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General Behavior
Within every city and state in the world, there exists cockroaches. These bugs enter homes through cracks on walls and through small openings in windows and doors. Often refered to as water bugs or palmetto bugs, cockroaches destroy books and clothes, and they can carry contagious diseases. American cockroaches can travel inside the house through grocery bags or in the folds and pockets of clothes. Asian cockroaches move toward light, such as a porch light, and these creatures will enter a house based on the glow. Most cockroaches spend the day in dark places, but will eventually emerge at night to feed and mate.
Signs of Cockroach Infestation
Try looking at books or clothes, and see if small holes are present in them, as cockroaches will feed on these objects. If cockroaches exist within your place, look for brown matter, as the brown matter is a cockroach's regurgitation of food, on books and furniture. If your home has a possible infestation, check for foul odors within the house, in an area that would support cockroaches, such as the basement, behind desks and in a food pantry. Determine where these insects are hiding by turning on the lights during the night. Watch to see where the cockroaches scurry.
Cockroach Eggs
Cockroaches propagate by laying eggs. These are small, brown or reddish brown, leathery cases. These eggshells stick to the abdomen of the female roaches, but some cockroaches leave their eggs behind. Female cockroaches will lay their eggs inside cupboards and cabinets.
Cockroach Fecal Matter
The cockroaches in your homes deposit fecal waste on their hiding places and usual routes. The sizes of their excrement vary depending on their size; smaller ones produce a grainy waste, while bigger ones produce waste similar to mouse droppings. According to the Orkin website, mouse droppings have tapered ends, while droppings of cockroaches have blunt ends. In terms of size, the excrement of cockroaches can be as big as one-sixteenth of an inch in length.
Preventing Cockroaches
Cockroaches live and propagate in dark and damp conditions such as the backside of refrigerators and other appliances, undisturbed basements, attics and the space between walls. The best way to get rid of roaches is to seal off points of entry for these critters to get through. It's best to seal up cracks, no matter how small, to prevent the entry of these roaches in your home. Make sure to keep every part of your house clean and free from dirt, leftover food and the like, while keeping it well ventilated. Make sure to seal of the cracks or holes in your floors and ceiling as well.
DIY Treatment
If you see one cockroach in your house, it is more likely other cockroaches are rummaging around the house. Use of pesticides and other commercially based products found in most retail stores can kill large infestations of cockroaches. However, cockroaches have the ability to adapt to pesticides, and eventually the offspring of cockroaches will become immune. It is best to hire a professional extermination company, because companies have the ability to alter their potency of a pesticide to ensure that the cockroaches do not come back.