Pest Control Service and Roaches

Pest control service is something that everybody needs at one time or another. It’s embarrassing; friends and family are visiting for the holidays and see little brown bugs scuttling across your kitchen floor or in your bathroom. No one wants to live through that – so let Expert Pest Solutions take care of your pest control service this winter.

It’s disgusting to turn on your kitchen lights at night and see roaches running for cover. You may feel like a housekeeping failure when this happens to you. But don’t feel bad, cockroaches can infest even the cleanest home. Unfortunately, they are not only annoying, but they can also actually pose health risks for you and your family. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cockroaches carry bacteria that can cause salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus if they are deposited on food and later ingested. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cockroaches are considered an asthma trigger and a source of allergens. If you have a cockroach problem and need pest control service, reach out to Expert Pest Solutions. We will rid your home of these pesky bugs quickly and safely.

If your home is overrun with roaches, you already know they can get into literally everything. Something you may not know is how rapidly they multiply, or that they can survive for several months without food and up to two weeks without water! Lets talk about the different kinds of roaches there are and a little information about them:

• Woods Cockroach (Parcoblatta spp): This species lives primarily outdoors and is considered a nuisance pest, as it does not breed inside a home. Various species of wood cockroaches are prevalent throughout the United States, but these are more common in eastern and southern states. They live among piles of leaves, mulch, lumber piles, firewood piles and similar outdoor harborages. Homes located on wooded lots may be more prone to encounters with these cockroaches. In extreme cases where soffits remain moist or wet due to clogged gutters or leaks, woods cockroaches can become established in soffits and behind fascia boards, especially around chimneys. Some good things to prevent these guys are to change exterior lighting to yellow “bug” lights as they can help reduce the number of cockroaches attracted to your home, as can simply keeping lights turned off. Also sealing as many exterior cracks as possible, and to ensure all foundation and attic vents have tight-fitting screens. Removing leaf piles, wood piles and other harborages is very important as well.
• Smoky Brown Cockroach (Periplaneta filiginosa): Although smoky brown cockroaches are related to the American cockroach, they are slightly smaller in size and uniformly mahogany in color. The smoky brown cockroach usually invades an attic or crawl space where it finds conditions similar to those found within a tree hole. Once they have multiplied enough through these areas, they regularly venture down into the house. Research has shown that attics and crawl spaces that have good ventilation are less likely to have these cockroaches. The smoky brown is a common pest of homes along the Gulf Coast from central Florida to eastern Texas. The best way to help prevent these cockroaches is to ensure the attic and crawl space have sufficient ventilation.
• German Cockroaches (Blattella germanica): The German cockroach is the most reasonably important urban pest. It is the most common cockroach species in houses, apartments, restaurants, hotels, and other places throughout the United States. Infestations are sometimes found in areas not typically suspected of housing German cockroaches, such as dressers drawers in bedrooms. German cockroaches found scattered through non-food areas of a home or building is usually a sign of a very heavy infestation or of the repellent effects of insecticide applications elsewhere in the facility. Adult males appear to be the most mobile stage, followed by nongravid adult females and large nymphs; gravid females probably rarely leave the harborage. Keeping the home clean and free of food debris and harborage reduction/removal are the first steps to successful German cockroach control. A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (High Energy Particulate Air) filtration system can be used to remove large amounts of cockroaches in a short period of time. Do not attempt to vacuum this pest without a HEPA filter on the vacuum.
• Brown Banded Cockroach (Supella longipalpa): Male is light brown. The female may have dark brown wings. Both sexes, however, have the lighter-colored bands running across the wings directly behind the prothorax. These cockroaches are far less common than German cockroaches and are usually found in apartments, motels, and long-term care facilities. Like German cockroaches, these will be found in kitchens and bathrooms. However, because brown banded cockroaches can survive in drier areas, they will also be found in bedrooms, living rooms, closets, bookcases, etc. This behavior can make the brown banded cockroach a bit more difficult to control. Cockroaches require plenty of food, water, and shelter in order to thrive. Limiting any one of these makes it more difficult for cockroach populations to become established and escalate in size. Inspect all incoming food goods, boxes, and furniture and appliances for the presence of cockroaches or egg capsules. In commercial facilities, avoid storing food items in cardboard boxes on shelves. Cardboard is a preferred harborage site for cockroaches. In homes, do not store paper bags under the sink or elsewhere in the kitchen. Store bags in the garage or room other than the kitchen, utility room, or bathrooms.
• American Cockroaches (Periplaneta Americana): The American cockroach is the largest of the house-infesting cockroach. These cockroaches are often found in sewers and basements, particularly around pipes and drains. They are active when the temperature is 70 degrees or higher, but they can survive lower temperatures with the right conditions. American cockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens.

Expert Pest Solutions offers a variety of service plans to suit your needs and budget. If you need pest control service in your home due to cockroaches – give Expert Pest Solutions a call today. Know that when you choose Expert Pest Solutions, you are choosing to work with local people who understand the pests that inhabit the Springfield area and know how to deal with them. When you’re ready to rid your home of roaches, you can request a quote from our website or give us a call at (417) 413-4776. We serve customers in the greater Springfield, Missouri and surrounding communities of Ozark, Nixa, Republic, Rogersville, and Strafford.