Roaches are nasty business! These creepy-crawlies are among the most reviled of pests, especially because once they are in, they can be tough to get rid of. Responding to the presence of roaches in your home or business is important. As Central Indiana’s top pest control company, we keep both homes and businesses roach free. We know what it takes to prevent and eliminate roaches from your home!

Here is what you need to know.

How do you know if you have roaches?

Roaches are nocturnal, so it is rare to see them active during the day. You should inspect for them at night, using a flashlight to catch them by surprise in dark spaces. They prefer darkness and moisture, so we recommend that you look in bathrooms and kitchens first.

Laundry rooms, garages, barns, and mud rooms are other places to check out. When you inspect for roaches, use your flashlight to shine underneath appliances, in and around drains, under rugs and carpets, and in any cracks, such as the small gaps underneath baseboards.

If you see a roach, you should know there are probably many more hiding elsewhere. Unfortunately, not seeing a roach does not mean that your home is roach-free. Other signs of roach infestation include a foul odor, roach droppings, and roach eggs.

What attracts roaches to a home?

Cockroaches love dirty dishes, crumbs, trash, and leaks. They sneak into your home through cracks, pipes, drains, open windows and screens, and in just about anything you might carry inside. Clutter is not a huge appeal to roaches, but if something is sticky, crumby, messy, or wet, they are going to love it.

What attracts roaches to a business?

Why do some businesses have roach problems? There are a few reasons. First, some businesses have the same attractive environmental conditions that homes do: kitchens, trash cans, messes, and moisture.

If your company produces a lot of trash, you are more susceptible to an infestation. The same is true if you have a kitchen, a garage, barn, or storage area. Companies are also more likely to have drop ceilings, which can hide roaches as they breed and take over an area.

What kind of roaches are most prevalent in Indiana?

The Purdue Extension office explains the types of cockroaches that are most common in Indiana. They describe roach varieties as follows.

• The German roach can typically be found in your kitchens; it’s one of the most common species. When these roaches achieve adulthood, they stay small (about 1/2 inch long). They are  tan, and they generally travel in large numbers. Young German roaches, known as nymphs, can be identified by their dark markings that change their appearance, making them look dark brown to black.”
• The largest of the roaches, the American roach is usually reddish-brown in color and can grow to be roughly 1-1/2 inches in length when it matures. You’ll  generally find these roaches in food establishments, but any dwelling near the place that serves food runs the risk of infestation.
• Another large roach, the Oriental roach grows to be about 1 inch in length. These roaches are typically shiny black or dark brown. Oriental roaches are also referred to as “water bugs” or “black beetles.”  They prefer to live somewhere damp, and generally invade homes through places like the sewer opening. When it’s warm outside, Oriental roaches might take up residence outdoors; during the less temperate months, they tend to move from home to home.
• While the Brown-banded roach is usually thought of as southern species, it can be found in Indiana. It’s roughly the same size as a German roach, but the resemblance ends there. Brown-banded roaches make free with your whole house— they don’t restrict their activities to the kitchen. Any item that is shipped from one location to another can contain these less-than-desirable tagalongs.
• Woods roaches usually restrict their activities to the outdoors, generally residing under the loose bark of dead trees, logs or stumps. They might invade a home that is in a heavily wooded area, but they don’t typically thrive unless they’re outside. At nearly 1 inch long, male woods roaches are dark brown with a pale stripe on the outer edges of their wings. They fly well, so that’s often how they make their way into homes. The female woods roaches have shorter wings, closely resembling the Oriental roach; however, it’s rare to find a female inside the house.

Are roaches more common in one season?

Roaches tend to head inside buildings and homes to avoid the cold in winter, so winter infestations are pretty common. However, it is summer when the creatures thrive. They love the heat and breed in the warmest months. That is why many homeowners choose to start protecting their homes in the spring—  they want to prepare for the upcoming summer months.

Why should you hire a pest control professional?

Getting rid of roaches is a serious challenge. Hiring a pest control professional like Freedom Pest Control can get your roach problem under control and prevent future infestations. Why should you hire a professional instead of trying to get the infestation under control yourself?

1. Professionals know how to detect and defeat infestations faster and more effectively than home and business owners. Our years of experience allow us to do a better job in a shorter amount of time than attempts at amateur pest control.
2. We can prevent infestations. Instead of having to worry about roaches and other bugs coming back after you get rid of them, we can prevent you from ever having to deal with another pest infestation again.
3. We can protect homes and businesses alike in a cost-effective way.

Do you need help now for a pest problem? Do you want to make sure that your home or business is not a home for creepy-crawlies like roaches? Let’s talk today about how to keep you from ever needing to deal with roaches again!