True Stories of Roach Invasion

“If you want to prevent cockroach infestations from being in your future, or simply want to stop a small amount of them from entering your home.”

 

illustration of cockroaches swarming

Dusty Hogan was having one of those days. It was 4 p.m. on a muggy Wednesday, and he was almost at the day’s last call—an old lady with a roach invasion problem. Tom said she sounded frantic on the phone.

As he turned onto her street, Dusty sipped from his fifth cup of coffee that day and tried to spot house numbers. He remembered he had to go to his mother-in-law’s birthday party after work and let out a deep sigh.

He found the number he was looking for—113—and pulled over to the side of the road. The lady’s awful front lawn stuck out like a sore thumb. The grass was severely overgrown, and there was junk scattered everywhere. This was disappointing—because if there was an issue with payment, it was coming out of Dusty’s next commission check.

He knocked on the door, and as soon as the lady opened it, he could tell that she was blind.

“Hello Mr. Tom, I’m so happy you’re here. Come in, come in.” Dusty didn’t feel like correcting her and stepped inside. Heat immediately assaulted him—it felt like stepping into an oven.

“How ya doin’ ma’am?” He looked around, and things didn’t seem to be too bad. A few roaches were hanging out on her living room walls—nothing out of the ordinary. Sweat had already started to bead on his forehead.

“Mr. Tom, I can’t see, but I know the problem is very bad. These roaches are getting the best of me.”

“Don’t worry ma’am; you’re in good hands.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m sorry about the heat. I’ve had to cut back on air conditioning this summer. Come into the kitchen with me. That’s where the problem is.”

She walked slowly, and Dusty followed behind her.

“It’s been hard for me to eat, and that’s why I need help so bad,” she said as they turned a corner into her kitchen.

Dusty had been in the business for four and a half years now and thought he had seen everything. But he almost threw up in his mouth when he saw her refrigerator.

Or rather, he saw something shaped like a refrigerator, something that must have been a refrigerator, nestled underneath a massive column of cockroaches, crawling over each other, trying to get to the cool plastic below. There were piled so thick on top of one another that he couldn’t even see a door handle.

But the fridge was just the center of mass—they were everywhere. Looking around, Dusty could barely see the crumbling mustard-yellow paint of the kitchen walls; the main color was cockroach brown.

“Ma’am. We’ll take care of this for you. But I’m going to need to go out to my car to make a phone call.”

Dusty was going to be late to his mother-in-law’s.

roaches in a kitchen cabinet

Cockroach Infestation (Rest Easy Pest Control)

Where Do Roaches Come From?

Cockroach infestations can be one of the grossest, most damaging events of any homeowner or renter. They are dirty creatures that elicit thoughts of fear and disgust at the mere sight of them.

To prevent cockroach infestations or if you just want to stop a small amount from entering your home, it’s good to know where they come from.

If you’re having a problem with roaches, call a professional roach exterminator like Rest Easy as soon as possible.

Outside Your Home

It’s obvious to say that cockroaches come from outside, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. These bugs like American cockroaches and German cockroaches can live anywhere, which means that almost no type of environment or weather conditions are harsh enough to keep them from living and breeding.

In fact, that is the key element: above all, cockroaches are survivors. No matter what kind of harsh weather or overall environment they’re exposed to, they will not only survive but thrive.

 

Harshest Conditions

When we say that cockroaches can survive almost anywhere, that’s meant to be taken literally. How does this affect you and your loved ones? This means that no matter what it’s like outside, cockroaches are always lurking about.

Few of us couldn’t even imagine living in a sewer drains, but cockroaches do this without any qualms whatsoever. Their comfort level, apart from what is needed to survive, is not their concern.

As long as there is food available and a place to lay their eggs, they are perfectly fine with it … but, of course, your house does make a very appealing smorgasbord.

Cracks and Gaps

This is the primary way that cockroaches can get inside your house from outside. They sneak in all the little entry points on doors or windows they can find, set up shop, and start reproducing. This is precisely how cockroach infestations start.

To avoid this, you’ll want to seal any of these cracks and gaps you can find, whether you need to use caulking, a spray foam application, or weatherstripping.

After all, if cockroaches have fewer ways to get inside your house, they’ll pass it right by and head to someone else’s home, or return where they came from.

Hitching a Ride

Some cockroaches come from outside, into your home, by hitching a ride. Cockroaches often find refuge inside boxes, bags, backpacks, luggage, and even on a person. It might sound disgusting, but this is true.

For example, if you pick anything up from a storage unit in a cardboard box or leave your gym bag lying on the ground while you work out, there’s always the possibility — however slight — that a cockroach can hitch a ride with you, all the way back to your home, circumventing any preparation you’ve done to keep them outside.

Call Rest Easy Pest Control

They like hot, warm, enclosed environments. And unless you’re spending hundreds a month on AC, that means almost every home in is an ideal cockroach habitat these days. Because roaches are far more active at night, it can be tough to tell if you have an infestation. Call us today for an inspection.***


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