How to get rid of roaches in your home and keep them out

What Cockroaches Look Like

Cockroach identification is the first step in an effective control program. Some cockroaches are easier to control than others. As an example, seeing black cockroaches is good. Those black roaches are Oriental cockroaches. While the dirtiest of all pest roaches in our area and the most dangerous in terms of spreading diseases, they're fairly easy to control. If you deep clean the interior of your home and repair plumbing issues, you can drive these roaches out. Once you've given them a day to get out, you can seal entry points in your exterior, clean your trash receptacles, and say goodbye to these roaches. In most cases, this is all you'll need to do.

Another cockroach you should know how to identify is a wood roach. These roaches are typically easy to identify as they are commonly active during the day. If you see roaches flying around your home during the day, they're probably wood roaches. Most wood roaches are nuisance pests and are considered to be a minor health concern. They also don't prefer to be indoors. So, it is relatively easy to keep them out if you do the hard work of sealing exterior entry points and removing hiding places, such as stacked wood, dead branches, and wooden borders around landscaping.   

There are two notorious cockroach pests in our area. They are the German cockroach and the American cockroach. German cockroaches are the worst of the two because they have adapted to living in structures and they tolerate dry conditions. American cockroaches don't do well in homes that are too dry. If you repair leaking faucets, pipes, garbage disposals, and other plumbing issues, you may get these roaches to leave. A German cockroach is tan with two black lines on the back, below the head. An American cockroach is a shiny, chestnut-colored insect with an orangish-yellow figure eight on the back, below the head.     

Most pest cockroaches are nocturnal and don't prefer to come out into the open, making identification difficult. You may only find signs of a cockroach infestation but never see the roaches in your home. Keep this in mind.

What It Takes To Get Rid Of Roaches In Your Home

Many people turn to home remedies for cockroaches. These products promise to provide effective control of roaches while also being entirely organic. Unfortunately, they're not nearly as effective as promised. The online influencers who create these control methods often use circumstantial evidence to show that their ideas work. You should know that exterminating a few cockroaches does not mean a product works. Any method that targets cockroaches to exterminate them only treats the symptom, not the source. Cockroaches reproduce quickly, learn to avoid harmful substances, and have demonstrated an ability to adapt genetically to threats. Cockroaches can shed their skins and create new skins that protect them from harmful materials or alter their taste receptors to reject harmful food. So, what does it take to control cockroaches?

The cockroach control technicians at HomeShield Pest Control use field-tested methods to achieve the best results. There isn't a single product that can address a cockroach infestation. A multi-pronged strategy is required for effective control. It is also essential to consider the specific cockroach species to select appropriate baits and other control products. We apply a scientific approach to locate, treat, and monitor cockroach activity until all the roaches are gone.  

Five Tips To Prevent Future Cockroach Infestations

Once the cockroaches in your home are gone, what is the next step? There are actually five steps. Here are five tips that will work to keep cockroaches from getting into your Orange County home. These tips will also prevent an infestation if you haven't yet seen evidence of cockroach activity.

1. Manage your trash. 

It is essential to manage trash from the moment you create it. Cockroaches eat organic matter and have a preference for food that is spoiled. 

• Store trash in a covered container in your kitchen. 
• Remove the trash from your home at least weekly to prevent cockroaches from reproducing inside your receptacles. 
• Keep your indoor trash receptacle disinfected. 
• Store exterior trash in a covered container.
• Get your trash to the curb weekly to prevent organic material from sitting for a week.
• Clean your exterior trash receptacles to remove the strong odor that can attract cockroaches from a distance.  

2. Remove Food Sources.

There are many things cockroaches will eat. Some of them are not things you would consider to be food. You should remove these.

• Keep your outdoor grill as clean as possible. You may also put sticky traps on the legs to catch roaches that try to climb up and get inside.
• Pick up dog waste in your yard if you have a dog.
• Remove stacks of cardboard. Cockroaches eat cellulose.
• Make sure to properly mix compost if you keep compost.

3. Remove Organic Debris.

Cockroaches hide underneath leaf litter, dead sticks, stacked wood, and other organic debris. Yard work can help you significantly reduce cockroach activity around your home.

• Use a leaf blower to push leaves out of your landscaping and from underneath exterior structures, such as decks and patios.
• When you pick up dead branches in your yard, store them in a bin rather than on the ground, and never put stacked branches next to your exterior walls.
• Put plant clippings and weeds in a plastic bag and dispose of them in a receptacle.   

4. Address Moisture Problems.

Most cockroach pests are attracted to damp habitats and areas of high humidity. Remove these conditions next to your home to reduce cockroach activity.

• Clean your gutters. A gutter clog can cause rainwater to pour over the sides and soak the soil and vegetation near your home.
• Repair your gutters. A broken downspout or splash block can create oversaturation and dampen landscaping next to your home.
• Remove objects that capture rainwater. These are often a drinking source for cockroaches.
• Reduce vegetation in dense areas of your landscaping. Vegetation can trap moisture and increase humidity.

5. Seal Entry Points

Cockroaches don't chew tunnels to get into your home. They take advantage of entry points that already exist. Here are the tools you can use to seal entry points.

• Use a can of spray foam. If you need a quick, cheap fix, this is the tool for the job. You can use foam to fill in rotten wood holes, gaps around pipes, and other openings. 
• Use a caulking gun. If you're concerned about curb appeal, you'll want to use this tool. Silicone caulk is easier for neat and clean applications. You can also get a color that matches your building materials.
• Install door sweeps. Every exterior door should have a sweep. Cockroaches commonly slip underneath doors.
• Replace weatherstripping. If you can see sunlight leaking into your home, you may need to replace your weatherstripping.
• Install vent covers and weep holes.
• Repair damaged screens. A quick and easy patch is all you need to keep roaches out.

Along with these preventative measures, remember that ongoing residential pest control can keep a long list of pests out of your home, including cockroaches. Your treatments can give you extra protection or provide protection where none currently exists. Connect with us today to schedule service for your Orange County home. The service team here at HomeShield Pest Control is looking forward to assisting you.