How To Tell If Your Nassau County Home Has A Cockroach Problem

Do you think you might have a cockroach problem? It is possible for your home to be filled with roaches and for you not to see a single roach. There are several reasons for this. Cockroaches are nocturnal insects that prefer to be active at night. But, even at night, they tend to stay hidden from view. And when you flick a light switch on, roaches have the ability to hide quickly. They can squish their bodies and quickly squeeze into very tight spaces and gaps. A roach can also run across a table at full speed, go over the side, and hide underneath without slowing down. All of this makes it difficult to detect cockroaches when they first get into Nassau County homes.

Why You Should Detect Cockroaches Early

It is important to detect cockroaches early because they can present a threat to your health and damage your property. If you wait until you start seeing roaches, you'll give them time to affect you adversely in ways you may not even realize.

• Cockroaches chew holes in food packages and contaminate the foods within.
• Cockroaches climb on dishes, silverware, cutting boards, and other surfaces, leaving behind invisible illness-causing bacteria.
• Cockroaches shed their skins in air ducts and create airborne particulates that can aggravate respiratory conditions.
• Cockroaches soil stored furniture and other items with their feces.
• Cockroaches eat cellulose and can damage clothing, books, documents, wallpaper, and more.

Signs That You Might Have A Cockroach Infestation

There are subtle signs that can alert you to a cockroach problem if you're aware of them. These won't give you conclusive proof, but they can drive you to do a more thorough inspection.

• A rash. If a cockroach crawls on your skin while you're sleeping, a rash can develop.
• A swollen wound. When a cockroach feeds on the dead skin in your eyelashes, eyebrows, or around your mouth while you're sleeping, it can accidentally bite you and create a swollen wound. If you wake up with a swollen eyelid, it is reasonable to conclude that you have a roach problem.
• The distinct smell of roaches. Cockroaches can make your home, your belongings, and even your food smell and taste weird. Some describe the scent of cockroaches as being oily and musty. If you smell something that is a little "off" inside your home, it bears taking a closer look.
• The pitter-patter of little feet. If you have good ears, you might be able to hear a cockroach as it runs across a hard surface at night.
• Damage. If you pull a cardboard packaged food product out of your cabinet or off a shelf and you notice it looks like something has been chewing on it, that might be cockroach evidence.

How To Perform A Cockroach Inspection

If you have cockroaches inside your home, there are a few things they will do. They'll leave their excrement on surfaces, they'll shed their exoskeletons, and they'll create egg pouches. If you know what these look like and where to look for them, you can determine for sure that your home has cockroaches.

• The excrement of cockroaches is black and sticky. Small roaches will leave fecal matter that looks like black pepper. American cockroaches leave larger feces that are sometimes mistaken for mouse droppings. You'll find this waste matter in concealed spaces within secluded locations. Search dark, humid areas first.
• The exoskeletons of cockroaches are pale, tan, or brown, depending on the age of the roach. You'll find these in tight and compressed spaces.
• The egg pouches (ootheca) of cockroaches look like little pouches. They are dark brown or a dark reddish-brown. You may find them intact, or you may only find the hollow husks. If you find husks that are an orangish color, those are the oothecae of German cockroaches, the worst structure-infesting pests in the world.

When you do your inspection, you need to move things and look underneath things. Cockroaches have a penchant for hiding under rugs, mats, appliances, boxes, boards, and many other items.

I Have Roaches, Now What?

If you find cockroach activity in your home, it is best to have a licensed pest professional address your infestation. Cockroaches are notorious for evading conventional treatments. Pest professionals use industry-established methods and products to ensure complete elimination.

Roach Control In Nassau County

If you live in Nassau County, you can count on the team at Parkway Pest Services to evaluate your cockroach infestation and select appropriate treatments to arrest your infestation. Reach out to us today and tell us about your roach problem. We can help you get control of roaches and protect your health and property from the harmful impact of an ongoing cockroach infestation.