If you live in Maryland and have noticed cockroaches in your home, there’s a pretty good chance that they are German cockroaches.
After all, the German cockroach is the number one roach in Maryland, and their fast reproduction rate means they can easily wreak havoc on your home if you don’t take steps to get rid of them!
Luckily, our pest control team has put together this guide to help you identify German cockroaches, look out for the signs of an infestation, and eliminate the pests.
Let’s start by discussing the physical characteristics of German cockroaches.
German cockroaches are most commonly found indoors. If you’ve spotted a light brown or tan cockroach with two black horizontal stripes behind its head, it’s probably a German cockroach.
It should also be noted that, although these cockroaches have wings, they rarely fly. Instead, they prefer to crawl around on floors, kitchen counters, and other warm, humid areas of your home.
And be warned – these pests can trigger asthma symptoms and carry harmful bacteria. So, an infestation of German cockroaches (or any other dangerous home pests) should not be taken lightly!
If you don’t want to get rid of them yourself, consider choosing professional pest control services so your household can stay healthy and roach-free.
Have you identified a German cockroach in your home? If so, you may be dealing with a cockroach infestation. Here are several other signs you should look out for:
1. Cockroach activity during the day
Cockroaches are nocturnal, so if you see them scuttling across your floor during the day, it’s likely that you’ve got a major cockroach infestation in your home.
2. An oily, musty smell
German cockroaches secrete a variety of odorous chemicals. So, if you notice an oily, musty odor, there’s a good chance that you’re dealing with a German cockroach infestation.
3. Cockroach droppings
As if having cockroaches wasn’t already gross enough – now you’ve got to deal with their droppings too!
You can identify German cockroach droppings pretty easily because they look like ground pepper/coffee grounds and are commonly found in drawers or on countertops. Their fecal matter may even cause dark stains in the corners of the rooms in your home.
4. Dead roaches
If you find a dead German cockroach, it’s pretty likely that his friends are nearby – alive and infesting your home. But a dead roach isn’t the only obvious sign – even a shed skin of a living German cockroach can indicate an infestation!
5. A large number of smaller brown cockroaches in the kitchen and/or bathroom
German cockroaches love hanging out in kitchens and bathrooms because these areas tend to provide the moisture and food they need to survive. Yes – cockroach “food” is in the bathroom too because they eat soap and toothpaste!
Have you noticed several infestation signs in your home? If so, you need to act fast because German cockroach populations grow quickly! Here’s what you can do to eliminate your pest problem:
Keep your kitchen and bathroom clean and dry.
Since German cockroaches love to hang out in kitchens and bathrooms, you can drive them out by taking away any reason for them to live there. That means you’ll need to eliminate moisture and food crumbs and store your soap out of their reach.
Empty any pet food containers.
Since cockroaches are active at night, there’s a good chance that they will feed on your pet’s food unless you remove it. Make sure your pet’s food containers are empty and clean every night before you go to sleep to prevent this.
Use a dehumidifier in your home.
Roaches thrive in humid environments, so using a dehumidifier is a good way to send them looking for a more humid place to live. If you use a dehumidifier in a large area like a basement, be sure you choose one that is specifically made to cover the area’s square footage.
Clean your kitchen cabinets
Remember – what’s trash to you is a feast for a German cockroach! Even the smallest crumbs can bring a dirty cockroach into your kitchen. So, be sure you clean your cabinets thoroughly to eliminate food sources for the pests.
Don’t leave trash out
Cockroaches love getting into trash, so avoid leaving any out for them to feed on! You should also make sure all of your trash cans are tightly sealed so that no roaches can sneak into them.
Keep food sealed
If you’re the kind of person who rolls up the top of a bag of chips and sticks it in the cabinet, you might want to change your habits. Why? Because doing this gives a cockroach easy access to your food!
Instead, put opened bags of food in tightly sealed plastic containers. That way, no pests can get in.
Keep everything as dry as possible
Before you go to sleep at night, take some time to dry all sinks, bathtubs, and showers. By doing this, you can make sure the roaches don’t have a moist environment to thrive in.
Okay – so we’ve talked about a few ways to get rid of German cockroaches by cutting out their food, water, and shelter options. Now, let’s talk about ways to kill them directly.
Homemade pest control with baking soda
To use this method, mix one part sugar with one part baking soda and leave the mixture out on a plastic plate that is easily accessible to the roaches. Make sure that you leave some water nearby too.
Roaches love sugar, so they’ll be attracted to the plate right away. However, when a German cockroach eats the mixture (combined with water), its stomach will explode due to a reaction caused by the baking soda!
Create your own trap
To make a DIY roach trap, you’ll just need some bowls, petroleum jelly, and food (you can use sugar, starchy foods, or pretty much anything – roaches aren’t picky eaters!). Put a thick layer of petroleum jelly all over the inside of the bowl, and put some food at the bottom of the bowl to entice the roaches.
When a German cockroach comes to the bowl for a snack, it will get stuck in the petroleum jelly. Then, you can dispose of the pest.
Chemical methods
If you’d like, you can use chemical sprays to kill roaches on contact. You can also use chemical dusts or traps to get rid of them. Just remember that, if you do this, you’ll need to pick up the roach remains and dispose of them promptly!
Because these pests reproduce so quickly, they can be a pain to get rid of. But – good news – our pest control services team can get rid of German cockroaches in your home for good!
We use only the safest, highest quality products to get rid of roaches and keep your home safe from infestations – even if your home is a “pest magnet.” So, if you’re dealing with a roach problem, contact us today!
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