Expert Tips For Preventing And Eliminating Roaches In Your Durham Home

Types Of Cockroaches Found In Durham

There are four common cockroach pests that enter Durham homes. Some are dirtier than others. Some are harder to control. If you understand the characteristics of cockroaches, you'll have a greater chance of driving them out of your home—or keeping them out in the first place. 

American Cockroaches: When you see big cockroaches on your Durham property, you're likely dealing with American cockroaches. They are the largest roaches that enter Durham homes. American roaches are rusty brown, shiny, and have a yellow figure eight on the back. They range in size from 1 ¼ to 2 1/8 inches in length. These roaches prefer damp or humid environments. Fixing leaky faucets and other plumbing issues within your home could make these roaches go outside. If you combine this with exclusion work, you may stop American cockroaches from infesting your home. 

Oriental Cockroaches: When you see a black roach, you're looking at an oriental cockroach. It is the dirtiest of pest roaches because it has a strong link with rotting organic matter and sewage. An oriental cockroach is oval, has short wings or wing pads, and looks like it is armored. They are about 1 inch long. You can manage these roaches by deep cleaning your home and moving exterior trash receptacles away from your outside walls. Add on top of this a few patches to seal these roaches outside, and you may get control of them.  

SmokyBrown Cockroaches:  When you see a roach that looks like an American cockroach without the figure eight pattern, you're likely looking at a smokybrown cockroach. These roaches range from 1 to 1 ½ inches in length, making them much smaller. But they aren't quite as small as the other two roaches on our list. These roaches love dark, damp areas. Fixing plumbing issues and installing a dehumidifier can help to drive these roaches out. Apply sanitation and exclusion work for extra measures. It also helps to trim your grass and remove organic debris next to your exterior walls to deter cockroach activity next to your home.   

German Cockroaches: When you see a small tan roach with two black lines that look like an equal sign on its back, you're looking at a German cockroach. These roaches are between ½ and ⅝ of an inch long. They have fully developed wings that are shiny. Of all the cockroaches that can get into your home, these roaches are the hardest to control. We strongly recommend contacting a professional if you need German cockroach control. These are the only roaches that have known populations that produce offspring born with bait aversion. This means you'll have difficulty using bait to deal with these pests. We still recommend all of the suggestions provided thus far to guard against health issues; but they don't have any chance of getting rid of these roaches.   

If you came here looking for tips to prevent a cockroach infestation, you're off and running. But stick with us. We'll share some specific tips later on. First, let's look at some unfortunate characteristics of cockroaches that relate to human health.

Why It's Dangerous To Have Roaches In Your Home

When you roll your sleeves up and take steps to drive roaches out of your home, you'll also make it harder for cockroaches to make you sick. Why are roaches dangerous? Let's look at cockroach behavior and link these facts to how you can prevent and eliminate roaches.

Roaches Eat Feces: It is not a pleasant topic, but one worth understanding. If you have animal waste in your yard, it is a food source for roaches. We highly recommend picking up dog waste when you take your dog for a walk. On the interior of your home, check to make sure your cats are covering their waste in litterboxes. Lastly, make sure that your bathroom toilet is clean and that your waste bin has a cover that will keep roaches out. 

Roaches Deposit Feces: Here is another unpleasant topic. When roaches move about in your home, the droppings they leave are a source of contamination. You should clean up these black specks when you find them. Doing so will help to guard you against sickness and also allow you to see if cockroaches continue to frequent the area. When cleaning cockroach droppings, wear gloves and a mask for safety. 

Roaches Touch Decaying Matter: It should come as no surprise that roaches like to get into your trash. Make sure all trash is in sealed containers. Keep in mind that it isn't easy to find containers like this. Cockroaches are adept at getting into trash containers that appear to have a seal. As an added precaution, keep your receptacles as clean as possible and remove trash frequently until your roach problem is corrected.

When you see signs of cockroaches in your home, take quick action to keep your home clean. It will help to reduce contaminants and make the roaches in your home a little cleaner. You'll also make your home less inviting to cockroaches because they prefer unsanitary environments. Cleaning up cockroach droppings adds another layer of protection on top of general sanitation because cockroaches are attracted to the scent of roach droppings.

Five Naturally Effective Tips To Prevent Roaches In The Home

We've covered a lot of ground so far, and you already know how to deter cockroaches in several ways. Let's look at some specific tips to help you control cockroach food options, block routes, and keep cockroaches out of your home.  

1. Sanitation

Roaches eat decaying matter, crumbs, and food debris. The best way to stunt roach populations is to keep your home clean of all food sources, including hair, dead skin, paper, feces, and other roach food.

• Wipe down shelves.
• Clean counters.
• Clean the sides of your oven.
• Wash mops and mop buckets thoroughly.
• Clean your bathroom.
• Store pizza boxes in a container.

These tips will help you with the not-so-obvious foods that roaches eat. 

2. Remove Food Options

We're sure you know that roaches will eat the food you eat. They'll also eat the food your pets will eat. 

• Store certain foods in sealed glass or plastic containers.
• Clean dishes as you go.
• Establish a mealtime for pets and pick food up after meals.
• Keep food covered when left on the counter.

Keep all potential food options in mind when cleaning your home and blocking access to food.

3. Address Moisture

Cockroaches prefer areas that are damp or humid. There are many ways to control this.

• Repair leaking faucets and showerheads.
• Clean and repair damaged garbage disposals.
• Install a dehumidifier in areas that are humid.
• Turn your bathroom fan on when taking a shower or bath.

Use these and other methods to remove moisture and humidity in your home.

4. Block Routes

Cockroaches don't tunnel through your walls. They need tiny gaps, cracks, and openings.

• Use a caulking gun to seal structural gaps.
• Make sure to seal the gaps around the pipes under your bathroom and kitchen sinks.
• Use expanding foam to fill in structural voids.

It is hard to seal all of the openings cockroaches can use to get around inside your home, but it is well worth trying.

5. Apply Pest Proofing

A little elbow grease will go a long way. If you have the skills, we recommend these home improvement ideas.

• Patch foundation cracks
• Fix damaged seals around exterior doors
• Fix door and window screens
• Fill in plumbing gaps
• Repair garage door seals

All of these tips work together to make it hard for roaches to successfully live inside your Tucson home with you. They are well worth the effort. If you need help with roach prevention, or you currently have cockroaches in your home, contact a professional. Here's why.