American Cockroach Dangers And Prevention In Texas

American cockroaches are a problem in many Texas properties and they can cause serious stress for home and business owners.  Also known as palmetto bugs or water bugs, they are approximately two inches in length and their large size makes a lot of people squirm! They are oval, normally shiny reddish brown in color with long and threadlike antennae and a pale brown figure eight shaped band on the back of their heads.  You may have them in your home or business in the warmer months in humid areas that have access to food.  The Houston pest control professionals at Holder’s Pest Solutions know the dangers that these bugs can pose, which is why we’ve come up with a few prevention tips for South Texas property owners to keep these large cockroaches at bay.

Dangers Of American Cockroaches

Before we discuss preventative measures, let’s take a look at what makes this pest a danger.  Besides being a pest that makes most people’s skin crawl, American cockroaches are known for spreading many serious diseases including dysentery. They pick up germs, bacteria and parasites on the spines of their legs and then transfer them to food preparation surfaces, as well as directly to food, sometimes contaminating food with their body parts as well.  They become a real problem in food processing and storage areas where large amounts of food stand to be contaminated.  They have a characteristic odor in infested areas and can transfer this smell to items that have been touched by these pests.

American Cockroach Prevention Tips

Getting rid of these pests once they’ve been discovered in a home or a business should be your first priority and our Houston exterminators can help with.  Once they’ve been removed from the property, here are a few ways you can prevent them from returning:

1. Inspect all items that are brought into your home or business for evidence of these bugs.  The ‘evidence’ you are looking for includes roach feces, body parts and even live roaches.
2. Weatherproof windows and doors, install screen vents in attics and crawl spaces and caulk around cracks in water pipes. These exclusion techniques can keep cockroaches as well as other pests out.
3. Don’t give cockroaches an available source of water. Drain sinks immediately after doing dishes, insulate pipes to prevent condensation and fix leaky pipes. Also- store cans and bottles that are empty outdoors, away from the structure.
4. Don’t provide food for cockroaches.  Clean up excess pet food daily, remove crumbs and spills that may be around the kitchen and don’t leave food out on the counters.  Remove the trash from your home nightly and keep it stored in tightly sealed containers.
5. Keep cockroach hiding places to a minimum. Remove the clutter that tends to build up in your home, including boxes, bags, paper goods, old clothes and magazines.  Store items in tightly sealed boxes.

These prevention tips can help keep roaches from infesting your property, but they are not fool proof.  Having these bugs infest your home can be stressful and it’s not something you should have to deal with on your own.  Contact the professionals at Holder’s to learn more about our pest control for roaches and other household pests or to find out how we can help you control insects and rodents in your commercial facility.  Proudly serving the Greater Houston area, we are ready to help you get rid cockroaches.  Don’t let American cockroaches or any other pests take over your Texas home; call 1-888-325-5719 today!