When homeowners create a game plan for pest control in Jacksonville, cockroach control is often pretty high on their priority list—and with good reason! Cockroaches are disgusting, disease-ridden, and dangerous; you do not want a houseful of them! Fortunately, learning how to deter cockroaches is straightforward. With just a few preventative lifestyle changes and a little help from your friends here at Trad’s Pest Control, you can keep your home free of roaches for good.

How To Identify A Cockroach Infestation In Your House

Cockroach identification is the trickiest part of cockroach control. Roaches are shy and prefer to avoid contact with humans. That means you may never actually see a roach, even if you have a significant infestation. However, you will see other signs. If you suspect you have a cockroach problem, here are things to look for:

  • Smear marks from cockroaches crawling through water spots.
  • A musty or foul odor.
  • Roach exoskeletons, feces, or egg capsules.
  • Damage to food packaging or food stores.

The Dangerous Health Risks Roaches Can Create In Your Home

Cockroaches are disease carriers and can threaten the health of homeowners when they invade. Roaches hang out in the nastiest places, such as landfills, sewage pipes, and rotten corpses. These tainted pests contaminate your home with all sorts of horrifying germs by leaving their droppings in your food stores and smearing their filth on your countertops. Cockroaches dirty up just about everything they touch. They spread a plethora of dangerous and potentially deadly diseases: cholera, dysentery, salmonella, listeria, and even the plague! That is why cockroach prevention is so vital.

Luckily, cockroach identification is not necessary to take cockroach prevention measures. A few lifestyle changes will help you ward off every species of roach, including American and German cockroaches.

Here’s how to deter cockroaches:

  • Seal all indoor and outdoor trash cans with tight lids.
  • Keep all food stores either in the fridge or in airtight containers.
  • Fix moisture problems like leaky pipes or clogged drains.
  • Use dehumidifiers to prevent condensation.
  • Clear clutter to eliminate cockroach hiding places.
  • Never leave dirty dishes and pet bowls sitting out.
  • Ensure your kitchen is clear of food scraps and crumbs.

Why Do-It-Yourself Cockroach Control Is A Waste Of Time And Money

Cockroaches are tough to get rid of for several reasons. The biggest reason is cockroaches’ legendary resilience. Roaches can develop high resistance to new chemical pesticides faster than many other pests. That means that OTC cockroach control products like foggers or sprays will simply reduce the cockroach population around your home without eliminating the infestation.

In addition to how their durability makes DIY cockroach control products ineffective, roaches also reproduce at an unbelievable rate. German cockroaches, in particular, are infamous for their ability to breed explosively. Every roach you kill with DIY methods can easily be replaced a dozen times over—and you will never kill enough, fast enough. All these factors make it easy for a cockroach infestation to balloon into a massive problem in just a few months.

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Roaches In Your Home For Good!

You may not be able to get rid of roaches on your own, but that doesn’t mean you have to surrender to a cockroach infestation. Just call us here at Trad’s Pest Control! We’re the best pest control in Jacksonville, and our technicians are equipped with the latest and greatest cockroach control methods. We can maintain the efficacy of our control techniques before the roaches develop resistance. Reach out with a call or visit our contact page to schedule your inspection today.