It is quite often I get calls from clients saying I got roaches after moving to my new place, thinking it must be the neighbors who have roaches.
I got roaches after moving to my new place
I consult every customer whether they buy from me or not in an effort to help them prevent pests in the future and to educated them on purchasing pest control services.
Roaches could hitchhike in moving trucks, most do it yourself rental companies do not inspect their truck after every move nor treat them on a regular basis for pests, neither do moving companies, roaches can nest in paneling floors and in any crack a crevice. So it’s quite possible they could have gotten in your stuff on the way.
I always start with did you purchase anything in a garage sale or used furniture often a customer will admit they got a used microwave or some other object for there new place from someone else I ask them to inspect it and tell me if they find any roaches, feces or eggs in it, if they do that’s the source if not then I rule that out.
Even in new furniture delivered can have roaches from a warehouse or moving truck often delivery companies will dispose of your old mattresses and appliances for their clients if they picked up a piece from someone who had roaches then they could get into others stuff.
You might ask yourself why does that matter?
You see if the infestation is new then it’s very easy to deal with but if it’s unit before they moved in then we might have a bigger issue with an infestation that has been there already and for how long allowing for one or two generation which could be in the thousands.
My second question is where did you get the boxes to move, most people reply I got them from my grocery store, others from an office supply, some from a pharmacy, then I will ask did any come from the dumpsters, some reluctantly admit they went dumpster diving for boxes.
Why does this matter I have roaches and You are the pest control guy it your job to fix it, the reason I have to know is that if you got t boxes that where infested with roaches and you still have them siting your home, garage or you put then your attic my pest control service won’t help you, part of my job is to help you prevent pest problems or they will continue to happen.
German roaches like to be in tight places where they feel protected the corrugated in the cardboard is a perfect place for them hide and deposit their egg casings and what happens is the eggs will hatch with up to 48 roaches in just one egg casing, they will quickly move to areas of your home like kitchens and bath where there is ample places to hide, feed and drink, before you know it you start seeing one, two and then there were three.
In six weeks after moving in that one roach is now laying another egg casing and the previous 48 are now maturing into molts and adults laying 24 to 48 roaches every 6 weeks before you know it you have a full-blown infestation this is where most people start trying to control them themselves because in their mind this is not serious enough, they fail to understand German cockroach biology.
At this point the first mistake they make is to buy an over the counter roach spray and begin what will inevitably be a losing battle. Do not use roach sprays to control German roaches this will do more harm than good for you and the poor technician that will eventually have to come out to save you from a severe infestation.
At this point you are thinking why should I call a professional and spend all that money on an exterminator for a couple of roaches, well this the same problem most people have with seeing a doctor when they feel a lump it’s not that bad and wait till it’s a stage four melanoma.
My advice to people who move is don’t get boxes from anywhere, buy them from a moving company or a storage facility, a free box will cost you hundreds of dollars and a miserable move in experience.
If you can’t hire a professional, then first get rid of all corrugated cardboard from the house and see the manual to correctly treat a German roach infestation so you don’t end up contaminating your home with chemicals that won’t work and allow those roaches to continue to breed and contaminate your surfaces with e-coli and salmonella bacteria and cause asthma and other respiratory infections.
