Cockroach extermination Virginia

Cockroach Extermination Virginia

No one likes having cockroaches invade their home. While they’re unsightly and annoying, cockroaches in your Virginia home can also carry diseases as they scuttle around in search of places to hide. What can homeowners do for permanent cockroach control and cockroach extermination in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C?

Preventing entry holes and maintaining a clean environment will help prevent roaches in Virginia homes. Natural or chemical insecticides will be able to remove them, but they may have drawbacks. The best course of action is to reach out to a cockroach control company. 

As soon as a cockroach problem is identified, handling it at the source should be step one. Here is the full rundown of what attracts roaches and how to get rid of them.

What Attracts Roaches?

Virginia is unfortunately #7 on the list of states most likely to have pests, including cockroaches - which is not encouraging news for businesses or residences in the area. When cold winters strike, a few roach species will seek solace inside warm structures, though roaches are a year-round pest.

Here are some things that can attract cockroaches to a Virginia or Maryland home or business.

Food Sources

Like any living creature, cockroaches need a food source to survive - and they’ll do anything they can to get at it. This is why some species of cockroach common in Virginia, like the American cockroach, are so common in kitchens.

Crumbs from breakfast aren’t the only things roaches will munch on. Cockroaches can make a meal out of wallpaper paste, bookbinding, leather, soap, hair, cardboard, and the like.

If a stack of cardboard boxes is left on a property, or perhaps a bookshelf goes untouched and for a while, roaches may be attracted to it as a food source.

Moisture

Cockroaches thrive in moist environments. Even in the cleanest, tidiest homes, a leaky faucet, pet water bowls, or condensation can act as a beacon for dampness-seeking bugs.

Because cockroaches prefer dark, untouched spots, they’ll likely make their home in dark cabinets or under appliances.

A Way In

Of course, even if there is an abundance of roach food in a house, they’ll still need a pathway to it. Roaches do not need accessible channels to be too large to be granted passage. They’re adept at making the most of cracks in inner walls, small gaps in flooring, and dryer vents.

How To Get Rid Of Roaches In Virginia

Where you see one roach, there are likely at least a few more hidden somewhere else. Cockroach control is critical for health, safety, and peace of mind. The first step to evicting cockroaches from your home is thoroughly sanitizing and maintaining cleanliness. Get rid of any source of food that the roaches could stick around for.

For example, keep the sink clear of dishes and move pet dishes somewhere else. Search under counters for stuck on grease or gunk that could be making a food source for these invasive bugs.

It’s also important to take a sweep around the home and look deep for cracks and crevices they could crawl through. Find ways to block these up. Consider using spackle to fill holes or gaps as applicable.

Natural Roach Killers

Preventing cockroaches is one thing, but what can be done to kill the ones already present? Here are a few natural cockroach killers that may already be present in home cupboards.

  • Baking soda. Baking soda and sugar will tempt food-seeking roaches, but the baking soda is lethal to cockroaches.
  • Borax. A common household cleaner, borax is also a powerful pest killer. Sprinkle it where the cockroaches tend to congregate.
  • Diatomaceous earth. A substance made from algae, diatomaceous earth is similarly dangerous to roaches.
  • Glue traps. Glue traps lure bugs in with appealing scents, then traps them with a sticky substance.
  • Boric acid. Boric acid is typically used as antiseptic for a human, but it will kill a roach rapidly.

The downside to these methods, however, is that they will take much longer to actually kill the roaches. They’ll also not be strong enough to take down a colony.

Chemical Roach Killers

If a faster solution is needed, there are some chemical products that homeowners can use for cockroach extermination in Virginia or Maryland.

  • Roach spray. Spray a can of roach killer in the areas where cockroaches tend to wander. The spray leaves a residue on the roaches, which they then bring back to their hive and spread to the rest of the colony.
  • Insecticide gel. Roach gel is best when the entry point is known, but cannot be sealed up completely. Because it is at the entry points, roaches will die before they can even enter the building.
  • Bait stations. Bait stations attract roaches with food that will kill them, usually after they’ve returned to the colony. When the deceased cockroach is eaten, the poison spreads to the rest of the group.

While these methods are effective and can take out an entire colony, they’re not the safest methods available. They are not advised in households with pets or small children.

The Best Cockroach Control Company In Virginia

When in doubt and you need cockroach control, call an exterminator such as My Pest Pros for Virginia cockroach extermination. Pest control companies are able to provide long-term solutions to preventing roaches with treatment plans and effective extermination techniques. Thankfully, cockroach extermination in Virginia is not hard to find.

My Pest Pros proudly serves Northern Virginia and can exterminate a wide variety of household vermin - including roaches. My Pest Pros uses solutions that get right to the source of a roach infestation. In doing so, they also prevent cockroaches from getting in again.

Instead of randomly spraying baseboards and countertops, My Pest Pros digs deep to treat the bugs' preferred hiding spots.

Homes or businesses that need cockroach extermination in Maryland are also within My Pest Pros’ service area.

Conclusion

Roaches are invasive pests that can spread disease and ruin the look of a clean home. While there are simple methods of keeping them at bay, long term solutions are best found with a pest control company.

The best cockroach control company in Maryland and Virginia, My Pest Pros, will treat for roaches at their source, ending an ongoing infestation and preventing future ones. Call us at 703-665-4455 if we can help you eliminate roaches and other pests.