Some problems in life are easy to identify. Blow a tire on the highway and you will know it immediately. Stub your pinky toe on the edge of the coffee table and you won’t be wondering what is wrong. The question is, what do you do when life’s problems are less obvious? One problem life throws at homeowners that isn’t blatant is cockroaches. These pests could be inside your home, causing trouble, and you would never know it. To help you identify cockroaches around your living areas, here are some signs to keep an eye out for.
Live Cockroaches
Cockroaches are small, flat, oval-shaped pests with six legs and two long antennae. They come in a variety of colors including reddish-brown, black, and tan. Size depends on the species. Nymphs can be as small as one-quarter of an inch while some adults grow to be two inches long and are sometimes larger outside of the U.S.
One thing you should know about cockroaches is that they are shy. The average roach goes out of its way to avoid being seen by humans. Some, however, are born with a little more bravery. If you see a live roach skittering around inside your home in The Villages, it is either brave or needed to escape from their living area because of overcrowding due to high roach populations.
Cockroach Skins And Body Parts
If you aren’t seeing live roaches, chances are you will be finding their shed skins. On average a cockroach will shed its skin six times while transitioning from a nymph to an adult. These shed skins are found beneath large kitchen appliances, under furniture, and in other hard-to-reach areas where roaches hide throughout homes. For people with asthma or allergies, this may act as an irritant much like dust.
Fecal Droppings
A cockroach’s fecal matter shares a striking resemblance to coffee grounds. Upon closer inspection, however, it is not too hard to identify one from the other. Roach droppings are small blackish-brown pellets where coffee grounds are finer like gravel or dust. Look for this sign around areas where cockroaches hide and scavenge for food.
Smear Marks
When a dog flops around in the mud and then gets up and enters a home, it leaves traces of that mud wherever it goes. When cockroaches crawl through filth, they do the same around living areas. We recommend keeping your eyes out for smears of grease along baseboards, across floors, and in other areas where cockroaches are traveling inside your home.
Cockroach Eggs
A female cockroach lays her eggs inside a capsule that is roughly one-third the size of her body and often matches the color of her skin. Depending on the species, this capsule is either carried with the mother or placed in a secluded area away from foot traffic.
An Unusual Odor
With more severe infestations of cockroaches, an oily smell is common. If your home smells dirty after you clean it thoroughly, it could be a sign that these pests are around and causing trouble.
Why Professional Roach Control Works
Living here in The Villages has many benefits. For one, we have access to amazing pest control services courtesy of Bertram Pest Solutions. If your home is in need of protection against dangerous area pests like roaches, let us provide what you need. We work hard to make sure our residents get the quality of service they deserve.
Call us today to have your home in The Villages inspected for roaches and show life that you won’t let its problems catch you off guard.