Cockroaches in the Walls
Cockroaches can make you feel like an unwelcome visitor in your own home. In a short amount of time, they can infest all available spaces, scampering about in the dark and preventing you from getting any rest. To make matters worse, they are also known to carry bacteria with them that can cause food poisoning or other issues.
When dealing with a cockroach infestation, it is important to know what you are dealing with to get rid of them effectively and quickly. Cockroaches in your walls mean that they are often out of reach, further frustrating homeowners and compounding the problem.
Can You Hear Cockroaches in the Walls?
Cockroaches can make a lot of noise, especially if they have settled into somewhere they view as their new home. However, the sounds that you hear from cockroaches may not be the sounds that you expect to accompany the insects. Cockroaches do not make audible noises just moving around, except in specific circumstances.
Instead of noise from them running around, you will hear them chirping or making a hiss. Cockroaches can be very noisy when the conditions are right. You may hear these sounds from inside your walls to indicate a cockroach infestation. Cockroaches are especially vocal when they are mating. This means that when you hear cockroaches in the walls making a lot of noise, you will probably have to deal with even more of them very soon if you do not do something.
Cockroaches will also make noise when they feel threatened. Male cockroaches can hiss or chirp at danger to scare off the threat. Usually, this is during interactions between two cockroaches themselves, but other danger sources can trigger this response. Cockroach studies have shown that different species like the American Cockroach, Oriental Cockroach, and the German Cockroach will respond differently to the same threat, indicating a range of personalities.
Signs of Roaches in Walls
You may not be able to see the cockroaches even if they are there. However, careful observation can yield signs of cockroach colonies if you know what to look for. Keep in mind that cockroaches will always prefer damp or humid areas, as they require a certain amount of moisture in the air to survive, so start your search in areas of the house that fit this requirement, like the laundry room, attic, kitchen, or basement.
Perhaps the most noticeable symptom of a cockroach infestation is the smell that these creatures produce. While a single roach can make this odor, a higher population of the pests will make the smell even stronger and disgusting. The smell produced by cockroaches is musty and dank, even being described as mildewy.
While all indicators of cockroaches are unpleasant, perhaps the most off-putting is finding cockroach dropping near your walls and around your home. The voracious appetite of cockroaches means that they constantly pass matter through their digestive system, which will end up on your floors or in your walls. You can identify cockroach dropping as small black pellets resembling black pepper or coffee grounds.
You may also find cockroach eggs in your home if you have an infestation. Roaches are a kind of insect that lays their egg in a structure called an ootheca. This appears like foam when it is freshly laid but hardens over a little bit of time to a crunchy egg case. Seeing these egg casings is a good indicator of a roach infestation. Each ootheca contains dozens of roach eggs, so if they are left untreated, they can cause the cockroach population in your home to explode.
How do You Get Rid of Roaches in Walls?
Cockroaches are notoriously hard to kill, but it can be done effectively. Depending on your infestation level, it may be best to hire an exterminator or use some home remedies. Cockroaches will find their way back into your home if you do not solve the problems that lure them in, so any cockroach treatment should include getting rid of things that attract cockroaches.
Diatomaceous earth is a classic way to kill insect infestations. It is a powder that is so spiky on a molecular level that it sticks to and pierces insects’ exoskeleton, eventually dehydrating them to death. The trick with this treatment is that when it sticks to the roaches’ bodies, they take it back to their colony, attach itself to the other insects. This means that it will spread to the whole colony if enough is used.
Arguably the best way to get rid of roaches is to exploit their contact hunger. By mixing boric acid will sugar, you can create an irresistible poison for the roaches that is pet-safe. The roaches will eat the substance without realizing what it is, and the boric acid will get to work. This method kills the roaches within a few hours of their ingestion of the boric acid.
You can also purchase roach control products at the store. These often have strong insecticides in them, so be warned that they are not safe for use around areas that your pets will access. Gels, sprays, and roach bait items are all available.
Once you have settled on the type of poison you would like to use; you need to identify the cracks roaches are using to get into the walls. If the crack is large enough, pour poison solution directly into the crack. If the crack is too small, you can place the poison solution around the entry point to prevent any more roaches from entering the wall.
Will Cockroaches Leave on Their Own?
While you may be tempted to leave your roach infestation alone, hoping that the bugs will move on after a while, this is not an effective way to treat the infestation. Roaches will survive for as long as possible in their environments. If they are given shelter and food in your home, they will not leave until you exterminate them.
The best thing you can do once your roach infestation is taken care of is to treat your home to get rid of any roach attractions. Seal holes in your walls and keep all food in airtight containers. If you have any standing water in or around your home, you need to drain it to prevent roaches or other pests from establishing themselves. Always clean your home and regularly disinfect to prevent roaches.
If you are having a hard getting rid of cockroaches on your own, you should call a pest control professional as soon as possible to put an end to your roach problem for good.
