Posts Tagged ‘Cockroaches’

Tiny Black Bugs In The Kitchen: Identification & Effective Elimination

Posted on: August 11th, 2023 No Comments

As you walk into your kitchen during the day, you notice a small black bug moving in your peripheral vision. Scary, isn’t it? Several black bugs could invade your kitchen, which might cause havoc to your mental and physical health.

Getting rid of these bugs might be your initial response. But before that, identifying the bug that has infiltrated your kitchen is more important. It is crucial to understand the correct method for removing them.

Let’s identify the black bugs that are keeping you up at night. Then, we can explore various ways to eliminate them from your kitchen.

How to identify the black bugs in your kitchen

Nobody likes finding black bugs in their kitchen. Be it on the countertop, around your fruits, or inside the half-open packet of biscuits or chips. It’s unsanitary and disgusting at the same time to find bugs in a place where you store and prepare your food.

But there are different kinds of bugs, and it’s essential to know why they’re in your kitchen and how to get rid of them.

1. Pantry pests

Dry food kept in the pantry attracts a particular type of bug species. Moths, beetles, grain mites, and weevils can be found in dry food items stored in the cabinets.

There’re various ways you can spot bug activity in cabinets. One such thing is to find webbing and cocoons to help to spot some bug activity.

Finding insects in the cabinet is one of the most prominent issues people face and is quite a common household issue people have to deal with.

The foods that get contaminated by them include:

Even if you don’t leave your packets and jars unopened, insects can infest your food if you don’t clean your pantry often enough.

Most of the time, throwing away contaminated food is the only way to deal with it. Cleaning the whole thing out is another way to ensure it doesn’t affect other food products as well.

Carpet beetles, known by their name, attack textiles such as clothes and carpets but can also feed on pantry food. They can genuinely become annoying.

You can identify them as oval-shaped insects. They usually leave behind irregularly shaped holes in carpets, rugs, clothing, or upholstery.

They also shed their skin or leave fecal residue behind in the pantries.

The only way to solve this issue is to clean regularly, vacuum your carpets, wash your clothes frequently, and clean out your cabinets and cupboard to eliminate their existing eggs and larvae.

2. Fruit flies

If you haven’t heard about fruit flies, have you seen small bugs flying around your fruits?

If you don’t cover your food, it will attract flies. The same goes for the fruits kept in the fruit basket.

Fruit flies are also seen around vegetables when kept outside for a long time. You can identify them as black or brown bugs and as small as 1/8 inch long.

They hover around the food left in the open without anyone consuming it.

If you don’t tend to eat fruits a lot but have a habit of buying them anyway, you might see them around the fruits once they are fully ripe. They accumulate in large numbers around something that’s decaying.

3. Black ants

You can find ants commonly in the kitchen. It’s almost too common to find them there; they’re so small they can enter through the tiniest gaps you don’t know about.

While a small number of ants aren’t harmful, a whole line of ants can cause some serious damage to your health.

If you don’t clean your kitchen often and there’re food crumbs around, or leave food containers open, there’s a huge chance of ants multiplying.

4. Roaches and drain flies

A pair of dead cockroaches on top of the kitchen range in someones home

The garbage disposal area is another popular area that attracts flies and other black bugs.

Especially when you keep it inside the cabinet below the sink. This is also where the garbage can is likely to face more infestation.

The bugs are likely to have hairy wings that resemble tiny black moths and are black or brown. They enter through the drainage system and may enter your garbage disposal can if left open.

Smaller roaches are bound to enter through the drainage system, and so are cockroach nymphs which are wingless versions of adult cockroaches. They feed on organic matter that’s decomposing.

5. Silverfish

These bugs are different as they’re silver in color and have scales that cover their elongated bodies. Bathrooms and kitchens usually have dark and damp spaces with high humidity.

You won’t be able to spot them during the daytime because they’re nocturnal and turn up during the night only. They feed on cardboard and fabric.

If your place is humidity-free, you won’t see them hovering around. Keeping your kitchen’s dark areas clean is another factor that can help.

How can you prevent a tiny black bug infestation?

Bugs like these, which you see in your kitchen, aren’t that difficult to deal with, and proper measures can prevent them from entering your kitchen again.

There are a couple of things you absolutely need to take care of, which involves a constant effort on your part.

Keep the kitchen clean

Cleaning is essential; this is how you prevent most bugs from infesting your home, including your kitchen.

A homeowner is cleaning the kitchen stovetop to keep the home clean and avoid any bugs infestation

When you’re living alone, it’s still a bit easier to clean on weekdays, but as a couple, it can be challenging to find time, plus you have more things to clean.

Weekends are perfect to find time and ensure your home is thoroughly cleaned.

Maintaining proper cleanliness ensures a sanitary environment and reduces the risk of diseases.

Do the basic cleaning during the weekdays by keeping the countertop clean, closing lids of containers with food inside, taking out trash regularly, and keeping the floors clean.

During the weekend, you can tackle the pantry area and any other enclosed space in your kitchen. Keep things clean as possible, including areas behind appliances and the kitchen sink.

Be mindful of food storage

Find the right way to store your food items. If you open a packet, ensure that it’s closed off or kept in a container that is sealed off with the lid.

This way, insects or any black bugs won’t be attracted by the smell of food left out in the open. Cover up all your grains, cereals, and other food items.

Keeping things closed off isn’t the only solution, but you must check in with the food that hasn’t been used in a long time.

If the container is left untouched for a long time, the food might develop insects without you knowing. Also, throw away any expired food items.

