It’s incredibly annoying to have to deal with bugs in your home. If you wind up spotting a cockroach in your house, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to be apoplectic.
People find cockroaches to be among the most disgusting creatures that earth has to offer. When a home gets invaded by cockroaches, it can be hard to get rid of them all without the right stuff.
It’s also notable that cockroaches seem to be bolder at night. Have you noticed that cockroaches come out at night to look for food and try to get into things?
Why is it that cockroaches come out at night, though? Keep reading to learn more about this topic as well as some other pertinent information about cockroaches.
Roaches Have Evolved to Operate Nocturnally
The easiest answer to this question is that cockroaches have evolved to operate nocturnally. There are many different types of animals on the planet that are nocturnal such as raccoons.
The activity rhythm of a cockroach makes it so that it wants to start its activities at night. Cockroaches will usually be active starting around four hours after the sun has set.
Of course, many cockroaches will run when humans get close, and this means that you could have a cockroach infestation even if you don’t see them all that frequently. They come out to look for food and will feast on crumbs, pet food, or anything else food-related in your home that they can get to.
If you know that your home is near an area with lots of cockroaches, then it’s important to keep your food in secure airtight containers. You’ll also want to avoid leaving pet food out because it winds up being a beacon for the cockroaches.
Cockroaches like to avoid the light if possible, and you might notice them scurrying away if you turn a light on in the middle of the night. This is pretty disconcerting to know that cockroaches could be lurking in the dark while you’re blissfully unaware.
What If You See Cockroaches During the Day?
It’s certainly not impossible to see cockroaches during the day. Sometimes you might walk into your kitchen and notice a cockroach is hanging out somewhere, but it’s unlikely that you’ll notice too many of them.
The thing to remember is that when you see cockroaches at all during the day it’s a bad sign. Essentially, when cockroaches are being spotted in your house even during the daytime, it’s a sign that you have a terrible infestation.
This means that cockroaches are pretty much everywhere in your house and you’re going to need professional help to remove them. Under normal circumstances, cockroaches would be sleeping or hiding during the day, but some might feel the need to forage during the day due to the level of competition that they have to deal with.
Even if you are seeing cockroaches during the day, it’s important not to fret. You can get rid of cockroaches, but you’re going to need to take the right steps to get good results.
Signs of Cockroaches
What if you don’t see cockroaches directly but you have a feeling that something is going on? Are there specific signs of cockroaches that you should be looking out for?
Yes, there are things that you can look out for that will indicate that you have cockroaches in the house somewhere. One of the most simple ways to tell if cockroaches have been in the house is to look for droppings.
You might notice small black droppings stuck to the surfaces of various secluded areas in the house. If you aren’t finding these black spots out in the open, then that’s pretty normal.
Cockroaches like to stick to places that are dark and away from humans typically. You might need to look in tight spaces with a flashlight to see if there are any cockroach droppings left behind.
Some common areas to consider looking include cupboards, underneath sinks, under furniture, and other places that you don’t clean or vacuum regularly. You might wind up finding some signs that cockroaches have been there, and you’ll be able to decide what to do after confirming your suspicions.
Can Cockroaches Harm You in Any Way?
Cockroaches certainly have the potential to be harmful to you and your home. The thing to keep in mind is that cockroaches are creatures that are considered to be absolutely filthy.
These filthy bugs are carriers of various types of diseases, and people can get sick due to exposure to them. They’re known to carry cholera and even leprosy believe it or not.
It’s even been shown that homes that have cockroach infestations will be more likely to have to deal with asthma issues. Having to breathe in the bacteria and other things that cockroaches bring to your home won’t be good for you.
Sometimes cockroaches will infest your air vents and that can make things even worse. You could wind up being pretty sick if you have a significant cockroach infestation, and this might be especially bad for those who have respiratory issues.
Needless to say, you’re not going to want to let cockroaches remain in your home. You need to take steps to eliminate them, and that all starts with doing the practical stuff to keep them at bay.
Clean Your House Thoroughly
The first thing you should do in response to a cockroach infestation is clean. You’re going to want to clean your home thoroughly to try to eliminate food sources for the cockroaches.
Cockroaches will be attracted to things such as crumbs and pet food that you have sitting around. Most people don’t clean their house enough so that it will be spotless each day, but you will want to make more of an effort to keep the cockroach problem from getting worse.
Vacuum your floors or sweep if you have hardwood floors. Wipe down your kitchen counters and any other surfaces with powerful cleaning agents.
You have to keep in mind that cockroaches could have walked on your counters, sinks, and other areas that you touch regularly. Wiping things down will make it easier for you to get the house truly clean.
