Why Roaches Invade Yakima County Homes And How To Keep Them Out

A roach is gonna do what a roach is gonna do. While cockroaches can seem like mysterious insects because they hide in secret places in your home and come out at night while you're sleeping, they're not mysterious at all. There are only a few factors that motivate cockroaches. Can you guess what they are? Food is one of them. Moisture is another. Heat plays a role. And, it might sound strange, but tight spaces are also an attractant. Cockroaches have what is called thigmotaxis. They love to have their bellies and backs touching two hard surfaces simultaneously. When you reduce the factors that attract cockroaches, guess what happens? You make roaches go away! If you like the idea of roaches going away, you've come to the right place. Join us as we look at common roaches in Yakima County, how to deter them from getting into your home by applying all-natural methods, and why do-it-yourself cockroach control products often fall short. Have cockroaches already invaded? Jump to our contact page and reach out to us for prompt service. Prosite offers industry-leading cockroach pest control in Yakima County. We can help you sort your roach problem out.  

Common Types Of Cockroaches That Invade Yakima County Homes

Only a handful of cockroach pests are common in our region of the country. Each is different in its own way. Let's explore the differences and discuss how you can use them against these pests. Does that sound like a plan?

German Cockroaches

These are the worst of all roaches living on the planet. Does that sound dramatic? Let's dial it back a bit and consider a few simple facts about this species.

• These are the only pest roaches in the United States that have a pest control treatment with their name in it. Some service providers offer a treatment called a German cockroach clean-out. It is a powerful treatment that uses several materials to eradicate all the German cockroaches in a structure. Why are multiple control materials required? That leads us to our second fact.
• German cockroaches, like all roaches, are adaptable insects. When exposed to something harmful, nymphs can shed their skins and develop new skins that are resistant to the harmful material. Over the last century, people have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at these insects, and we've only made them stronger. Why have we thrown more at German cockroaches than other cockroach species? That leads us to our next fact.
• German cockroaches do extremely well in man-made structures. They are so successful at living with humans, scientists cannot find any populations of wild roaches anywhere in the world. All German cockroaches live inside man-made structures or near them.
• German cockroaches are the only cockroaches that have populations born with bait aversion. These roaches have been over-baited, and some have genetically altered taste receptors that reject a common ingredient used in roach bait.

We're not kidding when we say these roaches are the worst. The good news is that German cockroach pest control is possible, but it requires training and experience to accomplish. If the roaches in your home are small, tan, and have two dark stripes on the back between the head and wings, you have a German cockroach infestation. Sorry.

Brownbanded Cockroaches

These are the second worst roaches on our list—but perhaps not the second worst in the world. Like German cockroaches, they do well inside structures and can live their entire lives indoors. They even look a little bit like German cockroaches, only they don't have the two dark stripes on their backs between the head and wings. Let's quickly look at the facts.

• These are often called furniture roaches because they're often found in areas of a home that don't have food, such as bedrooms and behind pictures in living rooms. So, thigmotaxis is strong in this species, but food is lower on their priority list.
• These roaches tend to hang out in high locations. They are likely motivated to do this because heat rises.
• A fact that goes hand-in-hand with the last is that there has been a decline in brownbanded cockroach populations. Some experts believe that air-conditioners and humidity control play a role.

These roaches are hard to control in apartment buildings and multi-family structures because they avoid treated areas by going to other living areas within a structure.  

American Cockroaches

You would think these would be the worst roaches in America. They're not. But they're still pretty bad. American cockroaches don't compete with their German cousins or brownbanded cockroaches because American cockroaches have a high moisture requirement. They may not tolerate your home if it is too dry. Where not talking lip-chapping, skin-flaking dryness. It doesn't take a lot of moisture control to send American cockroaches packing. But moisture control may not be enough to control these roaches if other conducive conditions are present. Are you wondering if these are the roaches you have? American cockroaches are chestnut colored and range in size from 1 ¼ to 2 ⅛ inches long. On the back, between the head and wings, are two dark dots on the orangish-yellow thorax. 

Oriental Cockroaches

These are the easiest roaches to control but are also the dirtiest. Why are they easy to control? Because they don't prefer to live indoors. The moisture requirement of Oriental cockroaches is higher than all other roaches on this list. They also prefer to lay their eggs in things that smell far too foul to have inside your home. These roaches are black, shiny, and mid-sized.

Now that you know what common pest cockroaches in our area are looking for, let's discuss how you can use this information to drive them away.             

How To Naturally Deter Cockroaches With Six Smart Prevention Tips

When cockroaches come into your yard, they'll look for what interests them. Your goal is to make your yard boring to roaches—like those roaches just walked in on a seminar about how to watch paint dry.

• Keep your home cool. A cool house is no place for roaches. 
• Install dehumidifiers in humid areas of your home. A simple fix like this can make roaches pack their bags and leave (if they had bags).
• Repair leaking faucets and shower heads. That constant dripping is a constant water source for roaches.
• Deep clean to remove hidden food debris. Roaches have no trouble eating rotting food, in fact, they prefer it.
• Clean your bathroom—roaches eat hair, dead skin, and other unmentionable things.
• Use your fan when taking a shower or bath to vent moisture.
• Protect all the food in your home.
• Remove trash every week, and keep trash covered.
• Seal entry points in the exterior of your home.
• Keep the perimeter next to your home dry by cleaning your gutters and thinning out dense areas in your landscaping.
• Remove leaf litter that roaches like to hide under.
• Remove yard clutter that roaches like to hide under.
• Remove wood sources—another place roaches like to hide.
• Remove trash from your property weekly.
• Clean trash receptacles if they acquire a bad odor.
• Clean up dog droppings if you have a dog that leaves waste in your yard.

All of these will work to counteract the natural motivations of cockroaches and reduce roach activity near your home. When roaches try to get inside, your exclusions will deter them. If they find a way inside, hopefully, they'll regret it. Do see how it works? These methods can have a big impact on Oriental and American cockroaches. They may also give you control of brownbanded roaches in certain circumstances. If you have German cockroaches, all we can say is sorry.    

Why DIY Cockroach Control Is A Waste Of Time And Money

Now that you know how to get rid of cockroaches naturally and how to deter cockroaches, you may not turn to control products. But, let's face it, natural roach control is hard work. You might just consider going the easy route. We're here to tell you that it is rarely easy. DIY cockroach control is often a waste of time and money. The reason is the adaptive ability of cockroaches. If the cockroaches in your home aren't already immune to these products, you might make them immune, making it harder for a professional to deal with your problem. Not a great way to go.    

Call The Pros At The First Sign Of Roaches In Your Home

If you see signs of a cockroach infestation and you don't have the energy to address attractants and conducive conditions, contact Prosite for effective control of cockroaches in Yakima County. Our technicians know how to identify pest roach species, evaluate conducive conditions, track activity, and establish treatment plans to arrest infestations. We can even tackle complicated infestations in multi-family units and apartment buildings. 

Reach out to us today and we'll guide you toward the best solution for your specific needs. You don't have to live with roaches in your home. We have the solution.