No one wants to catch a glimpse of a cockroach skittering across their counter, much less think of the hoards of roaches squeezed in behind the walls and cabinets that one visible roach signifies. Unfortunately, cockroaches are a very real threat for homeowners in Bettendorf. These pests are built for survival and can hold their breath for 40 minutes, live for a month without food, and up to a week without their heads! It’s never too soon to be thinking of ways to keep cockroaches out of your home.
Common Cockroaches In Bettendorf
While there are over 4,000 species of cockroaches around the world, only five are common in Bettendorf, including:
German cockroaches: These roaches are light brown and grow to be about ½ inch in length. They reproduce rapidly, making them the most common home-invading cockroach.
American cockroach: The largest of the local roaches, American cockroaches are dark red to brown and can grow to be up to 3 inches in length.
Oriental cockroaches: These roaches are also known as water beetles because of their shiny black appearance. They grow to be around an inch in length.
Brown-banded cockroaches: These roaches come in various shades from tan to black, with the females of the species being darker in color. Like the German cockroach, they only grow to be about ½ inch long.
Pennsylvania wood cockroach: As their name suggests, these roaches live near wood sources. They are dark brown and a little over an inch in length.
While they come in many shapes and sizes, there’s no “good” kind of cockroach. They all spread disease, contaminate food, damage property, and spread allergens.
Challenges Of Keeping Cockroaches Out Of Your Bettendorf Home
Unfortunately, keeping cockroaches out of your home is easier said than done. Already small, cockroaches can flatten their bodies to survive being crushed, but also to squeeze through the narrowest of cracks and crevices. They can survive on the tiniest of crumbs, which means they seldom need to venture out in the open, and even if they do, these amazing insects can run at a speed of three miles an hour, even as early as one day old, so you’ll be hard-pressed to catch them. These invasive pests have survived for over 280 million years and definitely have a leg up when it comes to surviving our attempts to eliminate them.
Why D.I.Y. Is A D.I.Don’t
The natural response to seeing a cockroach in your home is to look for immediate solutions. This leads many to head to the store for DIY solutions, but this approach is short-sighted and often ends in disappointment or worse. Cockroach populations grow largely out of sight and to control them, you need to eliminate the entire population. Over-the-counter chemicals work on the roaches on the surface but do nothing for those that remain hidden. At best, they are a temporary fix to the problem you can see.
Chemical treatments contain harmful pesticides that can endanger your family and pets if not used correctly. They are costly, messy, and time-consuming. Even if you do manage to eliminate the entire population of cockroaches, if you don’t also figure out how they got inside in the first place and do the exclusion work to keep them out, you’ll just end up with a new population moving right back in.
Protect Your Family From The Danger Of Cockroaches
The best way to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of cockroaches is with professional assistance from Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. We offer effective solutions and 100% satisfaction. With more than 85 years of experience, we know how to stand up to cockroaches and beat them at their own game. Call today to find out how we can help with our cockroach control services.