Cockroach infestation

Cockroach infestation can be a serious problem, considering the damage they can do to your property and the health problems that they can cause. Determining if your house is infested with cockroaches is usually easy, and here are four tell-tale signs that they are indeed trying to invade your homes.

Cockroach sightings

Seeing cockroaches is your house is probably the most obvious sign that your house is being invaded by these critters. These insects are nocturnal, and can be seen prowling around the house at night, so if you want to check, grab a flashlight and start going over your house after dark. Check the attic and the basement, and even the garbage bin in the kitchen since these are where they usually hangout. Although they are night-crawlers, they can also be seen scurrying across the floors, counters or cabinets during daytime, although not as much as during the night. This is especially true in heavily infested houses.

Cockroach shell casings

Another sign that you have cockroaches in your house is when you see shell casings behind bookshelves, furniture, or sticking onto the sides of your cabinet doors. These shell casing or what is referred to as oothecas are what’s left behind once cockroach eggs hatch, and are oval-shaped and brown in color. As cockroaches grow, they also shed their shells or go through molting stages, and you can usually see these shed skin in the same places mentioned above, or along the walls of your rooms.

Cockroach fecal matter

One of the ickiest things about cockroaches is that they love to leave their traces around the house in the form of fecal matter. Cockroach poops are not quite easy to discern from the other usual dirt that you have in your homes, since they can be pretty small (well, depending on how large the cockroach where the poop came from). These poop are black in color and round, and looks pretty much like a ball of black pepper, only smaller.

Cockroach smell

Cockroaches, like other bugs, also emit foul odors wherever they are. These odors are really strong and pungent. The stronger the smell, the higher the chances that you have an infestation going on, with possibly hordes and hordes of cockroaches hiding somewhere in your homes. What’s worse is that these odors can stick to food which is left out in open air, like in uncovered pans and plates.

If you detect any of these signs, then it is time to call a pest exterminator to deal with the problem. Considering the health issues associated with cockroaches, this is one problem that you do not want to ignore.