Smash Pest Control – White House & Middle Tennessee’s Cockroach Control Specialists
Some bugs can provide benefits when they move into your home. House centipedes and spiders offer their own form of pest control by eating other insects. As pollinators, bees are responsible for the majority of the world’s flowering plants. Even ants help cultivate nutrient-rich soil. But that goodwill stops with cockroaches. They contaminate food sources and spread adverse diseases to humans. When cockroaches invade your property, call the expert team at Smash Pest Control to evict them once and for all.
What Type of Cockroach Do I Have?
Cockroaches are prolific in Middle Tennessee. There are outdoor species, ones that opt to live near us indoors, and types of roaches that can exist within both habitats.
These are the most common cockroaches in White House and towns nearby:
- American cockroach. The American cockroach is the largest in Tennessee, coming in at nearly two inches long. These reddish-brown roaches can be found in warm, damp areas like sewers, basements, bathrooms, kitchens, and crawl spaces.
- German cockroach. These critters are tiny but mighty. Although they’re the smallest cockroach species at only about half an inch long on average, they are some of the toughest pests to get rid of. They’re attracted to kitchens and bathrooms, and they like to hide in dark crevices near food and water sources.
- Oriental cockroach. These shiny black or reddish-black roaches are about an inch long. They’re drawn to cool, moist areas like crawl spaces, basements, and underneath mulch. Unlike the two species mentioned above, they’re more likely to be seen during the day.
Can cockroaches fly?
Here’s a chilling thought: all adult cockroaches have wings. On the bright side, many species don’t have muscles developed enough for true sustained flight. Among the species encountered in homes and businesses, the American cockroach can fly short distances while the German cockroach can glide or use their wings for small hops.
What Do Cockroaches Eat?
Cockroaches are omnivores, meaning they eat any and everything. They’ll turn to dining on soap, cardboard, and glue when other menu options are scarce. This ability to change food sources on a whim is one of the primary reasons it can be so difficult to quell a cockroach infestation.
There are foods that cockroaches prefer like discarded or spilled human foods, pet food, cooking oil, and compost materials. While keeping your property clean of crumbs, spills, and clutter can help deter them, it’s just one part of a much bigger cockroach control plan.
What Are the Signs of a Cockroach Infestation?
Cockroaches aren’t known for their stealth-like abilities. If your property is infested, there will be clues. Keep an eye out for the following:
- You see live cockroaches. It’s dawn when you arrive at your restaurant to prepare it for service that day. When you turn on the light in your commercial kitchen, several cockroaches go scurrying into small cracks and crevices. We have bad news: you have a cockroach infestation. A lot of roach activity during the day can be a sign of a severe infestation.
- There are droppings present. Cockroach droppings look like tiny flecks of pepper or coffee grounds. You may find them in pantries, cabinets, around appliances, or around baseboards. The amount of droppings can help us determine the severity of infestation.
- There is a musty odor. Some roach species give off a strong, musty odor that gets worse as the infestation grows. This odor is worse near areas where there is a high concentration of cockroaches or where they are breeding.
- You find shed skins and egg casings. As cockroaches mature, they molt and shed their exoskeletons that can be found scattered around their hiding spots. Egg casings are small and oval-shaped, and may look leathery in texture. Casings are often found in cabinets, behind furniture, or on pantry shelves.
How Long Do Cockroaches Live?
The lifespan of a cockroach can vary greatly depending on the species, the availability of food, and environmental factors like the temperature (roaches thrive in warm climates. German cockroaches usually live around 100 to 200 days on average, American cockroaches have a longer lifespan of about a year. Of the common household roaches, Oriental cockroaches outlive their counterparts, averaging around one to two years.
But don’t try to wait out an infestation. Cockroaches reach maturity quickly and are rapid breeders. A single female German cockroach can potentially produce hundreds of babies per year. As one generation perishes, another one is already reproducing more offspring.
Turn to Smash Pest Control To Get Rid of Cockroaches
Cockroaches are persistent, but so are we. The team of experienced and licensed professionals at Smash Pest Control understands how hard it is to eliminate a cockroach infestation, but we’re up for the challenge. We offer effective and affordable solutions for cockroach control to rid your home of these unsanitary pests. We’re just a phone call away if you need us. Reach out to us at 615-551-4029 now to schedule an appointment or request a free quote online.
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