Are Roaches Dangerous To Have Inside Your Pensacola Home?

American cockroach in kitchen
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Pensacola is home to several types of cockroaches. The most common types of roaches that people find in their Pensacola homes are the smoky brown, American, Asian, and German cockroaches. While each of these roaches may look a little different from the other, they are all able to cause a lot of harm to you and your family. At EnSec, we provide the most comprehensive pest control in Pensacola. We know the steps that need to be taken in order to eliminate all of the roaches from your home.

How To Tell If You Have A Cockroach Problem In Your Home

Roaches like to stay hidden and out of the way as much as possible. Even if you don't spot one walking around your home, there are still a few ways that you can tell if these tiny insects are around your home. Some of the telltale signs that you have a cockroach infestation include:

  • Skin casings: As a cockroach grows, it will shed its skin. Usually, a cockroach will molt about ten times before it reaches full maturity.
  • Roach droppings: Roaches are constantly eating, which means they are constantly leaving droppings around. Roach droppings look like tiny, black specks that resemble ground coffee or ground black pepper.
  • Cockroach eggs: Roaches keep their eggs in a capsule called an ootheca. The ootheca is small, measuring only about 1/3 of an inch long. It is dark brown and shaped like a rectangle. One ootheca can hold up to 30 roach nymphs.
  • Musty odor: If your home is infested with roaches, you will start to notice an odd and unpleasant odor. The odor comes from the pheromones that are in the roach's droppings. Some people compare the smell of roaches to an old wet piece of cloth.

Because roaches lay so many eggs at one time, if you have even just one mated female roach in your home, it will not take long before you have a full-blown cockroach infestation. 

Why It's Dangerous To Have Cockroaches In Your Home

Cockroaches are unhygienic creatures that will pick up various bacteria and viruses from walking over unclean surfaces like garbage and feces. When they crawl around your home and near your food, they can pass these harmful bacteria onto you. Some of the diseases and illnesses that you can catch from cockroaches include:

  • Leprosy
  • Dysentery
  • Cholera
  • Salmonellosis
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Listeriosis
  • Campylobacteriosis

Some of the diseases that you can catch from cockroaches can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. If you see a cockroach in your home, thoroughly clean any surface it walks on.

Five Tips To Keep Cockroaches Away From Your Home

If you want to prevent cockroaches from coming into your home, follow these five tips:

  1. Keep all of your food and pet food in airtight containers.
  2. Sweep and vacuum your floors well to ensure that there are no crumbs in your home.
  3. Eat in one area of your home to ensure that you are not spreading food crumbs around your house.
  4. Fix any leaky faucets or pipes.
  5. Clean up water droplets out of your sink after using the faucet.

It is also a good idea to remove any boxes, clothes, and other clutter that roaches can use as hiding spots. 

Call The Pros At The First Sign Of Cockroaches In Your Home

Cockroaches are able to infest your home quickly, and once you have a roach infestation, it can be hard to eliminate them on your own. If you see roaches in your home, don't hesitate to contact us today. At EnSec, we go above and beyond to ensure that all of our customers are able to live a pest-free life.