What To Do About German Cockroaches In Your Bay Area Home

Do you think you may have a cockroach infestation? If you know a little bit about cockroaches, you may be able to identify these insects when you see them. Roaches have a somewhat unique appearance. Their oval shape and leg spines help make identification pretty easy. And most cockroaches have wings stacked on their backs, which also helps. Once you've determined that you have roaches, the next step is to determine whether or not you have German cockroaches. A German cockroach is tan in color and has two dark stripes on the back of its head. But it isn't the only roach that has these stripes. Asian cockroaches look nearly identical to German cockroaches. You'll have to look at the behavior of the roaches in your Bay area home to tell which of the two you have. At this point, you might be wondering, why is all this important? Because German cockroaches are the worst roaches we have in our area and it is important to take appropriate measures to get rid of them. Before we tell you what those measures are, here are a few things you should know about Bay Area German cockroaches.

German Roach Or Asian Roach?

There are three ways German cockroaches and Asian cockroaches are different. One will give you important insight into why they're such a problem. First, Asian cockroaches don't mind the light. If you turn a light on, German cockroaches will run for cover. This is a distinct difference that is easy to notice. Second, German cockroaches have usable wings but they're not great fliers. Asian roaches can fly pretty well and will take to the air often. German roaches prefer to stay on the ground. Lastly, Asian cockroaches prefer to be outside. German cockroaches like living inside man-made structures so much that experts believe there are no wild populations of German roaches anywhere in the world. That isn't to say that they can't be found outside. They're just always near humans. If they get into your home, there is little chance that they'll stop being a problem for you until you take measures to get rid of them.

What Can You Do About German Cockroaches?

There are many ways to keep these roaches out of your home such as altering conditions around your home that can attract them and sealing entry points in your exterior. Once they get inside, it is difficult to get rid of them without being trained in pest control. Cockroaches are strong, resilient insects. They are born with some resistance to synthetic insecticides because cockroaches pass chemical-resistant genes to their offspring. They're also able to develop a resistance to new chemicals found in their environment. We don't recommend using over-the-counter insecticides to exterminate roaches. You have a better chance of poisoning yourself (and everyone else in your home) than you have of eliminating the cockroaches. The roaches will track through the chemicals and transport them to your food-storage areas, dishes, silverware, cutting boards, and other sensitive locations.

We recommend using Integrated Pest Management methods to limit exposure to illness and to slow the reproduction of the roaches in your home. In some cases, these natural methods can herd German cockroaches to another, more desirable structure to infest.

• Store your foods in sealed containers.
• Clean surfaces in your kitchen daily.
• Put dirty dishes in a sink of soapy water.
• Store fruit in the fridge.
• Remove trash before any smells develop.
• Store trash in sealed containers.
• Deep clean around appliances.
• Fix leaky faucets and any other plumbing issues.
• Limit access by applying a silicone caulk around pipe penetrations in the cabinets under your sinks.

Once you've gotten control of food and water, do some work on the outside of your home to make it less attractive to roaches.

• Remove leaves and other organic debris from around your home.
• Keep bagged trash in covered containers and remove trash before smells develop.
• Reduce moisture around your home. One way to do this is to clean your gutter system.
• Remove any objects near your exterior so cockroaches can't hide under them.
• Trim your landscape vegetation and maintain an open landscape. This allows the wind to blow through and keep things dry, and also makes it difficult for cockroaches to find places to hide during the day.

What Can A Professional Do About German Cockroaches?

A licensed professional can select products and strategies to identify where roaches are hiding inside your home, draw them out, and eliminate them. This is a process of inspection, treatments, and monitoring. When done by a trained and experienced professional, you can trust that your cockroach infestation will be resolved.

If you need assistance with cockroach control in the Bay Area, reach out to Bay Pest. Our highly trained pest professionals are here to help. Reach out to us today and tell us about your pest control issue.