping food in tightly sealed containers. Pay special attention to garbage cans, and make sure that your trash is sealed and not giving off a strong scent, which will attract cockroaches.

If you aren’t able to keep cockroaches out of your house, there are some do-it-yourself removal methods or chemicals you can purchase. However, the most efficient way to eliminate cockroaches is by receiving help from a professional pest control service at Modern Pest Control. Our treatment methods are far more effective than store-bought chemicals, and we can help you focus on long-term prevention as well.