Getting Rid Of Roaches In Your Kittitas County Home The Right Way

Life is full of surprises; some are good, and some are bad. A good surprise is receiving an unexpected bonus or an unanticipated date night because the kids are going on a trip. A not-so-pleasant surprise is receiving a high water bill and realizing a hidden leak is under the house. 

Surprises happen unexpectedly, which is why they are called surprises. Getting up in the middle of the night, stumbling into the bathroom, and turning on the light only to be greeted by cockroaches running for cover is not the kind of surprise anyone wants to experience. When you get that kind of scare, your body stiffens up in horror, and then you scream and jump back; suddenly, everyone in the house is awake from dreamland. 

To avoid surprises by cockroaches, secure the best pest control in Yakima County from Prosite. Our highly-rated technicians are experts in the cockroach species in the Kittitas area. We have the tools, experience, and knowledge necessary to ensure complete cockroach eradication from your home. Our goal is to help our community understand the signs of a cockroach infestation, why they are dangerous, and what steps you can take to prevent them from returning. 

Sure Signs You Have A Cockroach Infestation

There are thousands of cockroach species worldwide, but in our part of the country, the main types of cockroaches are German, brown-banded, American, and oriental. These insects are nocturnal, so they forage while you sleep, and although they vary in size and color, they all leave behind these signs of infestation:

• Droppings: Cockroach droppings (or frass) resemble pellets or pepper flakes with sharp ridges. American cockroaches (1/4 to 2 1/8 inches in length) and oriental cockroaches (one inch in length) are the biggest in size roaches in our area and produce one-inch pellet-shaped feces, about the size of a grain of rice. Smaller cockroaches (German and brown-banded) leave behind droppings resembling coffee grounds or pepper-like flakes. Look for evidence of these roundish pepper-like chunks in cupboards, countertops, and inside drawers. 
• Stains: Fecal matter from cockroaches creates smears and stains areas around wall cracks, corners, and on the top of doors. 
• Capsules: Cockroaches begin life as an egg grouped with other eggs crammed into a tan, brown, or black pill-like structure known as an ootheca. Female cockroaches glue the purse-like egg holders with secretions from their mouths in dark and often warm and humid corners of a basement, pantry, laundry room, kitchen cabinets, and behind kitchen appliances. The number of eggs in the capsules depends upon the species; German cockroaches have 30 to 40 eggs, American cockroaches have 16 to 17 eggs, brown-banded cockroaches have 14 to 17 eggs, and oriental cockroaches have 16 eggs. A female cockroach will deposit several of these egg capsules during its lifetime.
• Smell: Cockroaches are prolific reproducers, meaning male cockroaches use a musty-smelling pheromone in their frass to seduce females. The pheromone also serves as a guide for other roaches to follow to food sources in the home. A musty-smelling odor is noticeable when a high population of cockroaches is in an area.
• Skins: Insects have an external skeleton known as an exoskeleton, and to grow, insect shed their exoskeletons in a process known as molting. Cockroaches are insects that go through several growth spurts known as instars. Each time a cockroach goes through the instar process and molts, it leaves behind a skin consisting of its former exoskeleton. Look behind or inside appliances, cabinets, drawers, underneath furniture, and in dimly-lit corners of the house for skins. 
• Cockroaches: Although these insects are active while you sleep, you may stumble upon them when getting up in the middle of the night or disturbing a hiding place. Although the sight of a cockroach does not mean you have an infestation, the high reproduction rate makes it likely that there are many more in hiding.  

If you see these signs of cockroach infestation in your Kittitas County house, you need to dispatch the team from Prosite; cockroaches multiply rapidly, and they put your family at risk in many ways. 

How Roaches Spread Around Dangerous Pathogens

Cockroaches forage in sewers, drains, rotting garbage, and animal feces, and these areas are ripe with disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms. The spines on the cockroach legs pick up pathogens in filthy locations, and later, when they travel through a home, the organisms fall off and contaminate exposed food, utensils, cooking, and eating surfaces. E. coli and Salmonella are just two of the 33 kinds of bacteria dispersed by cockroaches resulting in salmonellosis and E. coli infection. In addition, cockroaches spread typhoid fever, cholera, gastroenteritis, dysentery, listeriosis, and giardia in Kittitas homes. 

