If we asked you to make a list of the top five most dangerous pests, would cockroaches make your list? While these insects don’t bite or sting, they do present a host of problems. Let’s take a close look at these pests, their behaviors, and the dangers they bring with them into homes.
Common Cockroaches In Columbia
There are thousands of species of cockroaches across the globe. There are four main species you need to worry about. These are the cockroaches in Columbia that are most likely to show up in your kitchen at night.
- American cockroaches are the largest and are dark red or brown in color. Like most cockroaches, they have wings and can glide, though they don’t really fly.
- German cockroaches are the smallest and are usually lighter in color, more tan than brown.
- Oriental cockroaches are dark brown or black.
- Brown-banded cockroaches are dark brown with two lighter brown bands across their backs.
Cockroach Habitats
Where do cockroaches hang out when they aren’t in your home? The answer isn’t very pleasant. Cockroaches are omnivores and don’t mind eating decaying, rotting food. They may be found in leaf piles, rotting wood, garbage cans, sewers, and in other dark, moist places. They will eat fecal matter, organic trash, dead bugs, human food, pet food, and more. While feeding, cockroaches can pick up dangerous pathogens, which they then carry with them when they get into homes.
Cockroaches In Your Home
Cockroaches usually get into homes looking for food and shelter. While these are hardy pests, they will seek out warmth if it’s especially cold outside or will seek out a cooler place to hide if it’s too hot out. Once inside, they’ll stay if they can find food. They may eat dog food that has been sitting out, fruit, trash, crumbs from the kitchen, or that sludge that you have been meaning to clean off the side of the stove. While feeding and looking for food, they will leave bacteria and pathogens around that could make your family sick.
Cockroaches have proven to be especially bad for allergy sufferers. And they can exacerbate symptoms of asthma. Whether or not anyone in your family has asthma or allergies, it’s a good idea to keep these pests out of your home.
Help! My Home Has Cockroaches
You can try to prevent cockroaches by storing all food in airtight containers, cleaning messes promptly, and always washing dishes before you go to sleep. However, cockroaches may end up in your home anyway. They are social pests, so if you see even one cockroach scurrying through the house at night, it’s not alone.
What should you do if you see a cockroach? We recommend giving us a call. At Havard Pest Control, we have plenty of experience dealing with cockroaches. We’ll eliminate these pests from your home so that you can rest easy, knowing that your family isn’t in danger. At Havard Pest Control we believe in a long-lasting approach. We’ll help you make environmental changes to prevent future invasions by cockroaches. Don’t let these pests carry their dirt and bacteria into your home. Call Havard Pest Control today.