Squash Pest Control - Cockroach Control

Cockroach Control Pierce County, WA

There are few things in this life more irritating and unnerving than walking into one of the rooms in your house and being confronted by a giant cockroach. Of course, you could also discover that it knows how to fly, and that would make it infinitely worse, but for now, we’re talking about your run-of-the-mill kitchen roaches, and what you can do about them.

Squash Pest Control is the #1 pest control authority in our native region of Salem and Portland, as well as Pierce County, WA. With over 15 years of experience, we have what it takes to rid your home of disgusting cockroaches for good, and ensure you and your family are roach-free for a long time to come. We’ll talk more about our cockroach extermination techniques in just a moment, but for now, let us dive into the why of a cockroach invasion.

First of all, what’s attracting cockroaches to your home?

The first thing to preventing and exterminating a cockroach invasion is, of course, understanding what’s attracting these undesirables in the first place. While it’s a commonly accepted fact that cockroaches are attracted to filthy homes, it’s not just those people that should be worried about a potential roach invasion.

Like most other pests, cockroaches are actually just looking for food, water, warmth, and shelter, so the ready access to any of these four things can be enough to justify a cockroach invasion.

Crumbs are a common attraction to cockroaches. The trouble with crumbs is that, though they may be small enough for you to notice them, or care too much about them, they’re pretty big news to a cockroach.

Dirty dishes, since they’re usually covered in food bits, are also a prime suspect to justify your budding roach invasion, as are exposed leftovers.

And since we’re on the subject of food, pet food is another huge reason why cockroaches have been known to bother human homes. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should take away your pet’s food overall, but rather that you should avoid leaving it uncovered for long periods of time. Put away your uneaten pet food during the night, if you’re worried about a cockroach invasion.

Improperly stored garbage, since that’s also a great source of leftovers and food bits, can also act as a strong attraction point for cockroaches, as well as other undesirable pests. A good trick here would be to store your trash in containers that can be sealable, and that isn’t easy to open (to prevent other, larger animals from getting at them).

There are many other reasons why a cockroach might be more prone to visit your home, such as excessive moisture, clutter, cardboard, and so on. Generally, keeping up good cleaning habits can go a long way in protecting your home from cockroaches, as well as other pests.

Why are cockroaches so bad for your home?

Aside from the obvious ick factor, cockroaches don’t make for ideal houseguests for a number of reasons. One of the most obvious reasons why not to tolerate cockroaches on your property is the fact they are notorious carriers of a wide range of intestinal diseases, such as:

Dysentery;
Diarrhea;
Typhoid fever;
Cholera;
Salmonellosis;
And several others.

Even a single cockroach is enough to expose you and your loved ones to these serious diseases through its dirty habits, and the bacteria it carries, according to the World Health Organization.

Very rarely, a cockroach might bite you, even though they aren’t aggressive pests by nature, and much rather prefer to flee than fight. Still, there have been instances when such a thing has occurred, particularly if the person was sleeping, or was too weak or debilitated to shake off the cockroach.

Last but not least, prolonged cockroach exposure can actually lead to a cockroach allergy, which can in turn, interact with other health conditions that you might be suffering from. All in all, you want to get rid of cockroaches as soon as possible.

Cockroach Extermination

Since cockroaches can and will reproduce very quickly, it’s important that you act as soon as you spot one crawling through your home. Generally, you will catch them in areas like the sink, in the kitchen, or other areas where they might have easy access to food or water.

What should you do?

If you’ve spotted a cockroach, you can safely assume there are more nearby, which is why you need to call us at Squash Pest Control, at 253-260-4680 immediately. Not only will our team of pest removal experts give you a FREE QUOTE, but we will also offer you a $30 OFF Coupon for your first pest treatment.

How do we remove cockroaches?

In ridding Pierce County, WA homes of cockroaches, we employ a host of efficient cockroach removal methods, such as:

Glue traps can be planted along the cockroach’s natural path, and trap it while it moves. A glue trap is efficient in that it can capture multiple cockroaches, thus getting rid of a larger problem.
Poisoned bait can be placed in special bait stations to rapidly reduce the cockroach population inside your home.
Pest insecticides such as boric acid, or other, stronger substances can be placed in the areas most frequented by the roaches, to get rid of them for good.

But first, our team of pest removal experts will assess the situation, inspect your home, and use the information gathered to decide which course of action is best. They will then make a plan, asking for your input every step of the way, and proceed to successfully exterminate the roaches, 100% guaranteed results.

Furthermore, our team of cockroach exterminators will also seal cracks and holes that the cockroaches had been using as a crawlspace or entry point into your home. They will also advise you on future prevention tips, and on how you can manage your home, to reduce the attraction points for cockroaches in the future. That way, Squash Pest Control takes care of cockroaches at the moment, but also in the future.

How to Get Rid Of Cockroaches?

Cockroaches are among the most common unwanted home intruders in the United States. They’re resilient, clever (maybe more so than you think), and tenacious. They don’t scare off easily and will find a way into a home if they’ve got enough reason to. So the first thing you want to do in your battle against roaches is tried not to attract them because if they deem your home attractive, chances are, they’ll get in. And once they’re in, they’re tricky to get out.

Bear in mind we’re not talking about the occasional cockroach wandering through your kitchen at night, but whole hordes of them.

So, what attracts cockroaches?