Cockroaches distribute bacteria, six parasitic worms kinds, and seven types of human pathogens through their droppings and saliva. Roaches deposit fecal matter on exposed food, on eating and serving utensils, and inside packaged food products. They contaminate the exterior of food storage containers and packaging as they chew on them and coat them with their tainted saliva. 

In addition to the pathogens in cockroach droppings and saliva, some proteins in cockroach droppings, saliva, and discarded skins, trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks in some people. These cockroach proteins activate common allergy-related symptoms like sneezing, postnasal drip, coughing, itching, and red eyes. Cockroach proteins may also trigger an asthma attack resulting in severe issues like breathing difficulties, chest pain or tightness, and wheezing. Allergic reactions and asthma attacks create discomfort in family members. 

Prosite provides pest control for roaches protecting your family from the risk of contracting diseases or experiencing allergy or asthma attacks. However, in conjunction with our services, you can do the following to reduce the risk of contracting illnesses from cockroaches:

• Vacuum the house regularly
• Suction around baseboards, inside kitchen cabinets, and underneath appliances using a wand attachment
• Disinfect pantry and kitchen cabinet shelves, countertops, plastic and glass storage containers, and areas where droppings are present 
• Store all food in containers; do not leave food exposed on the countertops (i.e., fruits, nuts, vegetables)
• Clean all utensils before using them to serve or eat
• Remove unused boxes, magazines, piles of clothing, and other debris from the house
• Keep indoor and outdoor garbage containers closed at all times

After Prosite eradicates cockroaches from your Kittitas home, you still need to follow these recommendations to eliminate all droppings, urine, saliva, and skins because they can still spread diseases even when the cockroaches are gone. 

Why DIY Cockroach Control Is A Waste Of Time And Money

We all want to save money, and if you find a cockroach in your house, the temptation is to purchase a store-bought product to fix the problem. These DIY solutions provide immediate gratification as you watch cockroaches die when the store-bought concoction of deadly chemicals coats their body. However, you will quickly discover that the time and money spent on these products that promise fast results is all for naught. (As a side note, we use pet and child-safe effective products, but DIY solutions may be hazardous to your family's safety.)

DIY products fail because they do not penetrate the nests full of cockroaches and their eggs, hidden in walls, under appliances, and in dark corners of your Kittitas home. German cockroaches, the most common invader of homes, can produce up to six generations in a year, and unless you destroy their egg capsules, you will continue to experience problems. 

Home remedies are cheaper because they do not create long-lasting barriers. Moisture and evaporation dilute store-bought products, quickly dissolving any cockroach hurdles created by the DIY solution.  

Finally, different cockroach species infest Kittitas County homes, and each type has unique characteristics, habits, and attractions. Store-bought products often do not target a specific species; instead, they are generalized because manufacturers know most homeowners cannot determine the different types of cockroaches invading their homes. 

A professional cockroach remedy from Prosite ultimately saves you time and money. Our technicians know how to identify the cockroach species infesting your house and the habits and characteristics of that species. She will create a treatment plan specifically targeting the problematic pest in your home.

How To Get Rid Of The Roaches In Your House For Good!

Prosite provides cockroach pest control in Kittitas County because we care about the safety of our community. When our technician arrives at your house, they will thoroughly investigate your location to determine attractions, entry points, hot spots, and the species endangering your family. 

Our highly-trained technician will create a strategic plan to treat the house using safe and effective products targetting the cockroaches in your home. They will also create a long-lasting barrier around your home to keep cockroaches out. Using their experience and knowledge, our technicians will work with you to eliminate attractions and guide you with suggestions to fix entry points into your house. Contact us today to get a free consultation and learn more about our pest control plans.