Roach Control - What You Can Do About Roaches
What can you do about roaches?
The following suggestions will help eliminate roaches both
inside and outside of your home:
Whether you live in a home or
apartment, there are several actions that you can take to both rid your property
of this pest, and keep them at bay. The first, and most important, is to have
the interior and exterior of your residence treated with an insecticide on a
regular basis. In many situations, it may be necessary to treat these areas
monthly. If roach activity continues, consider switching chemicals. For those
people who choose an alternative to chemicals, you should try products
containing boric acid. Consult the yellow pages under “Pest Control” to find a
professional exterminator to discuss the type of chemicals and methods of
application available.
Second, roaches will attempt to enter
a dwelling in search of shelter and food. It is therefore very important that
all windows and doors, including pet doors, be kept tightly closed. These areas
should receive regular treatment in order to discourage roaches from entering
the home. Once in the home, roaches will seek out sources of food and water.
Keep all food in tightly sealed containers. Do not leave any food out on the
counters, or open in cupboards. Do not leave pet food out between feedings.
Roaches will seek sources of water, so it is also recommended that drains in
sinks and tubs be closed when not in use.
You should also be aware that there
are at least three different types of roaches active in the valley area. The
roach that has been giving residents the most problems these past few years is
the TURKESTAN ROACH.
It lives mostly outdoors in shrubbery and other moist, dark areas such as water
meter boxes, woodpiles, etc. The female is dark brown in color and about 1” in
length. The male is light tan in color and gets up to 1¼” in length. This
roach also has wings and can fly, although it prefers to travel by land.
The second type of roach is the
GERMAN ROACH, which is pale
brown and about ½” long and is primarily found indoors.
Neither the
TURKESTAN roach nor the
GERMAN roach inhabit the
City’s sewer system. Therefore they are not affected by the City’s treatment
program.
The third type of roach is the
AMERICAN SEWER ROACH. It is
reddish-brown and grows up to 2" - 3” in length. It also likes moist dark
areas, especially near shrubbery and other vegetative debris.
If you suspect that any of
these pests have set up housekeeping in or around your home, having your own
treatment program will give you the best chance of controlling these pests.
City of Mesa Roach Hotline: (480) 644-3550
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