The question is if one cockroach is seen, does that mean there are several more? Should you be worried? This is what we’ll be discussing here.
Every homeowner will do their best to contain a roach problem before it worsens.
Such action is understandable due to the many problems caused by them.
Found A Cockroach In My House, Should I Be Worried?
One of the most common and disgusting pest problems to deal with in homes is a roach infestation.
While this is true, these creatures will try as much as possible to stay out of sight. However, you may accidentally stumble on one or more when you least expect.
So if I see one cockroach, are there more?
There’s Good Reason to be Worried
Roaches aren’t lone creatures. In other words, they’re social pests that living in packs.
While it’s not uncommon to find a lone roach, it doesn’t always mean that there are many others. You may just have been lucky to see a female roach that just entered your home and is seeking a suitable place to lay her egg.
This means eliminating this one roach should solve a potential problem right? Not in all situations. What if such a female roach has laid her eggs?
These eggs are contained in a hard case known as ootheca that’s likely to contain about 16 eggs. If these hatches, it creates an even bigger problem.
Roach Issues
There are clear reasons why most people have a disdain for roaches.
Asides from them nibbling on leftovers or suddenly appearing, roaches have a nauseating smell in addition to their ability to spread diseases.
In a nutshell, these creatures are associated with filth.
Roaches spread a wide range of diseases ranging from leprosy, salmonellosis, listeriosis, typhoid fever, and cholera. Other diseases include campylobacteriosis, dysentery, plague, and several more.
This is why many people consider them scary as they hunt for food around your home.
What Attracts Roaches
One of the first things you need to know when dealing with a roach problem is how they got in. Because how they entered isn’t so difficult to figure out, you want to know what attracted the roach to your home.
A roach won’t simply stroll into your home without an incentive(s) lying around.
These creatures are attracted to food, shelter, and water. Sometimes, these roaches may already be in your yard. It’s only a matter of time before one gets indoors to start a colony.
In outdoor areas, water sources will include flowerpots, gutters, birdbaths, and any other standing water.
In terms of food attraction, you’re likely to draw roaches to your home when you form the habit of leaving behind food crumbs. Other food sources include pet food, spilled liquid beverages, and garbage.
An ample supply of these will eventually attract roaches.
Most Cockroach Problems Starts from A Lone Roach
There are times when you have zero roach issues but suddenly discover a spread of these creatures around your home. This can be scary for most people as they begin to wonder how these roaches appeared.
You may have unknowingly introduced or brought a roach into your home.
How so? When you went grocery shopping or purchased used items from a flea market. That’s an easy way to spread roach problems. These creatures have found an effective way to spread into new territories.
All they have to do is hitch a ride in luggage, grocery bags, or on furniture.
They remain there until such items are brought indoors. Now you have a problem! A single brown-banded or German cockroach can populate your home when its eggs hatch.
As mentioned earlier, such a roach may already be pregnant. All the cockroach has to do is lay its eggs.
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How Long it Takes for Roach Eggs to Hatch
The single cockroach you came across may have already laid eggs within your home. It will take anywhere from 24 to 38 days for immature roaches to emerge from the ootheca.
So, you’ll be dealing with an average of 16 roaches. It doesn’t take long for that number to multiply.
Here, you’re faced with a serious challenge as you need to take urgent steps to fight back. You should be very worried when you do find one.
Found a huge cockroach in my house? What should I do?
What To Do If You Find A Cockroach In Your House
Having found one cockroach moving about, you should have the mindset that an even bigger problem could be brewing. So, it’s best to take urgent action.
The most reliable option will be to call a pest management service for inspection and recommendation.
A lot of reputable pest management services will offer free inspection and roach extermination quotes. Take advantage of that to safeguard your home from the eventual escalation of the roach population.
During this time, your home is inspected for roach eggs in addition to searching if there are other roaches around.
The action taken will mostly be influenced by the findings from such inspection. This procedure is totally worth it. It saves you the headache of having to deal with a full-blown roach infestation.
Where to Look for Roach Eggs
Having found one roach, you may want to seek out any egg casings or ootheca around your home. For such a search to be meaningful, you’ll need to know how egg casings look like.
These are in the form of capsules with a light brown color.
The capsules measure about a quarter-inch long. With this said, where can you find such eggs? Consider a search for these in pantries, drawers & cupboards, on and around baseboards, within appliances (you’ll have to loosen such), and on floor and bathtub drains.
Other possible locations include damp areas of your home, food storage and eating areas, heater closets, and plumbing cabinets. Your trashcans and recycling bins could also be a hotspot for laying roach eggs.
Further Confirmation of Roach Problems
If you’ve found one roach crawling around, chances are that there are several more hiding around. A lot of times, such problems may exist without your knowledge. Roaches are mostly nocturnal creatures.
So, you’ll need to have a look at your kitchen area or store in the middle of the night.
When you suddenly turn the lights on, you may find these creatures scurrying away. That is clear evidence that your fears are justified. Of course, you’ll need to call for professional pest control.
Cockroaches in homes can be worrisome due to the several factors listed above. An infestation mostly starts when one or more roaches get into your home.