If you have ever walked into your kitchen late at night, flicked the lights on, and watched horrified as large, dark-colored pests dart under your stove or into your cabinets, then you are in the right place. In this blog, we will be talking about cockroaches, and more specifically, oriental cockroaches. These roaches are fairly sizable insects with two antennae and six agile legs. The males grow to a max of about 1 inch while the females can grow to be larger at about 1 ¼ inches. Oriental cockroaches have shiny black to dark reddish-brown colored bodies which makes them easily spottable in daylight, but much harder to see in darkness or dim lighting. That being said, if you are seeing roaches in your home in the broad daylight, you may have serious roach infestation on your hands. Here are some common ways these roaches will sneak into your home, and the threats they will pose when they do.

How are They Getting In?

• Much like other pests, roaches will seek out cracks, gaps, and holes to crawl through in order to gain access to your home. Some common points of entry include:
• Cracks in the exterior foundation of your home
• Underneath doors and through open windows
• Through gaps and cracks surrounding windows
• Hidden within used furniture items and appliances

To reduce the accessibility roaches have to your home, consider:

• Sealing any cracks and gaps found along your foundation using a caulking gun
• Installing door sweeps on all exterior doors
• Using a caulking gun to seal cracks or gaps around windows
• Fixing or installing screens in your windows and doors
• Checking used items for roaches before bringing them into your home

Are Oriental Cockroaches a Threat?

Oriental cockroaches present a serious threat to your health and the health of your family. Roaches are infamous for spreading disease and have been discovered to carry and transport 33 different kinds of bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella. Cockroaches are also known to contaminate food items and the surfaces in our homes with these harmful bacteria and pathogens when they invade our homes. These pests also pose a major threat to people with allergies or asthma as their shed skins and feces can cause serious reactions in these individuals.

Why You Should Call a Professional

If you are dealing with a cockroach infestation in your home, it is vitally important that you contact a pest professional immediately. Not only are roaches a difficult pest to eliminate, but as we mentioned above, they pose a variety of serious health threats. Needless to say, these roaches are not a pest that you want in your home! At Thomas Pest Services, our highly-trained and experienced staff is ready to handle even the most invasive roach infestations both quickly and effectively. Our pest management experience can be dated back to 1949, so if you’re dealing with cockroach problems, you can be sure there is no one better to handle them than the professionals at Thomas Pest Services!