If there’s one little pest you don’t want to see in your kitchen, it’s a cockroach, perhaps the world’s most universally despised critter. Cockroaches are hard to kill, resilient, and they come in big numbers.

You never only see one cockroach by their lonesome. Where there is one, there are likely swarms more. A person’s worst household nightmare is opening up the cabinet under the sink to see a group of gross uninvited crawlies rapidly scatter away.

They’ll return as soon as it’s dark and the door is closed, but for the time being they rush to their hiding place. Has this happened to you?

You know there’s a cockroach problem if you lay eyes on one yourself, but what are the other signs of a cockroach infestation? Read on to learn more.

Droppings

Cockroaches are anything but housebroken, and where they slither, they leave droppings behind. If you notice any droppings near places cockroaches tend to gather, like near pipes or under sinks, it’s a sign you have an infestation.

It’s one of the grosser signs of their presence, as you don’t need to be told. Cockroach feces contains certain proteins or allergens which trigger allergic reactions and asthma symptoms in people, especially children.

Cockroach droppings are a problem in and of itself, but they also point to a bigger problem. For a cockroach exterminator in Toronto and the GTA who can get the job finished, call GreenLeaf Pest Control

Foul Odour

It’s possible that you may smell the presence of cockroaches before you see them with your own eyes. Cockroaches release a foul and musky odour. Between them, their feces, and the detritus that peels off their skin and falls off, there is a particular smell that you don’t want to get accustomed to.

Between Oriental and German Cockroaches in Ontario, you won’t be able to tell the difference from your nose alone. You shouldn’t have to become an expert in roaches or identify their smell.

GreenLeaf Pest Control can eliminate your roach problem permanently, so they don’t keep coming back. The commercial sprays you get at the store might kill one, two, or even a handful of roaches.

So long as there are still some alive, their population will grow as they continue to breed. It’s like playing whack-a-mole, except for every roach you kill, multiple return. Our custom solutions use ingredients approved by Health Canada, so they’ll extirpate the roaches without posing any harm whatsoever to the environment or any pets.

You don’t want to know what roaches smell like! If it’s too late and you already do, call GreenLeaf Pest Control.

Smear Marks

Strange markings that look like some kind of liquid smearing on the inside of your cupboards is a bad sign of roaches. You’re likely to find them under the sink because roaches need a water source.

Cockroaches can go without food for up to a month, but water is something they can’t do without. Roaches may rub up against surfaces and leave behind a sticky trail.

Egg Capsules

Cockroaches breed quickly, and their eggs are visible and highly distinct. A female cockroach stores her eggs inside a protected capsule known as an ootheca. The eggs develop inside individual compartments in the ootheca.

Depending on the cockroach species, each egg capsules may produce as much as 10 to 60 eggs. There may be different kinds of cockroaches in Ontario, but they all leave traces of themselves wherever they go. After cockroaches give birth, they don’t exactly pick up the mess behind them. Instead, they leave whatever residue and post-birth debris there at the sight.

You surely don’t want any part of such a thing, so call us to control cockroaches throughout your home so you don’t find residue from eggs or egg capsules.

Shedding Skin

Cockroaches leave pieces of themselves behind, the last type of souvenir you’d ever want. Cockroach nymphs grow by shedding their exoskeleton, or “skin”. Fragments of the skin and feces serve as antigens which can cause allergic reactions when inhaled.

You don’t want to see the discarded skin anywhere in your home, but you definitely don’t want to breathe it in! It’s unclear how many gastrointestinal disorders are attributed to transmission of pathogens spread by cockroaches, though the concern is valid. However, causing allergic and asthmatic reactions is definitely something cockroaches do.

Roaches Themselves

If you see countless roaches when you turn the lights on, that’s the surest sign there can be of an infestation! Roaches tend to gather where there’s moisture, which ends up meaning washrooms, under kitchen sinks, and near pipes.

The last thing you want is a cockroach in the room where you prepare food and clean yourself. They’re dirty creatures that promote bad health and hygiene.

Roaches like the dark, and nothing makes them scramble away faster than shining a light on them. They may hide somewhere out of sight for a bit, but you need to rip the infestation out from the root, or they’ll keep on coming back eventually.

You’ll see roaches squirming in traps if you buy the sticky ones from the store, but you’ll never get them all. To get rid of cockroaches in Ontario, you need to call GreenLeaf Pest Control.

You don’t want to see any of the above fragments that roaches leave behind. Seeing them fully intact is even worse! If you see the smear marks, eggs, or feces that cockroaches leave behind, give us a call. That goes double if you see the roaches themselves, scurrying around in the dark!

We’ve all spent more time than usual bunkered up at home, and we should have a renewed appreciation for keeping this refuge clean and safe. There’s nothing good about having cockroaches around, so if you see any signs of an infestation, you may want to get a trap or release some spray to reduce their numbers. But you need to call GreenLeaf Pest Control if you want the problem to be gone for good, so you and yours can enjoy the holidays in peace.