Cockroaches are a common pest in Turks & Caicos, and while most people know they are unsanitary, a lot of property owners don't realize just how dangerous they can be. Cockroaches are known to carry around 35 different diseases, including E. coli, salmonella, and gastroenteritis, and they can also cause allergies and asthma attacks.
Along with being dangerous, cockroaches are also rather formidable and sturdy and are known for being especially difficult to prevent and control. They are resistant to many pesticides, and can even survive for up to a week without their heads.
What Do Cockroaches in the Area Look Like?
While there are thousands of cockroach species around the world, there are two species that you're most likely to find around your Turks & Caicos property. These are the German cockroach and the American cockroach.
The German cockroach only gets to be about ½ to ⅝ of an inch long, and they are tan with two black stripes that run parallel behind their heads. The American cockroach is much bigger at about 3 inches long. They are a reddish-brown, with a figure-eight pattern behind their heads.
Why Are Cockroaches Covered in Germs?
Finding a cockroach in your kitchen, or anywhere around your home or business, can be very upsetting. These gross-looking pests are especially attracted to humid areas close to food sources, so they often invade bathrooms and kitchens. It’s not uncommon to find them in food packaging, or inside of refrigerators, where they can easily contaminate food and food preparation surfaces.
The reason why cockroaches are covered with so many harmful pathogens is that they often live on rotten and decaying items. They are commonly found in garbage, restrooms, or sewers, where they pick up germs and small debris with small spikes on their legs. Then, they bring these pathogens inside as they move around your property.
How Difficult Is It to Prevent Cockroaches?
Given the dangers associated with having cockroaches around your home or business, it’s important to prevent them. As well as control them, if you do have an infestation already. However, cockroaches are both difficult to deter and to remove.
Cockroach behavior makes them difficult to prevent because they are great at hiding in small cracks and crevices. This means they can easily slip inside a building without you even noticing.
However, you can focus on reducing entry points by fixing broken screens, and installing door sweeps to help keep them out. You can also keep kitchen areas cleaned, including property trash storage and removal to make your property less appealing to cockroaches. But, even with taking preventive steps, it’s not always possible to deter cockroaches.
Then, once inside, they can reproduce quickly, with their numbers growing into the thousands in the space of less than a year. Their prolific nature combined, with their pesticide resistance and ability to withstand extreme conditions, makes them nearly impossible to remove using DIY methods.
How Can You Protect Your Property from Cockroaches?
Cockroaches are a problem pest that’s dangerous to have around, and difficult to deal with on your own. If you notice signs of cockroaches around your Turks & Caicos property, you don’t have to stress out too much, because the experts at Parkway Pest Solutions are here for you. We offer both residential and commercial pest control that’s affordable, and eco-friendly. Our technicians have the training necessary to prevent and control any cockroach infestation.
Find out more about our cockroach control services, and even get a free inspection, by giving us a call today at (649) 332-2847.