Discovering a live cockroach scurrying about in your New Jersey home can be the worst kind of reality check. If you’re seeing roaches in the daytime, though, chances are you’ve been overlooking crucial signs of infestation for quite some time. It’s easy to miss important information when you don’t know what to notice, and a deep dive into the internet for those kinds of specifics can be daunting. Thankfully, we’ve already done the research for you.
There are five different kinds of cockroaches that can be commonly found as pests in New Jersey:
German cockroach
Oriental cockroach
Brown-banded cockroach
American cockroach
Pennsylvania wood cockroach
Each of these species of roach has its own distinct characteristics. Their coloring varies between light to dark brown and even black, and their sizes can be as minuscule as a half-inch or as large as two inches. They could be winged or even wingless, but they are always unmistakable by their flat, oval-shaped bodies and preference for nocturnal activity. Catching them in the act before a large scale infestation can prove to be tricky.
Cockroach Infestation Sign #1: Droppings
The first sign of a cockroach infestation is discovering their excrement. The reason this one, in particular, goes unnoticed is that most cockroach droppings look like small piles of spilled ground pepper. If it’s a larger species of roach, though, it will look like small mouse droppings, so in the event of confusing droppings, it’s best to let a pest control professional determine the culprit.
Cockroach Infestation Sign #2: Smear Marks
Smear marks are small, brown smears that roaches leave behind as they’re scurrying about on their quest for food. Admittedly, smear marks are a different kind of roach droppings, but the cause of these is due to excessive moisture in the environment. Roaches are attracted to high levels of moisture. This could be regular household moisture found in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms, or it could mean there’s an undiscovered leak somewhere in your New Jersey home.
Cockroach Infestation Sign #3: Egg Capsules
The next likely sign is discovering egg capsules, otherwise known as ootheca. These capsules can range in size from 1/4 to ½ of an inch long, and their coloring varies from light to dark brown. They look a lot like seeds and dried beans, which is why they’re so easily overlooked. It’s probably one of the worst mistakes to make, though, since each egg capsule contains anywhere between 10 and 60 eggs.
Cockroach Infestation Sign #4: Shed Skin
Shed skin is never a good sign since it generally means that nymph cockroaches have managed to molt at least once. Depending on the species, it can take cockroaches anywhere between 100 and 800 days to reach adulthood, and nymphs molt roughly six times before they’ve fully matured. If you’re discovering shed skin, that means cockroaches have been in your New Jersey home much longer than you may think.
Cockroach Infestation Sign #5: Odor
Aside from seeing a live cockroach in broad daylight, this is the most worrying sign to discover. A large enough infestation will produce a musty sort of smell that permeates the entire home. This smell is actually a pheromone they secrete with their droppings, and it is a huge attractant for more cockroaches. This musty smell often means you have a pretty sizable infestation in your New Jersey home.
Why Should I Be Worried About A Cockroach Infestation?
Cockroaches may only seem like harmless nuisance infestations, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. These apocalypse bugs are well known for causing numerous health problems:
Trigger allergy and asthma attacks
Bacterial infections
Parasitic infections
Causing asthma to develop in young children
Infections from other harmful pathogens
When it comes to getting rid of difficult pests like cockroaches in your New Jersey home, Amco Pest Solutions always has your back. With over 80 years in the pest control business, we know exactly what it takes to get rid of even the most persistent infestations. Our highly trained professionals always keep the health and safety of our customers in mind, and we only use the most innovative pest control products and technology available. Cockroaches in your kitchen? Just give us a call today so you can keep on cooking.