You’ve probably heard some strange factoids about cockroaches. These pests can supposedly live for weeks with their head cut off and can survive a full-on nuclear blast. While there’s some truth to these questionable "facts," it’s undeniable that cockroaches are formidable pests that can be incredibly difficult to eliminate. If you’re looking to get rid of roaches in Pensacola, you should know a few things first.
Types Of Cockroaches In Pensacola
Several types of cockroaches can be found infesting Pensacola homes. While none of these pests are fun to deal with, some present more problems than others.
- American cockroaches – A large and common species throughout the United States, American cockroaches measure up to two inches in length and have a reddish-brown coloration with a distinct figure-eight pattern behind the head. A single female American cockroach can produce up to 300 young in her lifetime, causing infestations to grow to massive proportions.
- German cockroaches – German cockroaches measure between 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch in length and are light brown in color with two dark vertical stripes. Because of their small size and pale color, these pests are excellent at hiding around the house and can be especially hard to get rid of.
- Asian cockroaches – Often confused for German cockroaches, this species can be distinguished by its attraction to bright light, strong flying ability, and tendency to live outdoors. They are otherwise nearly identical to German cockroaches in size and appearance.
- Smokybrown cockroaches – Measuring up to 1 1/2 inches in length, large smokybrown cockroaches are adept flyers that can often be found at night. They have a shiny, mahogany-like color and tend to live outdoors. Because of their large size and fondness of flight, these bugs can be particularly distressing for homeowners to deal with.
How Dangerous Are Cockroaches?
Cockroaches are bad news. While they might not destroy your property as voraciously as rodents or termites, roaches can still cause harm to you and your family. Cockroaches are known to spend their time in disgusting places. Most home-infesting roaches are attracted to dark, humid areas and can often be found hanging out in sewers, garbage bins, and bathrooms. Even outdoor roaches like the smokybrown and Asian cockroach find themselves in decaying materials outdoors where they can pick up parasites and bacteria.
Cockroaches can contaminate your home with pathogens that cause salmonellosis, dysentery, and gastroenteritis, along with parasites like hookworm. Roaches can chew up clothing, documents, books, and other belongings and stain walls with greasy smears.
In widespread infestations, cockroaches have even been known to cause allergies. Particles of debris from cockroach skin and droppings can irritate the skin and eyes, resulting in eczema and asthma, respectively.
Why Is It So Difficult To Get Rid Of Cockroaches?
Cockroaches often enter the home as hitchhikers, stowed away in boxes or bags brought from elsewhere. Since most folks assume their clean home can’t get roaches, hitchhiking cockroaches are a common way that infestations start.
Cockroaches are difficult to get rid of for a number of reasons. First, they tend to live and breed in out-of-reach areas that you can’t see or access, including wall voids and beneath heavy appliances. Their oval-shaped bodies allow them to escape through cracks easily, especially smaller German cockroaches. Roaches will eat virtually anything and can survive on pet fur, dead skin, or even soap. Worst of all, cockroaches can resist certain store-bought pesticides.
If you’ve got a cockroach infestation in your Pensacola home, the best way to protect you and your family is with help from EnSec Of Florida. We pride ourselves on providing our customers with safe, affordable, and effective pest control for cockroaches and other common pests in Pensacola. Contact us today to get rid of your roaches for good.