Other things to keep in mind include:

Home remedies to get rid of black bugs

You can use a few things from your home to prevent further entry of any bugs and get rid of them. These include:

Vinegar solution is another non-poisonous way to deal with black bugs in your kitchen. Mix equal parts of vinegar with water with a few drops of dish soap. Keep this solution near the areas where you see bugs often. Keep them at entry points as well to catch these bugs.

You can pour boiling water occasionally to keep things coming from the drainage system. This is the easiest way to keep bugs away.

However, these DIY home solutions might not always work, and you might want a more permanent way or professional way to deal with the bugs in your kitchen.

When to call a professional

Dealing with bugs or insects can be time-consuming or disgusting to you on your own, primarily if they have grown in number. Sometimes you can’t let things go on by using DIY methods and want a more professional way of handling the termination of bugs.

Tabor Pest Control can help you with the bug infestation situation in your kitchen. You can reap various benefits with our services which include:

1. Identification of bugs

Identifying the bugs that have infested your kitchen will be our responsibility. You don’t need to do anything; our professionals will do an evaluation and let you know what bugs you are dealing with. This will help us further in knowing how to deal with it.

2. Minimizing property damage

A small species of bugs in your kitchen can hold the power to attract other kinds of bugs in your home and kitchen. Before you know it, they can cause significant harm to your property. Exterminating even the smallest of bugs from your kitchen will help reduce any such risks.

3. Health concerns

Bugs are known to spread diseases, and black bugs in your kitchen can spread diseases via food to you. Hiring professionals from Tabor Pest Control will help you keep your family safe from food contamination and maintain sanitary conditions moving forward.

4. Avoiding further infestation

DIY remedies can only take you so far and aren’t permanent. It can’t keep away future infestations away. With the help of our professionals, you can keep your worries away and let them help prevent any future infestations.

FAQs

What are the black specks in my kitchen?

Usually, they are cockroach droppings that are black or brown in color. They also resemble black pepper or coffee seeds. You might also confuse them with coffee grounds and also with dirt stains.

What insects leave tiny black dots?

Roaches, house flies, fruit flies, and silverfish are some of the bugs that leave behind black marks. If you find these black dots in your kitchen, these specific bugs might be roaming around in your kitchen.

What are tiny black bugs found in both the kitchen and bathrooms?

Bugs such as pharaoh ants, carpenter ants, and drain flies are some of the bugs found in both the kitchen and bathroom. They might be attracted to the moisture and food sources, and there’s no place better than these two locations in your home.

Are there any black bugs in my kitchen at night?

Roaches are nocturnal and run around in the kitchen at night. These are the most prevalent bugs you might see in your kitchen during the night.

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Are Roaches Attracted to Cardboard? (3 Tips for Preventing an Infestation)

Posted on: August 3rd, 2023 1 Comment

Cardboard attracts roaches both as a source of food and a suitable shelter. To keep these pests out of your house, it’s essential to understand the relationship between roaches and cardboard and learn how to minimize their contact.

We all know the dread of a cockroach sighting and the fear of an infestation. In order to minimize the chances of this unfortunate event, it is important to understand what brings roaches into your home. 

One of the most surprising attractants is cardboard. This common material provides both food and shelter for roaches.

Why Does Cardboard Attract Cockroaches?

1. Food Sources

Cardboard is an excellent source of food for roaches. It is made from organic materials that contain tree fibers. It is also made with glue, giving off a sweet scent that attracts even more.

2. Shelter

Cardboard boxes are the ideal environment for roaches to live in.

A group of cockroaches are looking for food and shelter in a persons home

They have flexible bodies that allow them to fit into tight spaces. This allows them to get into boxes that are not properly sealed and make themselves at home

3. Moisture and Darkness 

Cardboard material can absorb and hold large amounts of moisture and is usually stored in dark, out-of-the-way spaces.

This makes them the ideal environment for roaches. 

Cockroach Prevention: Effective Measures You Can Take

Cockroaches are attracted to cardboard for a variety of reasons. Since we all tend to have cardboard at our house quite often, it is important to be aware of this possibility and do everything possible to prevent it.

A woman is storing her extra household items in a cardboard box

Cardboard boxes are the perfect home for roaches to live, make nests, and lay eggs. This is especially true when left in a warm, damp environment like a garage. 

Not only do these boxes provide shelter, but they are also a food source. Cardboard is made up of organic fibers, which provide sustenance for the insects.

There are several simple steps you can take to prevent roaches from finding a home in your cardboard:

Common Places for Infestations

Cardboard Box Storage

Since cardboard makes such an attractive home for roaches, any area with a large number of them will of course attract a lot of roaches.

A young woman is storing her extra books and music items in cardboard boxes in her garage

This is especially true when they are placed in a dark and damp area like a garage, attic, or basement. 

In areas like this, it is also important to consider the contents of the boxes. Any boxes containing organic material – especially food but also books or other paper goods – will be even more attractive. 

Secluded Spaces

In addition to the usual box storage areas, roaches can also find homes in the secluded parts of your houses. Think of anywhere you put boxes that are out of the way. One of the most common is in your closet. 

Roaches do not like to be around a lot of people, so they will gravitate toward undisturbed areas, especially if there are materials like cardboard that provide shelter and food.

Preventing Infestations

1. Cleaning Tips

Roaches are primarily attracted to sources of food, so make sure there are no food scraps or crumbs in any of the boxes within your house.

If you’re storing any nonperishable foods, check regularly to make sure they are properly sealed. 

This applies to the rest of your house as well. If you are concerned about the possibility of a roach infestation, sweep and mop regularly, and dispose of expired or rotting food. 

2. Proper Storage Practices

Avoid cardboard altogether when you can. Instead, use plastic bins with lids that fit tightly.

Keep your storage area clean and organized, especially if there is any food present. 

