How Cockroaches Find Their Way Into Longview Homes And How To Keep Them Out

The first step in preventing roach problems is understanding how and why they get into your home because there are many ways you can keep them out using simple and all-natural methods that counteract their natural patterns. And you'll want to keep these insects out. Cockroaches have habits that aren't very clean. These habits make them unsanitary insects, and it is a good idea to avoid having them crawl around inside your Longview home if you can help it. But, of course, you probably already know this. What you might not know, is that the issue of unhygienic behavior is linked to the problem of how to keep cockroaches away. Join us today as we connect the dots. We'll tell you how cockroaches operate and how you can counteract their natural behavior patterns by applying sanitation and pest-proofing. If we're too late, and you already have roaches in your home, remember that the Gecko Pest Control service team is here for you. We provide professional cockroach removal for Longview residents and business owners. Click our menu and connect with us through our contact page. It is an easy way to learn about service options, pricing, and more. With that said, let's take a look at why those roaches want to live with you.

The Dirty Habits And Behaviors Of Common Cockroaches

Cockroaches are motivated by the same three factors that motivate all animals: water, food, and harborage. But they don't have high standards for any of these. While most animals would steer clear of a stagnant pool of water, cockroaches are drawn to bacteria-rich water sources. While most animals would avoid rotten food, cockroaches prefer to eat decaying. And, while most animals prefer a cozy little wooden hole or a hiding place in the ground, cockroaches get into sewers, drain pipes, and dumpsters. The reason is that roaches are the sanitation engineers of the wild kingdom. They consume decay and turn it into nitrogen-rich fertilizer – in a sense. But, in your home, that fertilizer is as unsanitary as the cockroaches themselves. They leave their droppings on floors, walls, and even ceilings. How does all of this connect to cockroach prevention? Let's break it down into four stages.

Stage 1: Unsanitary Things Attract Roaches To The Exterior

Your chances of a cockroach infestation rise as the population of active roaches near your home increases. Therefore, understanding that stinky and foul things attract them can help you reduce your risk of an infestation.

Stage 2: Roaches Want To Stay In An Unclean Home

A home with food debris, juice spots, stinky trash, clutter, and other unsanitary conditions will invite roaches to stay. When you deep clean your home, you remove one big reason why they would want to infest your home.

Stage 3: Roaches Are Drawn To Decaying Food Odors

If you have things decaying in cracks and crevices, you may not notice, but you can bet cockroaches will. They can smell decaying things from a distance. Moreover, they prefer to crawl around in tight spaces where food debris and juices are hidden. A deep clean can make your home resistant to cockroaches.

Stage 4: Roaches Are Drawn To Roach Odors

Cockroaches are actually attracted to the droppings of other roaches. The droppings left by cockroaches have an aggregation pheromone. That is fancy terminology that just means the fecal matter of cockroaches sends a signal to other cockroaches and invites them to congregate.         

At the heart of roach control is the management of attractants. Sanitation is high on the list of attractants to address. If you clean up food debris, juices, oil, grease, hair, dead skin, fecal matter, and other unsanitary things cockroaches eat, you'll be well on your way to reducing the risk of an infestation. If you also work to block their ability to get in and move about inside your home, you'll have even greater protection. Let's take a look at how this works.

How And Why Roaches Find Their Way Into Our Homes

Why do cockroaches come inside? Because they can. These insects don't tunnel through wood or eat away at weatherstripping. They can only get into your home if there is an entry point. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much of a gap to let a roach in. These insects have a low profile and, on top of this, they can compress their bodies. It is startling how small of a gap a big American cockroach can fit through. 

When a cockroach is drawn to your exterior, it is only natural for them to go one step further and climb right into your home. They are thigmotactic animals. If you're not familiar with this term, it refers to a behavior pattern that causes an organism to want to touch things. In the case of a roach, it wants to feel its belly and its back on two hard surfaces at the same time if possible. When a roach sees a gap under a door or around a water pipe, it can't help itself. Once inside, it will consider whether or not it wants to stay. So, the removal of attractants and pest-proofing work hand-in-hand.

How do roaches get inside? There are a few common ways cockroaches gain access to Longview homes. Consider whether or not you might have these vulnerabilities. Cockroaches in Longview will get in through:

• Gaps around water mains and sewer pipes
• Seals around exterior doors
• Gaps around window frames
• Cracks in foundation walls
• The gap under a garage door
• Exposed holes where outlets or fixtures are inserted
• Unprotected weep holes
• Unprotected vents
• Damaged screens
• Decaying wood
• Gaps between wood members
• Holes created by rodents or other pests

You can deter roaches by replacing old weather-proofing, repairing damaged building materials, and applying expanding foam or caulk. When you work to seal your exterior, consider your interior as well. Once in your home, roaches need a pathway to get into your kitchen, pantry, bathroom, and other common areas. If you seal every tiny gap or hole you can fill, you'll limit their access.

The Safe And Effective Way To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

Sometimes cockroach prevention is a mixture of deterrents and control. If a few roaches have gotten into your home, you'll want to encourage them to leave. Your sanitation efforts will do part of the job, but there is a bit more to it. Here are a few more tips.

• Repair plumbing issues that provide moisture for cockroaches to drink, such as a damaged garbage disposal unit, leaky faucet, or drip in your basement.
• Install a dehumidifier to bring down the moisture level in your home to make it too dry for roaches.
• Store foods inside sturdy containers to protect them. Cockroaches can chew through cardboard and paper, but they're not going to get through a hard plastic container.
• Clean your dishes as you dirty them so cockroaches can't eat your leftovers.
• If you have pets, make sure to establish a mealtime. When they're done eating, pick the bowls up and clean them.
• Maintain a clutter-free environment in your home.

Now that you know how to get rid of cockroaches naturally, let's discuss cockroach control. When it comes to eliminating an infestation, it is best to hire a licensed professional because there are many ways DIY cockroach control can achieve discouraging results. For example, improper application of baits can cause the roaches in your home to develop a behavior called bait aversion, and cockroaches that avoid baits are harder for your pest management professional to address. That could mean more cost for your professional treatment. A licensed professional uses field experience and training to avoid unwanted results like bait aversion.

Tips To Prevent Cockroaches From Coming Back

Once the cockroaches are out of your home, what comes next? We've already talked at length about how to keep cockroaches out of your house. The methods used to prevent an infestation are the same methods used to avoid future infestations. But, along with sanitation, exclusions, moisture control, and protecting food, you can also get a layer of pest control. For this, your pest control service provider can help. When you have a pest control service plan for your home, you get routine liquid treatments applied around the exterior of your home. These treatments keep cockroaches and other pests out of your home all year long. We also apply pest maintenance as necessary to increase the protection of your exterior, manage attractants, and seal potential entry points. If your technician sees cockroach activity, appropriate products and strategies are used to arrest activity and help you maintain a roach-free home.

Do you live in Longview? Reach out to Gecko Pest Control for professional home pest control or to get started with a residential pest control service plan that is right for you. It is easy to get started. Check out our residential pest control page to learn more or ask us questions by text. We'll help you get on top of your pest problems and address your pest concerns.