If you could live off glue, toenail clippings, and rotting plant matter, would you? Most likely not. You know who would, cockroaches. These nasty and invasive pests will eat practically anything. To help keep these pests out of your Bettendorf home this winter, we have for you today nine easy and effective cockroach prevention tips.
Common Area Cockroaches
Before we get into prevention tips, let's first talk about what cockroaches invade homes in our area. Around Bettendorf, we have American roaches, German roaches, brown-banded roaches, Pennsylvania wood roaches, and Oriental roaches. We won’t bore you with the details of how to identify each of these pests. Instead, here are some features all roaches share.
An oval-shaped, flat body.
Two long, straight antennae.
A pair of wings or wing pads (most cockroaches cannot fly, despite having wings).
Six barbed legs.
How Dangerous Cockroaches Are
Now, you might be thinking, “why do I have to prevent cockroaches? They can’t be much more harmful than flies or ants”. This could not be further from the truth. Cockroaches are filthy creatures that carry over 33 different dangerous bacterias, 7 human pathogens, and 6 parasitic worms. These sickness vectors are spread throughout homes from the body of roaches and through their fecal matter. To limit your risk of getting sick, use protective gear such as gloves and a mask when cleaning up after these pests.
On top of spreading dangerous disease-causing organisms, cockroaches also contribute to asthma attacks and allergies. They do this with their fecal matter and shed skin, which is easily picked up into the air and acts as an irritant to individuals with respiratory problems.
How To Prevent Roaches
Cockroaches are not the easiest pest to prevent, but if you are motivated and have some time to invest, it is possible. To help keep dangerous roaches out of your Bettendorf home, try these 9 easy and effective prevention tips.
Use a caulking gun or some liquid cement to fill in holes, cracks, and gaps in your home’s exterior foundation.
Repair damage to window/door screens, weatherstripping, and door sweeps around your home.
Keep unscreened doors and windows closed when they are not in use.
Install fine metal screens over exterior vents.
Choose to only eat food in one or two rooms inside your home.
Thoroughly clean indoors once a week and do not neglect to get beneath large appliances and furniture.
Make sure your trash cans are equipped with tight-fitting lids.
After every meal, store leftovers inside airtight containers.
Reduce the clutter in and around your home.
The fewer reasons and opportunities cockroaches have to invade your home, the less likely you will be to have trouble with these pests. Work hard, keep up with prevention, and your chances of encountering a cockroach infestation will remain low.
How To Treat For Cockroaches
The only way to eliminate cockroaches or guarantee they stay out of your home is with professional pest control services. At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, we offer advanced pest control treatments for homeowners looking for the best. We will put in place lasting industrial-grade treatments around your home designed to keep roaches out between our scheduled visits. All you have to do is find a plan that best fits your budget and home. Choose our Home Guardian Service to prevent a variety of common home-invading pests, including cockroaches. For more protection from unique or harder to treat pests such as bed bugs, go with our Home Guardian Services Plus plan.
Call or reach out to our team today for more information about our plans or to schedule your home for a thorough pest inspection.