Effective Roach Removal Services in Birmingham, AL
The Alabama humidity clung heavy in the air, thick enough to almost chew it. It wasn't just the heat that made Maggie shiver, though; it was the roaches. Roaches in Alabama were a fact of life, sure. Still, how a glistening black wave of them scuttled across the kitchen floor tonight was enough to turn her stomach and set the wheels of a different kind of survival plan in motion.
Understanding Cockroaches: What You Need to Know
The biggest thing to remember about cockroaches is that if you see one, there are many more close by that you don't see. Cockroaches tend to live together in large groups, and when a few get inside your home, it takes only a few weeks for them to create a large-scale infestation.
In our region, we have two species of cockroaches that are most likely to find their way into our homes; the American cockroach and the German cockroach.
The German cockroach is small, giving them the ability to move into any space that provides them with food or shelter. German cockroaches are tannish-brown in color, with two parallel black stripes behind their heads.
The robust American cockroach is the largest species of roach to invade homes in the U.S. These roaches are reddish-brown and have a yellowish, figure-eight-like marking on the back of their head.
The Dangers of Cockroaches: Why You Should Act Now
Cockroaches multiple quickly, and when they are in our homes, they are dangerous. Examples of the problems they cause include spreading diseases and parasites throughout any structures they invade. Their shed skins and feces produce many allergens that lead to asthma attacks and other allergic reactions. In addition, their presence creates foul odors, dirt marks, and an overall unpleasant, unsanitary environment.
Identifying the Causes of Your Cockroach Infestation
Cockroaches are in your home simply because it provides what they need to live a good life. Food is the main reason that cockroaches thrive in our homes. It provides them with many places to forage for food like trash cans, crumbs under stoves, and items stored in the pantry. Another benefit to living indoors with people is that it is free of many predators that live outside and are looking to use them as their next meal.
American cockroaches are most likely to enter your home on their own from outdoors. Things like food odors, moisture, and dry weather conditions outside drive them into your home.
German cockroaches have adapted to living inside with people. Therefore their primary mode of transportation is hitchhiking. They will move from structure to structure in boxes, electronics, furniture, and deliveries.
Common Hiding Spots for Cockroaches in Your Home
Most cockroaches love to live in damp areas. They will naturally congregate in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, attics, and crawl spaces in our homes.
If cockroaches are hiding in your home, below is a list of places you are most likely to discover them:
- Under sinks
- Behind and under large appliances
- Cardboard storage boxes
- Behind wood trim, baseboards, and cabinets
- In areas of clutter
- Behind walls near water pipes
- Near floor drains or sump pumps
- Within pieces of furniture
Through regular cleaning and inspection of common hiding spots, you can limit the problems you will experience with cockroaches. If you even spot just one roach in your home, call for help immediately so we can remove the cockroaches you see and the ones you don't but that are hiding throughout your home.
Effective Strategies for Cockroach Elimination
Let EnviroCare help you maintain a home where cockroaches don't feel welcome.
Our detailed and customized services will solve the problem you are experiencing with cockroaches and other household pests and implement regular, customized services to keep them from returning. The benefits of choosing us for your pest control needs are our commitment to the environment, our satisfaction guarantee, detailed services, and our experienced professionals who use the latest techniques and treatments.
To learn more about guarding your Birmingham home against cockroaches through our home pest control services, reach out to us at EnviroCare today.
Preventing Future Cockroach Infestations: Tips for Homeowners
Use the following prevention tips to keep disease-spreading cockroaches from taking over your Alabama home.
- Reduce excess moisture around your home by repairing leaky fixtures, clogged gutters, and downspouts, and use dehumidifiers.
- Keep cockroaches out of your home by using caulk, steel wool, and other materials to seal openings in your foundation and exterior walls.
- Make sure weather-stripping around windows and doors is intact.
- Always inspect deliveries, bags, furniture, and electronics for hitchhiking cockroaches before bringing the items into your home.
- Control a cockroach's access to food by making sure to store trash properly, regularly vacuum, and don't let dishes build up in the sink.
Contact Us Today for Professional Roach Removal Solutions in Birmingham, AL!
