Discovering oriental cockroaches in your home can be alarming. These nocturnal pests tend to stay hidden during the day, but you may see them crawling around your property. Keep reading to learn more about oriental cockroaches, how they invade local homes, and why these pests are a major concern.
Why Do Oriental Cockroaches Look Black?
Proper cockroach identification is important when trying to diagnose an infestation. Oriental cockroaches in The Bay Area have an oval shape and are around an inch in length. They have six legs and two antennae. Males and females both have a shiny, black appearance but can also be a dark reddish-brown color. Oriental cockroaches are also known as "waterbugs" and are often mistaken for black beetles.
Male and female oriental cockroaches look noticeably different from each other. Males are smaller than females and have a short pair of wings that leave the end of their abdominal section exposed. Instead of wings, females have large wing pads that cover most of their abdomen. Despite having wings, neither male nor female oriental cockroaches can fly.
What Causes Oriental Cockroaches To Come Inside My House?
Oriental cockroaches prefer to live outdoors. You will commonly find them living underneath mulch, in leaf piles, and under stones. These cockroaches also live in sewers and drain pipes. During the warmer months of the summer, oriental cockroaches may seek shelter indoors to beat the heat. If you have cracks in exterior walls or holes in window or door screens, these pests can easily gain access to your home. Here are some of the things that attract oriental cockroaches:
Moisture: Cockroaches need a water source to survive and are attracted to cool, damp rooms like basements and storage areas. Leaky pipes may also invite cockroaches.
Clutter: Old cardboard boxes and newspapers are cockroach food sources.
Food: Improperly stored food is like bait for oriental cockroaches. They prefer sweets but will feed on just about anything. They will also eat pet food.
There are several ways to tell if you have an oriental cockroach infestation. In addition to seeing cockroaches scurrying around your home, you may notice dark brown or red egg cases. Oriental cockroaches also emit an unpleasant, musty odor. At the first signs of cockroaches in your home, get in touch with a high-quality pest control company in The Bay Area, like Bay Pest.
Are Oriental Cockroaches Harmful To My House?
Oriental cockroaches rarely bite humans, and if they do, it rarely results in the need for medical assistance. The main danger of these pests is that they are extremely filthy. Because they live in sewers and garbage, they carry and spread bacteria and diseases. If oriental cockroaches gain access to your food supply, they may contaminate it, which could make you and your family very sick. Because they tend to travel between the outdoors and your home, they can bring in germs fairly easily.
Cockroaches can also exacerbate allergies in certain individuals. These pests contain a protein within their bodies that is known to trigger asthma attacks. Children are more at risk than adults. Even if there are no more live cockroaches in your home, shed body parts and leftover feces can still trigger allergic reactions. Schedule services with an experienced cockroach pest control company to avoid these potentially dangerous symptoms.
How Can I Get These Persistent Oriental Cockroaches Out Of My House?
To get rid of cockroaches for good, work with the professionals at Bay Pest. Our team of extermination experts has been keeping homeowners in the Bay Area pest-free for over 40 years.
Our approach to oriental cockroach infestations begins with a full inspection of your home's exterior since that's where they spend most of their time. We'll treat your property using the latest pest control technology to make sure these pests never return. Call us today to learn more and to request a free estimate.