Discovering that you have a cockroach infestation in your Maine home can be a very stressful experience. While you may be tempted to try traps or other DIY removal tactics, it’s best to let a professional handle a cockroach extermination. More than being disgusting insects, they are also dangerous and should be taken care of immediately. They carry disease and bacteria all over your home and their feces and shed skin have been know to cause asthma attacks in allergy suffered.

Even if you are able to keep a spotless home with food always put away, you may still experience cockroaches. The American Cockroach is notorious for finding entry points.  There are some ways you can try to prevent cockroaches from getting in your home but they may not work. If you suspect cockroaches, contact an extermination company like Maine Bed Bugs and Pest Control immediately for a proper cockroach extermination.

How to Identify Cockroaches

Cockroaches are insects that measure up to two inches long, with oval-shaped brown bodies, six legs, and two antennae. Young cockroaches look similar but are paler in color. Some types of cockroaches have reddish-brown wings; however, they don’t usually fly.

There are around 3,500 different species of cockroaches found worldwide! While there are many unique types of cockroaches, the four most commonly found in the U.S. are the American, Brown-Banded, Asian, and German species.

How to Deter Cockroaches from Entering

First seal the places where they might try to enter, like cracks or crevices in doors, windows, or the foundation. Leaky pipes and faucets can also attract cockroaches. Be sure to search your home for signs of moisture and seal them up as soon as possible.

The second and most important way to prevent cockroaches is to keep your home free from excess clutter and food debris. Tiny food scraps may go unnoticed by the rest of your family, but they certainly attract cockroaches! Pay special attention to areas like the kitchen and dining room, wiping down the surfaces, and vacuuming up any crumbs left behind. Unfortunately, even if you keep a spotless home, determined cockroaches may still find their way in. You may need to have a proper cockroach extermination to insure they don’t spread.

Signs of an Infestation

If you suspect a cockroach infestation in your home, there are several important signs to look out for:

● Feces: Cockroaches leave behind tiny droppings that resemble pepper or coffee grounds.
● Eggs: One of the most obvious signs of an infestation is finding cockroach eggs, which are tiny capsules that can contain up to 30 nymphs!
● Shed Skin: As cockroaches go through five to eight life cycles before adulthood, you may find their shed skins around your home.
● Smell: Areas infested with cockroaches have an unusual musty smell, because of the pheromones left behind in the droppings.

Use Maine Bed Bugs and Pest Control

As experienced pros, Maine Bed Bugs and Pest Control will use proper methods to safely rid your home of cockroaches.  If you see any bugs that could be cockroaches or notice any of the signs mentioned above, then it’s time for a professional evaluation. At Maine Bed Bugs and Pest Control, we have the tools and expertise to correct an infestation quickly and effectively. We know how awful it can be to deal with a cockroach infestation and will work to get your home cockroach free as soon as possible!

If you’re dealing with an infestation or any other pest problem, contact us at (207) 650-8654 to schedule our professional services.

When you hear the word “cockroach” your initial reaction is to shudder. No one likes to see those creepy crawlers, especially crawling around your home. Cockroaches are most active at night as they tend to hide out where it’s dark and moist, like areas such as behind your fridge, sink, and other major appliances. They can also flatten their bodies in order to hide in tiny areas such as cracks in your walls. Could your Portland home have cockroaches? Know the signs!

Physical Sight

The most obvious sign that your Portland home has a cockroach infestation is physically seeing them. Since cockroaches are nocturnal animals, the best time to spot them is at night. If you turn on a light in a dark room, you will typically see the cockroaches scatter.

However, if you see a roach during the day, it can mean the infestation has been going on for a while and has progressed to a point where immediate action is needed. Roaches will come out in the day due to overcrowding and low food sources.

Roach Feces

Cockroaches are like the garbage of insects and that’s not just because they’re disgusting. They eat everything from plant matter to people food, dead skin cells, garbage, and even feces. Roaches have a high metabolism so their appetite turns into the second sign of an infestation: feces droppings.

Depending on the type of roach your house is infested with, the feces can resemble anything from tiny specks of pepper to coffee grounds to oval pellets. If you can see a large amount of roach feces in a fairly visible location like behind your refrigerator, inside your pantry or cupboards, then it is likely you have a roach infestation.

Roach Eggs

Cockroach infestations can get out of hand quickly because they are aggressive breeders. This makes for an easy-to-spot sign that your house has a problem. Roach eggs are oblong, brown casings and are most commonly found in pantries, behind furniture, in cracks in the wall, in books and in other tight areas.

Roach Smell

One of the biggest signs of a cockroach infestation is the smell. Cockroaches give off a pungent, musty odor that gets worse the longer the infestation goes on. Not only will you smell the oily scent of live cockroaches, but you will also start to smell the decomposition of roaches that have died within your home.

If you’re noticing any of these signs and think your Portland home could have cockroaches, you need to immediately call the cockroach removal experts at Maine Bed Bugs and Pest Control. Contact us today at (207) 650-8654.