Your Livermore property is brimming with sources of food, water, and shelter, making it every pest’s dream. One pest we all want to avoid is cockroaches. One species, in particular, the oriental cockroach, is a larger-sized species of cockroach with its own distinct habits and behaviors.
Also known as ‘water bugs’ or ‘black beetles”, oriental cockroaches are notorious for coming out of drains and exposed pipes. They are shiny black (or very dark brown) in color and they measure about 1 ¼ inches long with six legs coming out of their abdomen. They have wings, but cannot fly, and they emit a foul odor. Their stinky smell is what they use to communicate with other members of their colony. So, it serves a purpose for them, even though to us it just smells musty and pungent.
Are They Dangerous?
Though oriental cockroaches don’t bite, they can have a negative impact on your health. They enjoy feeding on decaying matter, and actually thrive in filthy conditions. They tend to congregate around garbage cans. Because of this, they can transmit dangerous pathogens, triggering asthma, allergies, and other adverse health conditions.
Here are some of the serious reactions to oriental cockroach activity:
- Asthma Attacks
- Diarrhea
- Dysentery
- Food Poisoning
- Poliomyelitis
- Salmonella
- Skin Rashes
- Viral Diseases
You may be wondering if there’s something you’re doing to attract oriental cockroaches to your property. Well, some of the factors that tend to bring them around include excess moisture and humidity, harborage areas, sources of shelter, and sources of food.
They are mostly outdoor scavengers, with a tendency to live in areas with wet, decaying matter. They prefer cool, damp areas, and they usually live at or below ground level. You can find them in sewers, drains, dumps, mulch, flower beds, and underneath piles of leaves. When they do find their way inside, they often hang out in moisture-rich areas like the basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
What Can I Do To Reduce My Chances Of An Oriental Cockroach Infestation?
There are several things you can try to eliminate some of the conducive conditions around your property. By implementing the following precautions, you can greatly reduce your chances of any oriental cockroach activity, try the following:
- Apply weather stripping around doors and windows.
- Avoid leaving food out; instead, store it in sealed, airtight containers.
- Fix leaky pipes, faulty faucets, and any other dysfunctional plumbing.
- Maintain clean and functional household appliances.
- Reduce clutter and mess around the home and vacuum regularly.
- Reduce sources of humidity around the property.
- Remove rotting leaves from window sills and window wells.
- Repair any torn screens in windows and doors.
- Seal spaces around wires, cables, pipes, and other utilities that enter from the outdoors.
- Sweep under the stove, fridge, and other appliances frequently.
- Take the trash out often and store outside in lidded bins away from moisture.
- Thoroughly inspect items before bringing them inside, like deliveries, used furniture, cardboard boxes, potted plants, and appliances.
- Use dehumidifiers in moisture-rich areas like the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, basement, etc.
While all of these prevention methods reduce your chances of an oriental cockroach infestation, none of them will solve the problem alone. If you want to secure year-round protection from these intruders, you need the expertise of a professional pest control company.
Contact the team at Pro Active Pest Solutions at the first sign of oriental cockroach activity. Our certified technicians are prepared to perform an extensive inspection and then treat the property from the inside out. Call us today to set up an initial service visit and consultation, we look forward to hearing from you.