If you need to use cardboard, keep it in clean and dry places, and ensure that the openings are properly sealed off with tape. 

3. Pest Control Methods

There are many natural remedies, such as essential oils (lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, etc.), that have been known to be effective in deterring cockroaches and other pests.

A dead cockroach laying on its back

Put a few drops on cotton balls, and place them in areas that you think may be at risk.

Another potential solution is boric acid. Mix it with sugar or flour, and leave it out to bait the roaches. The sugar or flour will attract them, and the acid will kill them.

Identifying and Dealing with Infestations

Signs of Roach Activity

Look for these common signs:

Removing Infested Items 

Follow these steps if you find an infested piece of cardboard:

  1. Inspect: Check all cardboard items for signs of roach activity and damage.
  2. Dispose: Safely dispose of any infested cardboard in a sealed plastic bag to prevent the spread of cockroaches.
  3. Clean: Vacuum and clean the area where the infested cardboard was stored, focusing on removing roach feces and other residue.
  4. Prevention: Replace cardboard with plastic storage containers to deter future infestations.

Addressing Moisture Issues

To reduce the likelihood of roach infestations in cardboard items due to dampness, follow these tips:

Cockroaches are known for their physical toughness and their ability to hide in tiny places as well as their quick reproduction. So, even if you do everything right, there is still a chance that they could get into your house and lead to an infestation. 

If that happens, it may be necessary to seek professional help to eliminate the problem. Tabor Pest Control has a team of professionals that possess in-depth knowledge about how to deal with roaches.

Rest assured, we at Tabor Pest Control will find an effective and safe way of dealing with cockroach infestation in your property while ensuring they don’t infest your home in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What attracts roaches to a home?

Roaches are attracted to homes due to a combination of factors like warmth, moisture, food sources, and shelter. Some common household materials, like cardboard, can attract roaches as they provide ideal shelter for hiding, breeding, and laying eggs.

Do roaches lay eggs in cardboard?

Yes, roaches can lay eggs in cardboard. Cardboard boxes are a favored breeding ground because they offer a dark, moist, and protected environment. When wet, cardboard becomes an even more appealing place for roaches to lay their eggs.

How can I keep roaches out of cardboard?

To keep roaches out of cardboard, you should maintain cleanliness and reduce moisture in your home. Make sure to store cardboard boxes in dry, well-ventilated areas and replace any damaged boxes. You can also use sealed plastic containers for storage instead of cardboard boxes to minimize the chances of roach infestation.

Does cardboard attract other pests?

Yes, cardboard can attract other pests like silverfish, termites, and rodents. These pests, like roaches, are drawn to the dark, moist, and sheltered environment provided by cardboard boxes. It’s essential to keep storage areas clean and dry to minimize the risk of attracting these pests.

Do roaches eat cardboard?

Roaches are known to eat a variety of materials, including paper products like cardboard. They are attracted to the glue used in cardboard and can feed on it for sustenance.

What can be used as an alternative to cardboard for storage?

Plastic storage containers or bins are excellent alternatives to cardboard boxes for storage purposes. They are typically more durable, moisture-resistant, and pest-resistant than cardboard. Additionally, using airtight containers can help prevent pests from accessing the items stored inside, ensuring your belongings remain safe and clean.

References

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4 Reasons Why Large Roaches Love Your Space (& How to Evict Them!)

Posted on: June 2nd, 2023 1 Comment

Nobody likes coming face-to-face with a roach. But when you suddenly see giant roaches randomly in your house, it’s an issue that needs to be immediately solved. They say cockroaches are the most resilient pests and can survive on anything.

As unsettling as it is to see one huge cockroach, it might not be the only one. There’s a huge possibility of you finding others infesting your property. Finding why you’re suddenly spotting them could help you identify ways to get them out and take preventive measures.

Let’s see what cockroach species could be infesting your home and why you suddenly see big roaches.

Why are roaches attracted to my home?

Our homes are ideal for cockroaches to settle down and multiply further. Cockroaches like warm and humid places. Another factor is the availability of food, all readily available in our homes.

1. Availability of food

As much disgusting as they’re to look at, roaches can survive on anything, irrespective of it being the dirtiest thing in the world to consume. Unlike humans, they don’t even need food and can go for 3 months without eating anything.

A view of a dirty kitchen sink, with lots of food scraps and used plates

Roaches like to consume all kinds of things. But they’re more attracted to starches, sweets, greasy foods, and meats.

Your dirty plates, dirty kitchen, and overall unsanitary house are welcoming spaces for them. They also don’t mind if you have a lot of garbage piled up because that’s what attracts them.

Mentally prepare yourself to find roaches in your washroom drain if you don’t regularly clean it. They can eat anything from soap, hair, and toothpaste.

2. Hospitable environment

Have you ever seen roaches walking around in the middle of the day inside your home? The possibility of seeing a roach in daylight is quite rare because they are nocturnal pests.

They like to walk around at nighttime, and your lights are off. That’s when they come out to find possible food and roam around places you can’t imagine.

During the day, they would remain hidden in dark places where you can’t see them, such as drains, behind picture frames, or areas you don’t clean often or often reach towards, such as attics.

Some species don’t even mind a clean home and would just enter through narrow, open cracks.

3. Humidity and water

Roaches love to live near a place with plenty of humidity and water availability, and that’s why drains are their homes for most of the time.

If you have a leaky pipe or your washroom leaks, that would attract roaches, and they will gather around any moist areas.

4. Outside area

The chances of roaches infesting your home increase if you have a garden space. You could be leaving spare wood around or have a pile of garbage, or even something like a leaky water pipe or hose could be an attraction to them.

From there, entering your home isn’t a big deal for them as they could enter through small holes or cracks and even through the front door if you don’t have a habit of closing it during the daytime.

