What It Takes To Get Rid Of A Cockroach Infestation In Your Colorado Springs Home

Although there are many cockroach species worldwide, German cockroaches are the ones that invade many Colorado Springs houses. German cockroaches have 1/2 to 5/8 inch light tan bodies with two parallel strips on their backs. Like all insects, they have six jointed legs, two antennae, compound eyes, and a head, thorax, and abdomen. Although these cockroaches have wings, they prefer to run and rarely fly. 

One feature distinguishing cockroaches from other insects is the spines that protrude horizontally from their cockroach legs. As we will discuss later, these spines are one of the reasons why cockroaches are dangerous inside a house. Another unique feature is that their slender antennae are longer than their body. Due to their poor eyesight, they use their antennae to help them feel their way around the house and in areas where they forage for food. 

Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures who forage for food while you sleep; therefore, they may be active in your house, but you are not immediately aware of their presence until the population reaches infestation proportions. Although they do their work at night, you can determine if they are inside your house by looking for these signs: 

• Droppings
• Stains
• Odor
• Eggs
• Exoskeletons

Before we explain these signs, we want you to know where to begin your investigation. Unlike other cockroach species, German cockroaches cannot tolerate cold temperatures; therefore, they are found exclusively in warm structures that maintain a temperature higher than 70°F. Furthermore, these roaches have high-moisture needs, so they gravitate to cracks and crevices in areas with a nearby water source or high humidity. Bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms are favorite areas for German cockroaches, and rooms with leaky pipes, faucets, and drains. Save time by starting your investigation in these areas. Now, let's look at the signs mentioned above in detail. 

German cockroaches produce dark, pepper-like droppings on countertops and drawers as they travel through a home. Although German cockroach droppings are similar to mouse droppings, cockroach droppings have ridges, whereas mouse droppings are smooth. These droppings consist of discarded food materials, dead insects, and whatever the pest has recently consumed. 

Cockroach droppings create dark stains and smears on surfaces, especially if touched. Look for these marks along the top of doors, openings in the wall, and in the corners of bathrooms, the kitchen, and other rooms where you suspect an infestation.

German cockroaches communicate through pheromones. Used by male cockroaches as an aphrodisiac to induce mating, these chemicals have a musty odor; if there is a cockroach infestation in an area, the smell is noticeable.

Although more difficult to detect, search for tiny, 1/4 inch, light brown purse-like structures in cracks and crevices in high-moisture areas. These capsules, called an ootheca, are "glued" to surfaces by excretions from female cockroaches. 

As with all insects, cockroaches must shed their exterior shell, known as an exoskeleton, to grow. When nymphs emerge from eggs in the ootheca, they progress through six or seven instars (growth cycles) and must shed their exterior skeleton at each instar to move to the next growth phase. Look for discarded exoskeletons in the areas mentioned above. Under ideal conditions, a German cockroach progresses from the egg stage to adulthood in about 103 days.

When you see these signs of a cockroach infestation, you need immediate help from High Country Pest Control. We know where to look for signs of a German cockroach invasion. 

Instinctively, we know that cockroaches do not belong in our houses, but what problems do these fast, elusive pests cause homeowners? Cockroaches harm pets and families in the following ways:

• Spread disease
• Trigger allergic reactions
• Cause asthma attack

Cockroaches forage for food in sewers, drains, rotting garbage, animal feces, and other disgusting areas where bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms reside. As they travel on these surfaces and consume rotting organic material and dead insects, the spines on their legs attract the disease-causing organisms. When the cockroaches travel through a house, the pathogens fall off and contaminate cooking and eating surfaces and food. 

Another way cockroaches make people ill is from the feces they leave in drawers, cabinets, and other surfaces in the home. Also, cockroaches attempt to get to food in packaging by chewing on paper or plastic that seals the items. When they chew on these surfaces, they contaminate the exterior with their infected saliva.

Salmonellosis, cholera, dysentery, listeriosis, and E. coli infections are examples of bacterial infections spread by German cockroaches. Gastroenteritis is a viral or bacterial infection, and a parasitic worm carried by German cockroaches causes giardia. Over 33 bacterial infections and six parasitic worms are associated with German cockroaches.

In addition to spreading diseases, German cockroaches in the house may trigger a runny nose, coughing, itchy eyes, and other allergic reactions through a protein produced by their bodies. Contact with a German cockroach or an exoskeleton may trigger these reactions, but the protein may also spread via dried, airborne feces. Young children and the elderly are especially susceptible to allergic or asthmatic episodes caused by floating fecal particles. 

If you wonder how to get rid of cockroaches in Colorado Springs, High Country Pest Control is your answer. We strategically apply EPA-registered products to remove these pests from your home. 

Upon spotting a cockroach in your house, it is tempting to rush to the nearest hardware store and purchase a product that promises to take care of the cockroaches. Although it is satisfying to watch the product kill a roach upon contact, it is highly unlikely that it will stop the infestation because cockroaches reproduce at an insanely high rate. 

Of all the cockroach species, German cockroaches are the fastest replicators. Female cockroaches produce ootheca, and each egg capsule contains multiple eggs. A German cockroach ootheca has up to 48 eggs per capsule, which is far more than the ootheca of other species. Although female German cockroaches live only 20 to 30 weeks, a single female will deliver four to eight capsules. Considering that cockroaches produce two generations annually, it is not unreasonable to see the population increase by 10,000 in one year without cockroach control.

Our service professionals apply safe and effective products in areas where cockroaches lay eggs. Our treatments destroy cockroach capsules and prevent the next generation from developing. High Country Pest Control is your professional cockroach remedy.

Store-bought products may temporarily reduce the cockroach population in your house, but they will not stop the infestation. Furthermore, improper application of these products puts your family and pets at risk. 

If you find a cockroach in your house, call High Country Pest Control. A service professional will arrive at your location, in most cases, on the same day. Our highly-trained technician will inspect the interior and exterior for attractants, entry points, and infestation signs. Upon completion of our investigation and after discussing your experiences, we will create a custom plan targeting the cockroach species to stop the invasion. Our treatment plan will include effective EPA-registered products and bait placements applied safely. 

We focus on eradicating the current pest population and eliminating future cockroaches in their development stages. We will also work with you to stop a future infestation. Contact us today to learn about our treatment plans and get a free estimate.