If you've seen pepper-like specks on your countertops or black smears in corners where your walls meet your counter, you may have cockroaches living in your house. You could also see brown, segmented egg capsules, or you might see the cockroaches themselves. In any case, if you've got cockroaches, you need the best Kansas City Metro pest control company: Augustine Exterminators.
What Are Cockroaches?
What is a cockroach? If you're not familiar with this filthy pest, let us make an introduction. They're found all over the United States, with German cockroaches being the most commonly found in homes. They have segmented bodies and six spiny legs. Their antennae are generally the same length as their body. There are three primary types of cockroaches in the Greater Kansas City area: German cockroaches, American cockroaches, and oriental cockroaches.
German cockroaches are small, about ½ inch long, brown with two parallel black markings on their back. They have wings but don't fly, preferring instead to run away from danger.
American cockroaches are large, anywhere from 1 ¼ to 2 ⅛ inches long. They're mahogany brown with a yellowish figure eight on their head. They have leathery wings that they sometimes use to glide from a higher elevation to a lower one.
Oriental cockroaches are about one inch long, shiny black, and resemble beetles. The males have short wings, but they're unable to fly.
How Dangerous Is It To Have Cockroaches In My House?
Cockroaches in the Greater Kansas City area may not bite or sting, but they are known to carry numerous pathogens that can cause humans and their pets to become seriously ill, including:
- Salmonella
- Typhoid fever
- Cholera
- Gastroenteritis
- Dysentery
- Listeria
- Giardia
- E. coli
German cockroaches can also cause severe allergic reactions, especially in those with asthma. Children are the most frequently affected, but anyone of any age can develop a German cockroach allergy.
This is why it's so crucial that you have a Kansa City Metro home pest control company you can trust, like Augustine Exterminators, to get rid of a cockroach infestation before anyone in your family becomes ill.
Eliminate Factors That Attract Cockroaches Into Your Home
If you want to know how to deter cockroaches in Kansas City Metro, you have to know what attracts them to your home in the first place: food, water, and shelter. What keeps cockroaches away is depriving them of those three things.
You can do this with the following steps:
- Seal up all the cracks and crevices you can locate in your foundation. Cockroaches only need a very small space to slip through, so make sure you're depriving them of those spaces.
- In the same vein, seal your windows and install door sweeps, and repair any torn screens in your windows and doors so cockroaches can't gain entry there.
- Carefully inspect packages, especially cardboard boxes, to make sure you're not unwittingly carrying cockroaches into your house.
- Keep food in airtight containers or your refrigerator. Roaches won't be attracted to foods they can't smell.
- Wash your dishes immediately. Dirty dishes piled up in the sink are a buffet for cockroaches.
- Take out your kitchen trash daily to trash cans with tight-fitting lids that sit at least six feet away from your house.
- Keep a clean kitchen. Wipe up spills and crumbs when they happen, and vacuum and mop the floors regularly.
Eliminating the factors that attract cockroaches can help you avoid an infestation and all the issues these pests bring into your home.
The Pros To Call To Get Rid Of Cockroaches For Good
If it's too late for prevention and you want to know how to get rid of cockroaches for good, the answer is simple: Call Augustine Exterminators. We're a family-owned company that's been in the pest control business since 1966, taking care of the Greater Kansas City area's pest control needs. Our name scares pests to death! Call us today for your free estimate and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in the Greater Kansas City area.