Identifying the big roach

There’s a huge possibility that if you see a giant cockroach in your house, it’s an American cockroach. These are reddish brown and range in length from 1.5 inches to 2 inches, the largest house-infesting cockroach in the country.

The American cockroach lives outdoors in damp, moist areas with temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

The male can live up to 362 days, and females can live up to 706 days.

Though they like to live in pipelines and drains where suitable living conditions exist for them, during the rainy season, when drains flood, they move out and into homes.

Signs of cockroach infestation

Cockroaches are nocturnal pests and tend to move at night, so you won’t openly see them in broad daylight. During the night, they tend to wander around and get food for themselves. So how will you identify them infesting your home?

A woman picked up a dead cockroach that she found in her house to examine it

You obviously can’t stay awake at night searching for them, but you can look for signs of their presence in your home.

How can you prevent a roach infestation?

Invading your home, cockroaches seem to hide in secrecy and grow in numbers without you knowing about their existence. While they’re growing in numbers, they could be damaging your property or secretly causing harm to your health.

Roaches are known to spread diseases due to the unsanitary ways they live and eat.

Understanding why roaches are attracted to your home can help you take the necessary steps to get rid of them.

Sealing cracks and gaps

If you aren’t careful with the structure of your house and its repairments, small holes or cracks could easily form, giving way to roaches inside your home.

These could be anywhere near the windows or doors, inviting the cockroaches to enter.

If you don’t close your doors and windows properly or don’t have a window screen and often leave windows open, then that’s a perfect opportunity for roaches to invade your home.

Clean home

A neat and tidy home would be the best way to avoid roaches and ban their entry. If you’re being lazy about the upkeep of your home, then no wonder you’re finding roaches inside.

Getting rid of roaches

Dealing with small roaches is still fine, as you can use a bug spray. But dealing with giant cockroaches is a different deal altogether.

Big roaches could also mean you already have a big family living inside your home, so dealing with them would mean you need more than just bug spray.

Glue strips and traps

Just place glue strips where you suspect there’s roach activity, or you could just put them where you think roaches could come out during the night.

You can use it instead of using harmful chemicals if you’ve children or pets living with you.

Gel bait

A cockroach gel bait used to attract and trap roaches in the house

It’s a popular way of catching roaches. This toxic substance can be applied in small amounts where you think there’s roach activity. The cockroaches ingest the gel bait and then die within a few hours.

Home remedies

There’re several home remedies that you can use instead of thinking about using insecticide. These are inexpensive ways of dealing with roaches that have infested your home.

Baking soda, boric acid, borax, citrus, essential oils, and caulk are some affordable things that can be used to either kill or deter them.

When to hire pest control service

Let’s say you’re ready and prepared with a bunch of home remedies to deal with the giant roaches in your home, but you don’t know where they’re coming from!

We help get rid of cockroaches, call Tabor today at 877-448-2267

It’s scary to think where those giant roaches must be coming from and where they hide. What’s more alarming is that now you can’t seem to sleep at night knowing that those giant roaches might be on the move during the night.

That’s where Tabor Pest Control comes in and saves the day. This is how we’ll take matters into our own hands:

Inspection is the key

The most important thing is identifying the pests and where they might be living in your home. In this case, our professionals will thoroughly inspect your property and look for areas where roaches might be living.

Along with identifying the species, we’ll also identify places where roaches might be entering your home.

Dealing with infestation

Our professionals are experts and possess in-depth knowledge about how to deal with roaches, including all the different species found on your property.

Based on the inspection, our team will develop a treatment plan and inform you of how things unfold.

Whether using chemical substances would be better or using other ways to deal with the infestation would entirely depend on the initial inspection and the current situation of roach infestation on your property.

Rest assured, we at Tabor Pest Control will find an effective and safe way of dealing with cockroach infestation in your property while ensuring they don’t infest your home in the future.

FAQs

What does it mean if I see a big roach in my house?

Seeing a giant roach in your house could mean a couple of things. Either it could be a single cockroach which also means it’s also pregnant, and that would mean you would see little roaches soon that would be starting a colony.

It could also mean that there are a lot of roaches in your home, but you haven’t been able to identify their living space, so they’ve grown big and also in numbers.

What smells attract roaches?

Roaches could be attracted to anything from the smell of food to anything that’s rotting in your home or even a suitable living condition.

They are most attracted to starch, sugar, grease, meat, and cheese. Rotting food could also be attractive to them.

Are cockroaches harmful to humans?

Cockroaches roam around everywhere and don’t care if it’s garbage, a rotting animal, or food. As disgusting as it sounds, remember that it could also be roaming on your food that hasn’t been covered.

This is why they also carry several diseases, including salmonella and gastroenteritis.

Should I be worried if I saw one cockroach?

It’s definitely a reason to be concerned because a cockroach is a social pest, which means others are present nearby. They can contact others, and that means others are nearby.

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I See A Roach Every Few Months: Occasional Roach Encounters & 4 Health Hazards They Pose

Posted on: April 14th, 2023 2 Comments

How often do you wake up in the middle of the night only to be surprised by an unwanted guest in their kitchen? But cockroaches come out at night, making them known as nocturnal insects.

They hide under the fridge, sinks, washing machine, and any dark corner or crack in your home, only to come out when the timing is right. And even seeing one roach every few months could mean your house has a cockroach infestation.

The only thing that can worsen this occasional spotting is seeing a roach out and about during the daytime. Because that means there’s overcrowding of roaches somewhere inside your house, you must take action right now!

Common roaches in South Alabama and South Georgia

Unfortunately, roaches are one of the most commonly found pests in South Alabama and Georgia.

