Cockroaches are disease-ridden varmints that can take over a home in a matter of days. All it takes is a few adult roaches to grow an entire population in no time at all. Because cockroaches are nocturnal, you may not notice them in your home right away. They can build nests and armies of roaches before you see a single shoulder make its way across your floors. Before that happens, you could look out for signs of a cockroach infestation like the ones listed below.
What Cockroaches Look Like
The easiest way to identify a cockroach infestation is to see a couple roaches in your home. A single roach may not necessarily be signs of a problem, but two or more roaches can be. Cockroaches are usually brown, but some can appear black. There are several species of cockroaches in America, but they all have long antennae and six legs. Their bodies are oval in shape, and their tails appear lighter than their heads because of transparency. If you see more than one of these kinds of bugs in your home, you know you have a problem.
Shell Casings
Shell casings are cases left from recently hatched cockroach eggs. They are small and dark brown, and they are shaped like ovals. You will most likely see these in cabinets, under railings, and in other areas where roaches feel secure and protected.
Cockroach Specks
Cockroach specks are bits of fecal matter and regurgitated food that cockroaches leave behind. This will mostly look like grains of ground pepper. Baby cockroaches will feed off these specks, so you may notice small ones nesting nearby. Cleaning off the specks is not going to get rid of the problem though.
Oily Odor
Cockroaches have a very distinct smell. Their bodies and urine leave a pungent, oily odor that is quite unpleasant. If your home smells odd one day and you notice any of the other signs listed here, you may have a roach problem.
How to Get Rid of Cockroaches
You can kill one or two roaches by simply stomping on them, but most infestations need much more work than that. You could set roach traps in areas where you think the roaches will be hiding, or you could try to spray for them. Ideally, you need to call a professional exterminator to get the job done for you. He will know where to look and what to treat so your roach infestation is taken care of in the first place. Hopefully you will never have to worry about that problem again.