The trouble with roaches is that, as omnivores, they’ll eat just about anything inside your home, as long as it’s vaguely edible. Of course, roaches are also really small, which means they don’t need a lot to be satiated. So any crumbs scattered on your floor may be enough to attract and satisfy roaches. Which is not good news for you.

Cockroaches will also typically be attracted to the shelter human homes provide, as it protects them from predators, keeps them warm (or cool), etc. Water’s also an attraction point for roaches, and sometimes, they’ll just be attracted to the general areas. In the United States, there are such things as roach-heavy areas, which is unfair to the owners, ‘cause it doesn’t matter how neat their home is.

So how can you get rid of them?

Try home remedies.

A quick look around the Internet will reveal a host of DIY home roach remedies, such as using Borax, baking soda, citrus, and so on, ideally sprinkled on something edible. Onions work particularly well. Beware, though, that these are ways to kill the roaches, by poisoning them. This will require you to reapply as needed, and also to track down the dead roaches, and remove them from your home. While it’s a fairly effective method, it’s not for the squeamish.

Keep it tidy.

It might not sound like a lot, but you’d be surprised what a long way a simple regular cleaning can go. Washing the dishes after meals, vacuuming regularly, and washing the floors can really make a difference in your pest activity. That’s because roaches, like most other pests, are always looking for new sources of food, and that often means dirt and grime.

And sure, you might think your home is already tidy enough as is, but if you’re regularly discovering roaches inside your home, it might be a sign that you need to step up your cleaning game.

Hire a pest control company.

By far the best method for containing and removing a roach infestation is to simply hire a pest control company, and let them handle it. While pest control companies are pricier than DIY removal methods, they also involve far less hassle, which is good news for you.

A pest control pro will be able to determine what attracted the roaches to your home in the first place and remove that attraction point (thus deterring future infestations). Also, they offer guaranteed efficiency, as opposed to DIY at-home remedies, which may or may not work. So if you’re not confident about your roach removal skills, or if you’re dealing with a particularly nasty roach problem, it might be time to let an expert handle it.

Store-bought poisons and traps.

As with most other undesirables, you can also give poisons and traps a try. Common roach traps attract the roaches through a substance or scent. The roaches get stuck in the trap and die. While this can be quite effective, it may take some time to see results, and you will need to check regularly and remove the dead roaches.

Alternatively, you can purchase various types of roach poisons that slowly kill the infected roach from within. Not only that, but once a roach dies, other roaches will eat it, which spreads the poison, and can kill the entire nest, if you’re lucky.

Last but not least, you can purchase liquid concentrates, to spray into the crevices and holes commonly attracting roaches. The pungent concentration will rapidly convince the roaches to leave your home alone.

How to Prevent Cockroaches

With over 4,000 species of cockroaches to choose from throughout the world, there are a lot of little creatures ready to scurry around your home. Although only four are found in the United States, their tough shells and creepy build are more than enough to freak out any homeowner caught off guard. Although many are prepared to vacuum cockroaches up when discovered, that’s sometimes not the best solution.

When there’s one cockroach, there’s likely to be more down the road. If one manages to make its way into your home, then there’s a way for others to come through the same avenue down the road. As such, it’s important to ensure that you work to prevent cockroaches from even arriving in the first place, to prevent infestations down the road. So, how do you prevent cockroaches?

Getting Rid of Wants

The easiest way to prevent cockroaches is to simply get rid of the things that the little creatures want. Whether that’s in cleaning food out of open spaces, closing cabinets or locking off areas where there might be attractors, there are dozens of things you’ll be able to do to help push away any cockroaches in the future.

Cockroaches eat virtually anything they come across, although their favorites might include starches, meats, sweets, and foods with grease – all common human foods and important items to keep out of the way when you’re working to prevent cockroaches from infesting your homes. Nonetheless, it’s important to keep in mind that cockroaches are omnivorous, so they’ll make do with whatever.

As such, just keep foods sealed and locked away somewhere that it’d be difficult for cockroaches to reach or even know about. Clean up around the house, removing items and things that could provide cover for cockroaches or conditions that would help push cockroaches. Even one untouched spot could lead towards more cockroaches, as the creatures release pheromones signaling safe spots.

Sealing Entrances

More importantly, however, is just in sealing entrances. When combined with removing attractants and other things that might breed cockroach families, you’ll have a nearly foolproof way of preventing cockroaches. Although it’s important to note that it’s nearly impossible to guarantee no cockroaches, this might be as good as it gets.

Cockroaches might be large bugs, but they’re still small creatures; when compared to other animals that can make their way into your home, like mice or rats, there are countless more spaces and opportunities for cockroaches to enter and make your home theirs. Gaps near pipes, drains, and walls with openings are easy ways for cockroaches to enter your space, and they’re great spots to lock down on.

In addition to sealing off cockroaches with caulk or other materials, closing these entrances can stop other animals from following suit or beating cockroaches to your property. Any open spot, whether small or large, can prove instrumental in letting animals through your home and they’re important areas to block off.

Prevention and Reaction

Nonetheless, prevention only works for as long as you keep up with it. If you haven’t been involved in cockroach prevention up until now or find yourself dealing with problems still, then you might need to contact someone who can help.

Although vacuums can deal with a few cockroaches at a time, they’re likely to keep coming. By calling pest control or a local professional, you can not only get rid of the cockroaches, but have a much easier time with cleanup, prevention, and future proofing your home from cockroaches and other animals. In addition to being easier than taking care of things yourself, it’s much better (and healthier) long term.