Try to maintain a consistent cleaning schedule so that the cockroaches won’t have things to try to scavenge in your home. It’s also going to be wise to place pet food in airtight plastic containers when your pets aren’t eating.
Do Cockroaches Always Target Dirty Houses?
For the most part, cockroaches are going to be far more likely to appear in dirty houses than they will clean houses. They’re looking for food and good areas to stick around, and they won’t be as interested in your home if it’s clean and secure.
However, some people live near woodland areas that happen to contain many cockroaches. If you live in certain areas, then cockroaches might be more common, and this could mean that you’ll have to deal with them no matter what.
That doesn’t mean that you should accept having to deal with cockroaches, though. It’s still wise to keep your home very clean, and you’re also going to want to use extermination and repellent methods to keep them away.
Cockroaches Are Hard to Kill
You likely already know that cockroaches are hard to kill, but you should understand that many things won’t kill them as easily as you would think. For example, cockroaches can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes.
This means that killing cockroaches by drowning them won’t be a very simple option. Cockroaches can even live without their heads for up to seven days before they die of thirst.
There’s a reason why these nasty little bugs are considered to be hard to kill. Some have jokingly said that cockroaches will be the most likely species to survive a nuclear holocaust, and you might be able to see why knowing some of these weird little facts about them.
If you’re going to kill cockroaches, then you’re going to need to use tried and true methods that are proven to work. Keep reading to go through your options so that you can reclaim your home from these pests.
Using Cockroach Sprays
Using sprays to deal with cockroaches will be one of the more common ideas. There are plenty of chemical sprays on the market that will allow you to kill cockroaches reliably.
You could buy some of these sprays and try to spray all over your house in an effort to get rid of the cockroaches. Depending on the strength of the spray that you’re buying, you should be able to kill lots of cockroaches.
One good thing about using chemical sprays is that they will last for a while. You can spray and then cockroaches won’t come around for a decent amount of time.
Most of the standard sprays that you can buy at department stores or typical online retailers will keep cockroaches at bay for weeks or months at a time. This isn’t too bad, but it isn’t as effective as the professional-grade stuff that exterminators use.
You might not like the idea of using chemical sprays because you’re worried about the environment or you don’t like the smell. It’s true that these sprays smell horrible, but the smell will dissipate after some time.
Most will choose to spray the house and then step outside for several hours. By the time you come back to the house, it shouldn’t be quite so smelly any longer, but there could be a lingering scent depending on the spray that you decide to use.
Some People Use Traps
Some people use traps to try to kill cockroaches as well, and it can work to help small infestations. You’ve probably heard of the term “roach motel” in the past at some point.
These traps allow roaches to go in, but they don’t let them come out. They’re really pretty standard traps that work well enough to kill small numbers of roaches.
The problem with traps is that they won’t really be practical when you’re dealing with larger numbers of cockroaches. If you have dozens or hundreds of cockroaches on your property, then you’re going to need something more significant.
The chemical sprays mentioned above will likely be a better choice. However, sometimes it’s going to be necessary to just call in the experts to truly get things taken care of.
Professional Extermination
Professional extermination is going to be an even better idea than using chemical sprays. The DIY methods might be able to help you out a bit, but a pest control company will have the tools and experience to take care of problems for you.
Essentially, you’ll be having professionals come into your home so that they can spray it thoroughly. They’ll get in all the tight spaces and corners that you might not have thought to spray on your own.
Aside from this, the exterminators will be using professional-grade chemical sprays that can take care of cockroaches for longer periods of time. This will kill the cockroaches that you have in your home while also protecting you from further infestations for a certain period of time.
Anyone who is disgusted by the thought of having cockroaches in their home will want to consider this option. It’s going to make it a lot easier for you to just solve the problem and move on with your life.
That being said, calling professional exterminators will require you to have the money to pay for their help. It’s going to be more costly to call in a pest control service than it would be to buy a few cans of chemical roach-killing spray from the store.
Regardless, this is a good option, and it isn’t as if exterminators charge people obscene prices. If you’re ready to get this cockroach issue finished with once and for all, then calling in exterminators is a sensible choice.
Make the Right Choice for Your Home
You know what can be done now, and you understand why cockroaches come out at night. Just make the right choice or choices for your home so that you can keep things safe.
It’s never a good idea to simply put up with a cockroach infestation. These bugs can make you sick and they can even ruin your food if you aren’t careful, but there are steps that you can take to solve things.
So long as you keep your wits about you, it won’t be necessary to panic. Just utilize the information above so that you can get rid of the cockroaches reliably.
I have a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When I’m not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies…I’m at home with my wife, two daughters and a dog. Outside of family, I love grilling and barbequing on my Big Green Egg and working on projects around the house.