There is the everyday, household cockroach we all despise. The little guy or gal who lurks in dark places, just waiting for you to turn off the lights so they can take over your kitchen.

Then there’s the American cockroach. 

If you’ve ever been laying on your couch and see something gigantic crawling across your ceiling, and, after it falls to the floor, you frantically search in hopes you can smashget it before it gets you. 

Or you’ve moved something and jumped a mile, hitting your head on the ceiling, as a mammoth reddish-brown critter darts toward you. 

Or the worst…an overgrown cockroach with wings actually flying toward your face as you run off shrieking in fear that it’s going to land on your person. Shudder-worthy.

So what’s up with the American cockroach?

Firstly, many of us, especially in the south, know these horrible things as the less-offensive terms of “water bug” or “palmetto bug.” But let’s all just admit…they’re giant, winged cockroaches.

Secondly, how do you tell if you have an infestation of American cockroaches?

Well, there are four signs that you’ve been invaded by an Army of disgusting creatures, not the least of which is you will see them running around your house, trying to get to the nearest dark area to hide. They also leave pleasant little gifts in the form of poop, which are often mistaken for mouse droppings. 

You might find little, 8-ish mm long, dark-colored, capsule-looking things glued to whatever, mainly near food sources and in kitchens, basements and laundry rooms, behind appliances or under cabinets, and the like. These are their eggs. And in some cases, people with sensitive noses might even smell something musty, which is actually a pheromone the roach produces. Ick.

To deter an American cockroach infestation, keep your home clean, especially the kitchen. Wipe up crumbs and spills from counters, tables, and keep sinks and floors clean. Don’t let dirty dishes pile up in the sink, and store people and pet food in airtight containers. Use silicone-based caulk to seal cracks and openings in walls, near switch plates and electric sockets, and up through your drains. 

Try vacuuming once a week or so if you don’t already. Be sure your crawl space is ventilated to avoid moisture buildup and run water in spare bathrooms regularly to keep u-traps filled with water.

If you see waterbugs, palmetto bugs, whatever you want to call them, in your home, visit your nearest Pestop location immediately for your roach-control supplies. These things are filthy, and they are thought to spread E.coli, Salmonella, and at least 31 other varieties of bacteria. They also carry seven-plus human pathogens and six kinds of parasitic worms. These insects spread germs onto your food and cooking surfaces that they’ve pick up traveling through sewage and decaying matter.  

So, again, to rid yourself of your American cockroach friends, come see us. Your nearest Pestop location has everything you need to protect you and your family from the severe health threat and heart attack-inducing fear that comes from encountering one or more these nasty things.