For residents, there’re five different species of roaches they need to look out for, including their physical traits to help them recognize what kind of roach they’re dealing with:

1. American Cockroach

This is the roach you need to look out for if you’re currently living in south Georgia, as it’s the most common one you’ll find roaming around in your property.

They are about 2 inches long (making them one of the largest) and are different from other roaches due to their chestnut coloring and light yellow bands behind their heads. They live for around 2 years.

A graphic showing the differences between Oriental cockroaches, American cockroaches, and German cockroaches

You’ll find them living alongside smoky brown and oriental cockroaches.

Unfortunately, they do fly. So there’s a higher chance of you coming face-to-face with one of them if you provoke them.

Being nocturnal in nature, you’ll find them most active at night as they live and thrive in dark and humid places. They live around a water supply, such as pipes, sewers, cellars, kitchens, and bathrooms.

2. German Cockroach

A German roach is a common sight in South Alabama interiors.

They have tan coloring and dark brown stripes on the back of their upper thorax, making it relatively easier to identify their species.

Compared to American roaches, they’re smaller, measure around 0.5 inches long, and live for about a year.

Unfortunately, they reproduce the most, even though their lifespan is smaller. This species lays more eggs than any other species and is even more active than others during the night.

They prefer to be around humid places but don’t like the outdoors.

If infesting your house in large numbers, they’re significantly more harmful to the children.

3. Oriental Cockroach

The Oriental cockroach is another common species in Georgia but mostly lives outdoors. They’re quite big in size and can be of any size between 1 to 1.25 inches in length.

When it comes to their color, they have a dark and glossy exterior, and their wings could be black or cherry red. The male of this species tends to have short wings. On the other hand, females tend to be wingless.

Fortunately, they tend to live for 6 months only. They have a similar living pattern to an American roach, but you won’t usually see them indoors.

Their habits are similar to that of the smoky brown roaches in Georgia.

The allergens found in this species’ shed skins and feces can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks in humans, especially children.

4. Smoky Brown Cockroach

They are active during the night and love the humid environment. When you look at them carefully, you’ll find them to have a red or dark cherry to be in color and about 1.5 inches long. They live in tree holes, attics, crawlspaces, and sheds.

If you find them in your house, they’ve already nested and laid eggs somewhere where the living situation suits them indoors.

5. Brown-Banded Cockroach

They are smaller than other species. Two light brown bands can distinguish them across their dark brown bodies.

These bands are across the wings of the adult but are even more prominent across the nymph’s body.

Although their lifespan is less than a year, they quickly reproduce in large numbers.

This species can cause multiple health issues, carry many microorganisms on their bodies, spread pathogens, and be a source of allergens.

They tend to cause allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose.

Reasons for occasional roach sightings

There are multiple factors behind why you should be worried about an occasional roach sighting. While roaches don’t often travel in numbers, removing the occasional one could be better.

The species of roach

There’re species like German cockroaches; if you see one, you need immediate professional help to handle the infestation.

This species nests with dozens to hundreds of other cockroaches. So, if you see one, you should know your house is currently facing a roach infestation.

There’s a reason to worry as they reproduce and multiply rapidly.

Occasional sightings during the day

By now, you must be aware that roaches are nocturnal insects, and so they’re spotted during the night. But if you find a roach roaming around the broad daylight, you’re in much more trouble than you thought.

An oriental cockroach is standing on top of the kitchen faucet

A roach during the day could only indicate that their nesting area is large and overcrowded, so they no longer have a place to hide. So, they wander to find a suitable place to hide and nest.

For roaches hiding during the day is a way to preserve their energy, and it’s during the night they come out for food. So, if you see one during the day, you need immediate help.

Nearby infestation

Usually, you would find a roach during the night, and it could be that you woke up in the middle of the night and switched on the light only to find them on the floor.

Another indication of this sighting is that wherever you see the roach implies their infestation is nearby.

If you see them in the bathroom, kitchen, attic, or living room, that’s their primary hiding place, and their nest is nearby.

Health risks and property damage caused by roaches

1. Allergies and asthma

Roaches are similar to other pests infiltrating your home and can cause health issues and illnesses if they aren’t terminated within the right time.

Roaches carry and spread diseases like pathogens, bacteria, and germs.

They leave behind and shed feces, urine, saliva, and other fluids bound to cause illnesses or cause allergies such as E. coli, salmonella, typhoid, urinary tract infections, digestive problems, and sepsis.

The allergies could be itchy eyes, rashes, or sneezing uncontrollably. They’re especially dangerous to be around for an asthmatic person as they aggravate asthma and cause severe allergies to the people.

2. Contamination of food and surfaces

No pests are ever good to have in your home, so cockroaches, like other pests around your food, are dangerous.

Roaches are bound to infect and contaminate your food if you leave it outside, so you should never leave any food open at the kitchen counter.

They shed in various ways, such as dead skin, egg shells, and feces, which automatically cause contamination.

Not just food but any other surface you use daily, such as facial tissues, toilet paper, soap, dishes, and other everyday household stuff.

Anything that comes in contact with a roach is bound to cause you some form of allergy or illness like food poisoning, among others. This is why you need to ensure professionals terminate them.

3. Structural damage to homes and businesses

Unlike other pests that infest homes, roaches don’t ruin property in a way that would cause you much property damage.

However, they leave a pungent smell when many infest your property. It’s an oily smell that can be psychologically difficult to get away from.

The only damage that they cause is psychological. It’s challenging to get the image of roaches roaming around your beautiful home out of your head. You could be scared to open the lights, your cupboard, or even go to the attic without being mentally prepared.

