People usually have one of two reactions to seeing a cockroach. They either feel the need to burn down the house or think that one sighting doesn’t mean anything. Unfortunately, neither approach is quite right. Find out whether or not you should worry when you see one cockroach in your Fort Worth home. Then, learn what you should do to remedy the situation.
Identifying a Cockroach
If you see a cockroach, you should stop and think about its appearance. This is because there are several species of cockroaches. Other insects resemble cockroaches, so you should attempt to identify the bug before moving forward.
In Texas, there are four common species of cockroaches. German cockroaches are the most common and are about 5/8 of an inch long. They are usually solid brown. Meanwhile, brown-banded cockroaches are smaller than the German variety. Typically, they are identified by a cream band that can be seen on their backs.
If you see a large cockroach in Fort Worth, you might be looking at an American cockroach. This roach is brown with a yellowish margin surrounding the body. Because they prefer darkness and moisture, these pests are usually found in basements and under sinks. The final common species of cockroach in the area is the Oriental cockroach. Characterized by a large and stocky body, these roaches are dark brown or black. They are often seen outdoors or in dark and damp basements. However, these roaches can make their way into your plumbing and to other floors in your home.
What Makes Cockroaches Dangerous?
Regardless of their species, all cockroaches are scavengers. They hang out in dirty areas full of diseases. When they walk through those areas, they pick up diseases. Then, they carry those diseases into your home. As they travel across your silverware, plates, and open food containers, they leave behind diseases.
They also contaminate your home with their feces. If a cockroach makes its way into your pantry, it will contaminate your food. Some of the diseases they can spread include E. Coli, Streptococcus, and salmonella. All it takes is one cockroach to leave you or your family sick.
Rapid Reproduction
Cockroaches do more than spread disease. They also spread more cockroaches. Due to their rapid rate of reproduction and maturity, a few insects can quickly turn into an infestation. If you see one, there likely are many more. Even if you don’t have an infestation yet, you will soon have one on your hands.
Female cockroaches lay between 6 and 14 egg capsules in one lifespan. In each capsule, there are about 16 eggs. Once those eggs mature, they’ll go on to breed more cockroaches.
Should You Worry About One Cockroach?
Cockroaches are excellent at staying out of sight. Because they tend to hide in dark places, they often go unnoticed. You might only see one insect, but have hundreds of others in hiding. When you couple that with the rapid reproduction rate of the insect, you can see why just one cockroach could signify a larger problem.
Before you’re aware of the issue, you may have an infestation on your hands. Although you could be tempted to handle the problem yourself, you should avoid doing so. It takes an expert to remove all of the cockroaches. Unless you have experience with pest control, you won’t know where to find them or how to remove them from your home.
Instead of letting cockroaches thrive, take action against them. Don’t attempt to handle the infestation on your own. Contact the professionals at Romney and have the issue resolved quickly and efficiently.
