Why You Should Never Ignore "Just A Few Cockroaches"
Finding a couple of spiders or ants in your home may not be a reason to call an exterminator. Sometimes, there really are only a few of these bugs in your home, and squishing them or flushing them down the toilet will solve your problems. When it comes to cockroaches however, things are a bit different. You should never assume that the one or two roaches you see are no big deal. Here's why.
Cockroaches are great at hiding.
Cockroaches generally prefer to stay in dark, hidden spots. So the one or two bugs you see are just the ones that bothered to travel out into the light. When you see a few, there are many more hidden. Getting rid of these hidden roaches is tough since they are not out in the open. You'll want to hire an exterminator to seek them out and get rid of them.
Cockroaches breed quickly.
Even if the roach infestation has not gotten that bad yet, roaches breed quickly. German cockroaches, for example, house about 30 to 40 eggs in a single egg sac, and a cockroach reaches maturity within just 45 days! So you may have just a couple of roaches now, but within the span of a few weeks, you'll have hundreds or thousands of roaches roaming around. It's easier to treat an infestation early on, when it is small, than in a few weeks when the bugs have completely taken over.
Cockroaches spread infection.
Another reason to never ignore a few roaches is because they are dangerous. Even in small numbers, they expose your family to illness. Cockroaches feed on dead and decaying matter, so they pick up bacteria like salmonella and E. coli bacteria when they feed. If they walk across your food or a surface where you prepare food, they contaminate your food -- and when you ingest that food, you become ill.
Cockroaches also leave their feces all over your home. Many people are allergic to these feces, experiencing sneezing, itching, and other unpleasant symptoms.
Cockroaches can stain your building materials.
Cockroaches won't chew through your home like termites or carpenter ants, but they can certainly cause structural damage, even in small numbers. Their feces stain walls, floors, and ceilings. They also give off odors, which might linger in your home for months after an infestation. The sooner you get rid of the roaches, the less house damage you'll have to repair.
If you suspect you may have a cockroach problem, contact a professional pest control service.