Las Vegas's Handy Guide To American Cockroach Control
When it comes to household pests, there aren’t many on the pest list here in Vegas that is as gross as the American cockroach. These little devils spread germs in just about every conceivable way. They carry pathogens in their bodies. They pick them up from the surfaces they crawl on and they deposit them in their droppings, contaminating everything from food to surfaces to toiletries. Needless to say, we’re all pretty motivated to keep cockroaches out of our homes and places of business. Let’s talk a little about how to spot signs of roaches and how pest control in Las Vegas can help get them off your property.
American Cockroach, Stay Away From Me
American cockroaches are one of the largest and most endemic common cockroach species. Adults can be anywhere from 1.25 to 2 inches long. They’re typically reddish-brown, with long and thin antenna, and they have paper-thin wings that cover their entire thorax and abdomen.
Normally, if you’ve got a cockroach problem, you know it. These roaches aren’t clean or polite pests, so there will be plenty of signs you’ve got a cockroach infestation, especially if it’s a big one.
Things to watch out for include:
- Smear marks left by roaches crawling through water
- Cockroach droppings (these will resemble coffee grounds or black pepper)
- Roach egg capsules (these look more like a tiny pill than real eggs)
- Shed roach skins
- Live roaches underneath appliances or furniture
- Strong musty or oily odor
Roaches do a lot more than stink up your property and leave a mess – they spread a myriad of serious illnesses too. Some of the roaches’ favorite places to hide include pipes containing raw sewage, garbage receptacles, and dead corpses. When they creep from these disgusting places to your kitchen counter, they carry all the germs they picked up with them. Cockroaches spread several of the most infamous and deadly diseases on Earth, including salmonella, typhoid, dysentery, E. coli, staph, and cholera. Their accumulated droppings can also cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks in sensitive individuals.
American Cockroach Prevention Tips
The best way to prevent roaches is to eliminate things that attract them. They’re not picky eaters, so pretty much any food anywhere has the potential to become a roach attractant.
To prevent this from happening:
- Vacuum and wipe counters often to eliminate crumbs and smears of food.
- Tightly cover trash cans and take out the trash frequently.
- Store all pantry foods in tightly sealed containers, preferably made of hard plastic.
- Limit where you eat to reduce food droppage.
- Clean all dishes immediately and never leave dirty dishes sitting around.
Roaches love filth and decay, so the cleaner you keep everything, the fewer attractants will be in your house. Other ways to keep American cockroaches at bay include sealing up potential access points around your house and clearing clutter to reduce hiding spots.
Unfortunately, roaches are stubborn pests. They can sniff out food like bloodhounds and they breed like bunny rabbits, meaning sticky traps, poisons, and other store-bought measures might kill a few, but they won’t kill enough to eliminate all the baby roaches hatching every day. The best thing to do if you have an American cockroach infestation is to call the pros.
Here at Pest Control Solutions, we’ve been helping Vegas residents deal with their pest problems for over 25 years! Our home pest control and commercial pest control services include an initial inspection, a variety of treatment options, and regularly scheduled maintenance visits to ensure your pest problems don’t come back. So visit our contact page at Pest Control Solutions or give us a call at (702) 479-5476 to schedule your free estimate today.
