Port St. Lucie's Complete Guide To American Cockroaches

January 21, 2021

Many factors determine the threat level of a creature, one of which is size. Interestingly enough, bigger animals are not always more dangerous. Sometimes the smaller something is, the more dangerous it becomes. The question is, are American cockroaches - the largest native roach to North America - as dangerous as their size suggests? Here is a complete guide to American cockroaches for you to use to help better understand and combat these pests around your Port St. Lucie home or business.

What Are American Cockroaches?

The American cockroach was brought to the United States as early as 1625 and is thought to have originated in Africa. This large, approximately one-and-a-half-inch-long pest has an oval-shaped reddish-brown body, long antennae, and six barbed legs, which they use to cling onto surfaces. Due to their top-heavy nature, cockroaches have to cling to surfaces constantly. Only after they die do they flop over onto their back after losing their grip.

Despite their larger size, American cockroaches are just as fast and agile as their smaller relatives. Able to run at five feet per second and transfer from floors to walls to ceilings without breaking pace, these invasive pests are a frightening sight to behold around homes and businesses.

Why American Cockroaches Are Bad News

In the case of the American cockroaches, their size does not affect their threat level. These larger pests are just as dangerous as any other roach that might invade your property. Roaches, in general, are filthy creatures that have a habit of consuming rotting bacteria-ridden organic matter. These nasty pests spread disease-causing organisms around homes and businesses over countertops, kitchen tables, and on left out and stored foods. Here are just a few diseases you might contract from these dangerous pests.

• Dysentery
• Typhoid Fever
• Cholera
• Salmonellosis
• Gastroenteritis
• Leprosy
• Plague

If you have asthma or any respiratory problem, cockroaches might make you sick in a different way. Indirectly, through their shed skins and dirt-like fecal matter, roaches release particulates into the air that often trigger breathing problems. This problem compounds itself and becomes worse the larger an infestation becomes.

Prevention Tips For American Cockroaches

Reducing your chances of a cockroach infestation is not a complicated task; it is just time-consuming and requires a fair amount of effort. If you are up for the job, here are some simple prevention tips to put in place around your home.

• Keep your grass and landscaping well maintained.
• Eliminate clutter and debris from around your yard.
• Make sure your gutters are working properly and that water is not building up around your property.
• Use a caulking gun to fill in gaps and cracks in your exterior foundation.
• Repair or replace damaged windows and door screens, weatherstripping, and door sweeps.
• Thoroughly clean your home at least once a week and limit the number of rooms where you eat meals to just one or two.
• Regularly wash underneath kitchen appliances and furniture.
• Store leftover food inside airtight containers.
• Make sure your trash cans have tight-fitting lids.
   

An Easier Way To Handle American Roaches

There is no easier solution to cockroaches than hiring a professional. At Native Pest Management, we make handling pest problems as simple and non-invasive as possible. Using only industry-leading pest control products and advanced exclusion and elimination tactics, our qualified technicians will get your home everything it needs to fight back against pests year-round.

Reach out to our team via phone or through our website today to learn more about our Port St. Lucie pest control services or to have your Port St. Lucy home inspected for roaches.