Having an infestation in your home is enough to have your stomach turn. Termites, rats, and other rodents of all shapes and sizes cause all manner of problems and will impact both your health and the integrity of your home. Having a cockroach infestation is a serious problem. To better understand the seriousness, it helps to understand what they are, where they thrive and how to effectively get rid of them with professional cockroach control Toronto services.
Table of Contents
What are Cockroaches?
Cockroaches are easily identifiable pests that have long antennae and legs. They somehow resemble a beetle and depending on where you live; they come in different sizes, colours, and shapes. There are about 30 different species of cockroaches. However, four are more popular. Cockroaches are natural scavengers, meaning they go out and collect food. Meaning they will always go to places where they can find food. Unfortunately, this often is your home.
Where do Cockroaches thrive?
Cockroaches thrive best in warmer conditions, particularly in areas where the temperatures exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cockroaches love humid and dark places and will run away in the presence of bright light. You will never find them openly crawling out on a sunny summer day. It doesn’t matter how many of them are in a room. The moment you turn on the light, they will scatter.
Just like any other scavenger, when they discover there is plenty of food in your house, they will take up residence. Cockroaches are also attracted to garbage and garbage disposals, largely because, this is where most of the food always ends up. Having cockroaches in your building can have adverse health effects on this living within.
How do cockroaches cause allergies?
Wherever cockroaches move, they leave behind traces of their existence. A few signs that you have a cockroach infestation include Saliva, feces, and parts of their bodies that they shed off as they grow. Just like mites, these cockroach parts that are left behind have specific allergens that are known to trigger asthma and its symptoms.
Apart from the allergens that cockroaches naturally carry, there have been tests done on cockroaches to examine pathogens in their bodies. These tests have revealed that cockroaches have the capability of carrying some serious diseases. Typhoid that is caused by Salmonella Typhi has been found in cockroaches. Poliomyelitis which causes Polio has also been discovered in these insects. Cockroaches are also known to spread dysentery, a disease that is known to cause severe diarrhea and bleeding. Cockroaches are known to bite their victims in very extreme cases when the colony outgrows the food source or scarcity.
How do you know you have a cockroach problem?
Seeing cockroaches in your household is evidence enough that you have a cockroach problem. However, since they run from light and are nocturnal, they might be difficult to see. Cockroaches are known to hide in weird places, and you could find them by clicking in drains or under mats. In case you do not see any cockroaches, you could still identify their presence when you find feces that look like pepper spilled on the floor. The number of feces you find will be an indication of the extent of the infestation.
In some cases, cockroaches are known to emit certain smells, which may be detectable if you have a very serious infestation. You can also easily find dead cockroaches and their eggs. In case you notice those living in your house are suddenly having symptoms of allergies and asthma that include watery eyes, sneezing, difficulty breathing or a runny nose, it could be an indicator that you have an infestation. You might have to get your house examined if you and your family suddenly experience severe diarrhea related to the conditions of your home.
In case you notice any of the conditions explained above it’s important that you take a proactive step and have your house inspected by a professional pest control Toronto experts. After conducting a thorough inspection of your home, they will be in a better position to advise you on the extent of your infestation and its dangers and what steps to take.
