There’s a belief in the pest control world that once you see one bug on your property, there are already hundreds more nearby. Most of the time, this is not entirely true. But it is frequently the case with cockroaches. Roaches breed quickly, and a roach infestation in your Gainesville home can multiply to dozens of insects, making it more costly to eliminate them and increasing the health risks from the many diseases and allergens roaches can carry.

When you know the signs of cockroaches, you can spot them – and get roach control – as soon as possible to keep your home free of these disturbing and unhealthy pests.

Early Signs of Roaches in Your Home

Seeing a cockroach crawling across your floor or countertop is another clear sign of an infestation, and usually a particularly advanced one. Roaches are nocturnal and not generally awake when you are. When you catch sight of a cockroach in the daytime, you can usually assume there are dozens more.

But you do not always have to wait to see a cockroach to know an infestation is starting. These signs can be an early indication that roaches have invaded your home:

• Musty Smell – Cockroaches leave behind pheromones which will smell musty to people. If you detect an unpleasant odor but cannot find a source for it, cockroaches may be the cause.
• Scratching Sounds – A scratching behind your walls may be rodents, but it can also be cockroaches. Some roaches are large enough to make distinctive noises as they move throughout your home.
• Droppings – Roach droppings also resemble mouse droppings in shape and size. The main difference will be that dropping from roaches have blunt ends instead of the sharp ones that mice have.
• Eggs – Cockroaches lay their eggs in egg capsules near their food source. Each egg capsule is dark brown in color and measures about 1 centimeter long, so they are not small and can be spotted easily with the naked eye.
• Allergies – Unexplained allergies is usually a sign of pollen or dust, but cockroaches are also known allergy producers, and unexplained allergies could theoretically be a sign of a cockroach infestation.

If you notice any of these signs of cockroaches, you should contact a pest control professional fast before the infestation gets any worse.

However, the best way to get rid of cockroaches is to treat your home before they enter.  ExtermPRO offers ongoing pest protection plans at homes and businesses in Gainesville, VA. With this service, we regularly treat your home for cockroaches and other pests and monitor the exterior for any of the more subtle early signs of a roach infestation, making it so that roaches never have a chance to infest your property.  Contact ExtermPRO today to get help with an existing roach infestation or prevent one from occurring in the future.