Cockroach infestation is unpleasant because these pests are a health hazard, causing allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. They can also carry different types of bacteria on their bodies, thus contaminating your food and home. Therefore, it’s essential first to identify their presence in your home and then take the right action: contact a professional exterminator. Look out for these five signs of an infestation in your home.
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1. Cockroach Eggs
Cockroaches can lay eggs at any time of the year. According to WHO, a cockroach egg case measures 8 to 10 mm and contains about 16 eggs, which shows how quickly these pests can multiply when left unchecked.
However, detecting the eggs may be challenging because cockroaches are instinctively nocturnal, meaning they lay and hide their eggs at night when most people are asleep. If you suspect an infestation, use a light source to conduct a visual inspection of dark corners, cracks, or crevices to find the eggs.
2. Cockroach Droppings
Cockroaches deposit their feces on any surface as they travel from one location to another. The most common areas where they deposit droppings are kitchen and bathroom sinks, stovetops, and cabinets. When cockroaches eat dried food products, like flour or sugar, their fecal pellets are larger and darker in color than when they eat wet food items, like vegetables or fruit.
If you see cockroach droppings anywhere in your home, the infestation may be worsening, and you’ll require professional assistance immediately.
3. Cockroaches Roaming Your Home
Cockroaches usually hide in small cracks and crevices, often coming out at night. Sometimes, you can see them during the day when they enter your home through small openings or cracks in windows and doors or from items on the ground nearby. Also, if you frequently leave food particles or leftovers on kitchen counters, tables, and floors, you may see cockroaches roaming around such areas.
4. Musky Odor
Cockroaches secrete a pheromone which alerts other cockroaches of their presence and communicates where they can get food, shelter, and partners. They release a musky odor when near each other. The scent is usually hard to detect, but it gets stronger as the infestation worsens. Cockroaches also release a death stench to warn others in their intrusion from possible dangers. Keeping in mind that pests prefer unsanitary environments, and the result is often a foul odor.
5. Smear Marks
Dirty smear marks around your home, especially on windows, doors, and walls, may indicate the presence of an infestation. Cockroaches use their bodies to create smear marks as they climb in different parts of your home while looking for food. As noted, they produce a pheromone that attracts other cockroaches, who then follow the trail from one smear mark to another.
The modern cockroach is more than 180 million years old, meaning it has outlived even the dinosaur and is one of the hardest pests to exterminate. However, you don’t need to live with an infestation when you become aware of the problem through the signs mentioned above. If you think there is an infestation in your home, seek professional pest control Mesa, AZ, services today.
