There really isn’t anything worse than realizing that you have pests in the house. Whether you have noticed mouse droppings or you’ve heard the scuttling of bug legs in the walls, an infestation is a good way to tell that your home is in need of TLC. This is a partner post
Cockroaches are the bugs that most people fear seeing in their house – and for good reason. Roaches are known to be difficult to kill and the most common way that people notice them is that they’ve seen large, flat, oval shaped bugs somewhere in the house. Ideally, you’re already paying for pest control services in your home, but if you haven’t paid for yours this year, it’s time to get it booked in. In the meantime, here are the top signs that you’ve got sneaky roach visitors in your home.
- You can smell that oily, musty smell. Roaches are not the nicest of bugs but did you know that they can also stink? Roaches give off an unpleasant odor and it’s because of a mix of dead roaches, food scraps and organic matter that they leave behind in their nests and in their wake when they move through the house. Roaches also use chemical messages to communicate with one another, and you really should learn what that smells like so that you can get rid of the problem.
- You’ve spotted red/brown staining. Roaches always leave a little trail of evidence behind them – it’s gross, we know. Roaches can leave behind dark matter and it smears around them as they move. It’s not the nicest thing to find but you’ll definitely notice a starchy residue, especially around faucets and areas where pipes are common. You’ll find these marks on horizontal surfaces, too.
- Roach poop, anyone? Yep, just like other pests, roaches know how to leave their leaves behind and they’re not shy about it. Roach poop is much easier to spot than roaches themselves, as they cannot hide their poop even if they can squeeze into the smallest of spaces. Even the smallest amount of droppings can be a sign that you have a roach problem, so if you spot it, make a point of getting pest control sorted as soon as possible.
- They leave egg cases. Egg sacs are always easy to spot: just look in the nooks and crannies. You’re only going to spot them if you know where to look but eggs are usually laid in sheltered, closed off locations like the crevices in the kitchen or the cracks in the bathroom. Egg sacs hatch with a month of being laid, so make a point of getting these eradicated as soon as you spot them.
- You’ve spotted chew marks. You wouldn’t think so, but cockroaches like to chew on things. Food packaging is especially common for roaches and you will find these in the pantry. If you spot these, you need a pantry clean out. Any chewed up packaging should be binned along with the food inside it.