4 Tips for preventing roaches

Cockroaches are dangerous and, honestly, not a pretty sight to look at. Though they don’t damage property as much as termites, they are still a health hazard.

The best way to control and eliminate their species is to prevent them from entering and nesting in your home in the first place. This can be achieved in the following ways:

1. Proper sanitation and waste disposal

Roaches are attracted to dirt and garbage that’s not disposed of timely or left around. This is their food, and they gather more around such places.

Any food wastage or crumbs is food to them. So make sure you clean up after yourself. For example, if you throw your leftovers in the kitchen trash bin, take it outside to your large garbage bin the next day.

Don’t let garbage pile up for more than 24 hours. Also, make sure you clean your kitchen after the day has ended. Clean your kitchen countertop along with the stovetop.

If there’s any food you leave outside, cover it properly so roaches don’t get attracted. You should also clean, mop, and vacuum your home as often as possible for your house.

2. Sealing cracks and gaps

Roaches aren’t as tiny as other pests, but their babies can still get through the smallest of cracks that provide an entryway into your home.

Identifying and sealing such cracks will help you avoid roach entry into your property.

You need to inspect every corner of your home from the attic to the basement and ensure you find all these cracks and seal them up properly or get a professional to help seal those nooks and corners.

3. Reducing moisture and humidity

Pests tend to live in humid areas, and for roaches, these areas include basins and pipes. So if you have a small leak somewhere where water collects, that would be a good water source for them.

You need to inspect your indoors and see where there could be enough moisture. Check your pipes and sinks and ensure they’re fixed and there’s no leak.

All your electronics, like air conditioners and refrigerators, should be working correctly and inspected on time.

4. Regular inspection and professional pest control services

Controlling pest infestation can be difficult, and if a large colony exists in your house, it becomes all the more difficult to handle and terminate them.

Tabor Pest Control ad for cockroaches

Fortunately, you can hire professionals to do this job and prevent pests like roaches from entering your property in the future.

Even if you see occasional roaches around your house, you still need to call Tabor Pest Control and ask for our professional services to battle these pests.

We’ll help you identify the species you’re dealing with and how to terminate them and prevent them from entering your home again.

5 signs of a roach infestation

Different early warning signs can help you know there’s a roach infestation inside your home:

1. Feeling ill or allergic

Roaches bring with them a host of illnesses and allergies. Even when it’s not allergy season, and you and your family are suddenly faced with allergies like watery eyes with irritation, it could be a sign of roaches living in your home.

They roam around, shedding their wings, fecal matter, and other fluids, which leads to allergic reactions when you come in contact with them.

2. Droppings

Roach droppings, including fecal matter, are quite small, but if you know the situation and don’t ignore your surroundings, you can quickly locate these signs.

Their droppings are small, can be found around dark areas when you start deep cleaning your home, and could be in a cluster.

3. Egg case

Look out for eggs or egg cases which could still be waiting to hatch or are just shells. They could be brown or red; if you see several of them together, there’s a whole community living inside your home right now.

4. Unusual odors

Roaches leave behind a weird smell. So if your house suddenly starts smelling weird, there’s a good reason to be suspicious of the roach situation.

In fact, if the smell is coming from dark and humid places, then there’s a huge of this becoming true. It’s mostly an oily smell, so be alert if you smell it somewhere around your home.

5. Living or dead cockroaches

Of course, seeing dead or live roaches are the ultimate sign of a roach issue on your property. But if you see a dead roach, the situation could be more serious than you realize.

A homeowner is showing a dead cockroach that he just found in the kitchen

This could mean that there’s a large community of roaches that are infesting your property. Sometimes it could be that an outdoor species is found dead inside, which doesn’t mean your house is infested.

Certain species, like a German cockroach found dead inside, could mean a large infestation.

Why is Tabor professional pest control essential?

Roaches don’t seem like a huge problem, and every homeowner who does end up face-to-face with a roach thinks that eliminating or handling an infestation isn’t a big deal.

But in reality, roaches could be difficult to terminate as they largely live in dark and humid places. Sometimes these places could be inaccessible to you, and your DIY method of using a bug spray won’t be enough if there’s a large infestation.

You can remove their water and food source and ensure you keep your place clean as much as possible.

At Tabor Pest Control, we ensure that we can take the trouble of handling roaches away from you and effectively do the job. We ensure:

We have the necessary tools and products to handle the situation better. With our knowledgeable professionals, we have the expertise to eliminate roaches once and for all.

We’re committed to helping all the home and property owners in South Georgia and Alabama safely and effectively eliminate pest infestation troubles.

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Common Pests In Southern Alabama & Georgia And How To Identify Them

Posted on: March 1st, 2023 3 Comments

Identifying common pests can be difficult for property owners as they come with multiple species. Any incorrect identification of any insect, mammal, microbe, or organism could damage your property and health severely.

Incorrect pest identification could cost you your time, money, and energy.

That’s what we at Tabor Pest Control specialize in, where our experts help you identify the kind of pest that’s infesting your property and find an effective way to terminate it.

What’s the importance of identifying pests?

One of the common pests in the south (especially Georgia) is ticks, external parasites that feed on mammals’ blood. There are 15 species of ticks, and finding what is commonly found in properties can be challenging.

For example, the American Dog Tick is the most active spring, summer, and fall species. Wooded paths, parks, and farm pastures are their common dwelling areas.

Now, if you’re not aware of how to differentiate this particular species from the rest, you won’t be able to know to what extent they are dangerous, how they transfer, how they live, and how they interact with their environment.

Correct identification of pests helps find different strategies to manage, control, and terminate a species.

Common pests in Southern Alabama

Many pests dwell in Alabama, and in the peak pest season, it feels like all that’s around you are just pests.

