How to Prevent Cockroaches from Entering Your Mount Laurel, NJ Home this Fall
It is fall season, which means fall pests. There are a number of pests that will invade your home in hopes of a more suitable living condition. One of the top fall invaders are cockroaches. New Jersey is home to many species of cockroaches. The most frequently found are: American, Oriental, German, and Brown Banded Cockroaches. To help keep cockroaches out of your home this fall, Ross Environmental Solutions will share a few tips on how you can keep these nasty pests out of your home.
What Attracts Roaches to Your House in the Fall?
As the temperatures drop, cockroaches will begin to invade homes, commercial buildings and other structures. Cockroaches prefer to live in humid, warmer climates. Once the temperatures drop under 70 degrees, they will begin looking for better living conditions. Cockroaches are very adaptable and have a diverse diet that includes plants, meats, and sugar. When cockroaches invade a home, they will contaminate food, and chew on paper products inside the home. Cockroaches are well known to harbor diseases and pathogens and spread them throughout your home. They don’t bite or cause structural serious damage to homes. It’s the diseases they can spread which makes them a dangerous invader.
Home Sealing to Prevent Cockroaches in House or Apartment
To prevent cockroaches you will first want to seal your home to help keep pests, including cockroaches, out of the residence. Cockroaches can squeeze and almost flatten their body to access cracks and crevices. When inspecting your home’s exterior, start around the windows and doors. Often window screens are damaged or not inserted tightly, which allows pests to enter homes. Windows are sealed along the edges. Occasionally the seal wears down and gaps form. To keep pests out, reseal the edges of the windows. The same goes for doors. The outer edges are often sealed and may require resealing, especially in older homes. Weather stripping also poses a common issue. Often the weather stripping around the doors becomes damaged or wears down over time. Weather stripping may also need to be replaced if you can see daylight from the inside. After sealing holes and gaps found on the outside of the home, you may also want to consider covering attic vents and more importantly, dryer vents. Most vents use a cover. However, many vent covers have large holes to ensure proper air circulation. The large holes provide enough space for pests, including cockroaches, to climb through. Cover attic and dryer vents as well as chimneys with wire mesh. This helps reduce the size of the hole, but still allows proper air flow.
Other Cockroach Prevention Tips
Cockroaches feed on decaying plants, so it helps to keep pests out of your home by maintaining your landscape. By removing leaves and keeping lawns trim, you help reduce the number of pests outside your home, including cockroaches. Additionally, reduce exterior lights or use yellow colored light bulbs as cockroaches are drawn to light during the night time.
Cockroach Control
Lastly, to help stop cockroaches from invading your home, use a quality pest control service like Ross Environmental Solutions. We can kill the cockroaches that may wander close enough to your home before they invade. If you need help keeping cockroaches out of your home, or controlling a cockroach infestation this fall and winter season, contact Ross Environmental Solutions today.
