How Did Cockroaches Get Into My Phoenix Home?

All homeowners approach cleaning differently. Where one person might deep clean their home from top to bottom every other day, another might be OK with general cleaning once a week. The truth is, even a spotless home won't necessarily prevent cockroaches, as these filthy pests will invade all different types of homes. Sure, they prefer filth over cleanliness, but this won’t stop them from coming inside to take a look around. The only question is, how do cockroaches get into homes? Here are a few things you should know about these invasive pests.

Common Cockroaches In Phoenix

There are thousands of species of cockroaches around the world. Here in Phoenix, there are five that most like to invade homes: American roaches, German roaches, Oriental roaches, brown-banded roaches, and Turkestan roaches. Although different in their size, color, and markings, all cockroaches have several things in common. They all have oval-shaped bodies, two antennae, and six barbed legs. The barbs on their legs allow cockroaches to cling to walls and ceilings. After a roach dies and its grip fails, it disconnects from the surface beneath it and rolls onto its back.

The Dangers Of Cockroaches

Cockroaches share more than a few traits in common; they can also all be dangerous. In and around homes, roaches gravitate towards filth and regularly consume bacteria-ridden items. This leads them to pick up a range of disease-causing organisms. As these pests crawl through homes they spread these organisms over countertops, pantries, left out food, silverware, and anywhere else they roam. Here are just a few diseases these pests spread:

• Salmonellosis

• Typhoid fever

• Gastroenteritis

• Cholera

• Plague

Some cockroaches carry horsehair worms, a parasite known for consuming the nutrients from small insects, causing them to become brainwashed and commit suicide. Thankfully, these parasites do not have the same effect on humans.

How Cockroaches Get Into Homes

Cockroaches use a variety of approaches to sneak their way into homes. The first and most simple is to crawl along a home’s foundation, looking for a gap or crack that leads inside. If this doesn’t work, they might crawl up the exterior of your home and look for spacing around weatherstripping, along the edges of window/door frames, or beneath doors. If they still have no luck, they will check window and door screens for rips and tears. If everything else fails, cockroaches might look for open utility piping or damaged HVAC units and see if they allow them access indoors. Sometimes roaches crawl through sewer pipes from one adjacent home to the next. If this is the case for you, cockroaches could be coming from your toilet.

8 Tips To Prevent Roaches

1. Use a caulking gun to fill in gaps and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation.

2. Repair or replace damaged door sweeps, weatherstripping, and window/door screens.

3. Make sure your gutters are in good working order.

4. Fix leaky piping and fixtures inside your home.

5. Install a dehumidifier and use it when it is particularly humid indoors.

6. Clean your home regularly and thoroughly.

7. Pick up after your pets.

8. Store leftover foods inside airtight containers.

The Best Way To Handle Roach Problems

If roaches are already in your home causing trouble, or you are looking for a simple and effective solution to keep these pests outside where they belong, the experts at Green Home Pest Control would like to offer our help. We only use high-quality natural pest control products and environmentally friendly methods when handling pest problems. We believe the benefits and effectiveness of integrated pest control strategies surpass all of the negatives that come with traditional chemical-based treatments.

Give us a call today for more information or to schedule your Phoenix home to be treated for cockroaches.