Alabama’s moderate temperature is ideal for all kinds of bugs, insects, and pests to survive and make their colonies all year round.

Alabama is ranked 8th in states with the most bugs present. Here are some of the common pests you’ll find in Alabama:

1. Ants

Many red ants are crawling around on someones back porch

Ants are the most common invaders in your house and are recognized by their different colors of red, black, or brown. The most common species found in southern Alabama include:

Danger level

Ants might seem harmless, but they can be dangerous for spreading diseases. As they roam in the dirt, they can easily contaminate food and various surfaces in your home with bacteria and pathogens.

You must have heard fire ants being named the most dangerous as their bite is painful and hurts the most. They are aggressive, and once they sting, their venom is strong enough to produce an allergic reaction, sometimes even becoming life-threatening.

Where to find them?

Ants can invade your home through various sources, such as attacking your trash, pest house, gardens, compost, and any moist area.

Since these are small, they can quickly get through the tiniest cracks in your property and invade your home, trying to build their nest.

For fire ants, you have to look for open and vast sunny areas as they love to reside in such places, but the Argentine ants prefer the exact opposite, which is moist areas, so keep a lookout under sinks.

How to get rid of them?

We at Tabor Pest Control have experts who can identify which kinds of ants dwell in which secret spots of your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

2. Bed Bugs

A pest control expert is examining a bed mattress that is infested with bed bugs

These blood-feeding pests not only exist on your bed but can be found in various other places where they can hide for up to a year without feeding if the temperature is just right and build their colony.

Danger level

Of course, bed bugs are dangerous as they bite warm-blooded mammals and can leave you feeling extremely itchy all over or cause allergies.

Another added mess they make is ruining your sleep and making you feel uncomfortable and worried.

Where to find them

We know beds are a common place for bed bugs to exist, but other places include:

Your family, you, and your pets could also come in contact with bed bugs and bring them over from various places such as relatives’ or friends’ homes, movie theatre seats, and any other public spaces.

You can identify their traces by looking for the skins they shed after sometimes blood stains on clothes and mattresses and feeling unexplainable itchiness whenever you sit somewhere or sleep.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify if bed bugs are dwelling in which secret spots of your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

3. Cockroaches

These most popularly feared pests can fly as quickly as they can crawl. Cockroaches are the world’s most resilient and highly adaptable creature, and can survive and grow in any corner of your house if you don’t eliminate their species.

Many cockroaches are causing chaos in someones home

There are different kinds of cockroaches, including species that share the same roof as you:

Danger level

Cockroaches can be pretty dangerous because they spread diseases such as Salmonellosis, Dysentery, and E.coli.

Since they can travel through gutters and survive anywhere, they carry various pathogens and bacteria infecting your surroundings.

Their shed skin and excrement also cause an allergic reaction in children.

These pests are also good at destroying your property as they can eat through anything in your home, from wallpaper to rugs, so you need to eliminate them.

Where to find them

These pests can enter through any source, from delivery parcels to traveling through drains and sinks and popping up in your bathrooms in the middle of the night.

They mostly travel through the night and come up to find their food during the night, which is another reason you wouldn’t know they exist in your home.

They would mostly hide in drains or in cracks around your home. If you tend to leave food open along with kitchen cabinets, it’s like a free buffet for them and gets inside your pantry as well.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify if cockroaches are dwelling in which secret spots of your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

4. Fleas and ticks

Fleas can jump easily from one spot to another and travel this way to invade your home, but ticks can’t do the same, and they crawl and then attach themselves to a food source.

But both have something in common: they feed on blood.

Warm and humid weather is essential for their survival so they can multiply quickly. While ticks prefer to feed on human blood, fleas don’t prefer humans.

But food is still food, so it might still count as food to them at the end of the day.

Danger level

Both fleas and ticks spread lots of diseases, including causing allergic reactions.

Flea saliva is a common source of an allergic reaction, and their bite may cause dermatitis making us feel itchy and uncomfortable.

They can also infect with parasitic tapeworms, so the danger level is pretty high.

Ticks, on the other hand, may be responsible for causing the following diseases:

Where to find them

Most animals, such as pets, tend to bring ticks or fleas to our home if they’re overlooked and not given proper cleaning or bath, but any animal might also carry it, such as rats.

Wild animals should, therefore, never be played with as there’s a high possibility of them carrying both ticks and fleas.

When talking about fleas, you can find them surviving indoors as easily as outdoors, but ticks can’t breed indoors and can only survive outside.

Fleas tend to hide in dark shady areas such as bushes, thrown-away furniture, and any garbage pile. Ticks are likely found in tall grass, under leaf piles, wooded pathways, or ditches.

You can find fleas in bedding, around baseboards, inside rugs, carpets, and drapes when indoors.

You won’t even know about their eggs hidden away which only become active when they find the right temperature to hatch. Therefore, proper treatment and timely cleanliness of the house are required.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify if ticks and fleas are dwelling in which secret spots of your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

5. Mosquitoes

One of the common pests around us is mosquitoes, the most annoying. They feed on our blood, and that’s how they multiply.

A young girl is scratching an area on her arm where she was recently bitten by a mosquito while playing outside her house

Despite us killing them easily with even our bare hands, a bite from the wrong mosquito species is enough to get us sick and even lose our life.

Danger level

Yes, their bites are itchy and painful. Still, they cause more harm than that by spreading numerous diseases through their bites, including the eastern equine encephalitis virus, the St. Louid encephalitis virus, and more.

They are quick to multiply and always travel in a herd, so you’ll find a bunch of them dwelling around your house or inside. They also carry parasitic heartworms, which are transmissible to dogs and cats.

