How Many Roaches Is An Infestation? Assessing Your Problem

The first sight of a cockroach in your home can send waves of panic down your spine, often accompanied by high-pitched shrieks. While nobody wants to have an eye-to-eye encounter with roaches, the truth is that pesky pests love our homes. What’s alarming is the fact that for every roach you see, it’s likely that there are many more you don’t. These nocturnal pests can be extremely hard to detect. They nest and breed comfortably in the dark and hard-to-reach areas of your home. Roaches usually live in your house without being noticed for a long time.

After that first encounter, most homeowners want to quickly and effectively handle the problem before it gets out of control. So, exactly how many roaches is an infestation? Knowing the extent of your problem is often the first step in deciding what to do next.

Cockroach Infestation Signs 

Unfortunately, there is no magic number of cockroaches that can indicate whether or not you have an infestation.  All these nasty little pests need is food, water, places to hide and warmth, which makes your home an attractive place. Roaches can find refuge just as easily in a clean home as an unclean one.

If you are trying to determine whether you might have a significant roach problem, there are a few warning signs.

Seeing Roaches During the Day

While you can’t judge the extent of your problem by counting the number of roaches you see, there are signs you can look for to help you determine how bad your problem might be. First and foremost, if you see a cockroach, especially during the day when they normally hide out, you may have a bigger problem than just a roach or two. This may mean that the pest has been forced out of its hiding space because of overcrowding.

Roaches, like some other insects, exhibit negative phototaxis, meaning that they actively avoid light. So, when you see a cockroach scurrying across your floor after lunch, it’s probably time to seek the help of a pest professional to promptly start a treatment plan.

Finding Roach Droppings

Due to their high metabolism, roaches can produce a substantial amount of feces. Depending on the size and type of species—there are nearly 70—their droppings vary in appearance, ranging from large cylindrical pellets to small specks resembling ground coffee. The quantity and location of the droppings can be a good indicator of the real extent of the infestation.

Discovering Roach Eggs

Roaches breed aggressively and can multiply in a matter of days. Another obvious sign of infestation is the presence of shell casings. These are egg cases that have been discarded after hatching. Common places to find cockroach debris are behind furniture, inside closets and between the pages of books. Check inside cabinets, under appliances like stoves and refrigerators and in your attic and garage for these materials.

Detecting Unusual Smells

Cockroaches also emit a strong, oily odor that becomes pungent after a prolonged infestation. If you detect a strange odor in a particular area of your home, you should mention this to your pest professional so that he or she can inspect those areas for breeding or nesting spots.

What Attracts Roaches?

Roaches have a remarkable ability to flatten their bodies and squeeze through narrow spaces like wall cracks and gaps between floorboards. They also love moist and dark places around the house like under sinks and behind appliances. While keeping food securely stored, pipes from leaking and not leaving pet food out all of the time can make your home less attractive, your bathrooms, closets, pantries and garages are still a pretty attractive place for roaches to get warm, hide out and forage for food and water.

Roaches are attracted to food, water, shelter and warmth. As stated before, you don’t have to have a dirty home with food lying out all of the time to provide an attractive environment for them. These pests are drawn to water sources. Think leaky pipes, standing water, condensation on air conditioners, standing water such as pets’ water bowls and birdbaths or even water features in your garden. Even certain types of palm trees retain water and can attract these pets.

Any kind of organic material can serve as food for a cockroach. These insects like cardboard, wallpaper paste, book bindings, leather, grease, soap and much more. Things you don’t think are edible are delicacies for these little pests.

Trust The Experts At ABC With Your Roach Problems

If you’re seeing possible signs of a roach infestation on your property, contact a pest control specialist for a prompt inspection. An experienced professional will be able to examine the type of species, analyze the extent of the infestation and plan the most suitable course of treatment. The knowledgeable pros at ABC Home & Commercial Services can completely remove all traces of the pests, with their larvae and eggs, while enforcing effective measures for future prevention. Call us today and request a free quote.