Where to find them

Leftover water, which is unused, is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that are used to lay eggs by the females and hatch into mosquitoes. So still water is a major source, including even a small ditch near your home or a pond nearby.

The more it rains, the more water is going to accumulate and cause a breeding ground. In Alabama, the humid temperature is highly favorable for their growth.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify if mosquitoes are dwelling and in which secret spots around your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

6. Moths

You can identify moths as scale-covered winged pests with threadlike or feathery antennae. They might appear in different bright color patterns on their wings as well.

Danger level

The larval stage of the moth, a caterpillar, can be dangerous as they’re big eaters causing a lot of damage to their surroundings, including your property.

Of course, your plants are in danger, and if they latch on to the indoor plants, you’ll quickly find them half-eaten. Their danger level differs depending on their species. While some damage fabrics, others damage your pantry.

Where to find them

You can see traces of moths in your clothes and pantry full of food items, so you’ll have to pay attention to such things. Of course, not keeping your house clean is a significant factor in attracting moths to your home.

They seek dark, quiet areas to survive. You might commonly find them in kitchens, bathrooms, closets, basements, and attics.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify if moths are dwelling and in which secret spots around your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

7. Rodents

A mouse has found its way inside someones house and is trying to find bits of food to eat

Rodents include rats and mice, which are pretty commonly found dwelling in residential areas and around them. They are quite the survivors eating away at anything with their front teeth, so dwelling on our property is easier for them.

Danger level

Rats and mice survive year-long but can be dangerous in various ways. Not only do they eat away at your furniture, destroying your property, but they also share your food with you and thus share their diseases with you.

Their excrement is enough to make things contaminated, and they spread bacteria, disease-causing pathogens, and parasites to make people ill.

It’s easier to identify their colony from the rotten smell and their chew marks.

Since they chew away at anything, this includes electrical wires and pipes, which can cause major damage to your property.

Where to find them

You can most commonly find them in gardens, trash cans, compost areas, pet foods, and outside areas.

They can gnaw away at anything, so it’s easier for them to exist in your hard if it’s not maintained or kept clean, which then becomes an easy gateway to your house.

They tend to remain in dark and quiet areas, and their movements are quick to give them away. Outside they might live near hollow trees or any such cavity inside your home.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify if rodents are dwelling and in which secret spots around your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

8. Spiders

This eight-legged creature is despised and feared by many, which is why it’s essential to remove its existence from your home. Common species which invade properties in Alabama include:

Danger level

Some species of spiders, such as black widow and brown widow spiders, are dangerous, and their venom is strong enough to create health issues. But then there’re other common household species too.

It’s normal for them to create their web in any place where their food, such as other insects, is available in plenty.

Where to find them

Though they prefer to stay outside, they mostly move inside when the temperature drops as their prey moves indoors.

Cellar spiders can be found living in basements and humid areas of a property.

How to get rid of them

We at Tabor Pest Control have experts who can identify which spiders are dwelling and in which secret spots around your house.

9. Stinging insects

Stinging insects have their stinger at the end of the abdomen or tail to get their prey or defend themselves.

Now they have some benefits, as they eliminate insects like mosquitoes and flies, but they are also dangerous.

Some of the species existing in Alabama include:

Danger level

Some species can be aggressive in nature and possess venom, which, when injected, is enough to cause serious allergic reactions. Their stings are pretty painful and cause damage on different levels.

Species like mud daubers might sting if they feel threatened, but wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are aggressive and may sting multiple times regardless of that too multiple times.

Where to find them

If you have other insects living on your property, it will be an attractive point for stinging insects to build their homes for food purposes.

Properties with huge backyards and vast gardens are prone to insects living there for water and food.

Yellow jackets can be found in recycling bins, trash cans, and outdoor eating areas.

You can find scorpions seeking humid environments to thrive, so inside the home, they can be found in basements, bathrooms, laundry areas, sinks, and tubs.

Wasps, mud daubers, and bald-faced hornets can be found living in chimneys and wall voids.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify which stinging insects are dwelling and in which secret spots around your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

10. Termites

How can we forget the biggest culprit behind destroying properties that all property owners fear more than anything?

Termites cause billions of dollars worth of damage each year in the country with their colonies.

The exterior of a home is rotting away as termites are chewing away at the rotting wood

They stay easily hidden inside the wood, and sometimes all that’s remained is a hollow piece of furniture.

Drywood termites and subterranean termites are famously found in Alabama, while southeastern drywood termite is found primarily in southern Alabama.

Danger level

Termites are a big issue in states like Alabama. Their colony eats away at your property from the inside, causing lots of damage; therefore, their elimination is quite popular amongst property owners.

Where to find them

Alabama’s humid and warm weather allows subterranean species to survive as they get the perfect temperature.

They live near the moist soil forming at the dead tree trunks and can easily follow into your house through the garden and backyard through soil tubes.

They can be found inside any wood or furniture you own, on the floors, or even behind walls. The subterranean species seek water-damaged or decaying wood but also ordinary pieces of wood.

How to get rid of them

We have experts who can identify which termite species dwell and which secret spots around your house. Contact us to get a free quote.

Common Pests in Southern Georgia

1. Ticks

There are 15 species of ticks existing in Georgia. The three species you could come in contact with are:

Blacklegged tick

Lone star tick

American dog tick

2. Termites

Eastern subterranean termites are the ones you should look out for, and they live in large colonies and cause huge property destruction.

3. Stink bugs

4. Odorous house ants

5. Rats

Rats in Georgia can carry diseases such as murine typhus, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis. Chewing away electrical wires, pipes, and property damage is an added disadvantage.

6. Norway rats

7. Roof rats

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Posted in Pest Identification | 3 Comments »