Both drought and heavy rain draw roaches indoors in South MS. Here’s how to keep them out
With the particularly rainy weeks beginning summer in South Mississippi, some residents may begin seeing another problem: cockroaches.
The Magnolia State’s warm temperatures and moisture create opportunities for cockroaches to thrive inside homes, restaurants and commercial buildings, according to Jackson Pest Control.
However, it’s not just rain drawing the unwanted pests inside — drought also pushes cockroaches to find a little bit of moisture indoors, experts say.
Cockroaches can impact human health in the following ways, according to experts at the Mississippi State University Extension:
- Contaminate food
- Transmit diseases
- Enter ear canals
- Cause allergies
So, to prevent your home from attracting roaches, here’s what you should know.
Types of roaches
Mississippi has multiple cockroach species, but many of them are mostly found outdoors, experts at the Mississippi State University Extension said.
These are the different types of cockroaches found in Mississippi, according to experts:
- German cockroach
- Smokybrown cockroach
- Brown cockroach
- American cockroach
- Brown-banded cockroach
- Oriental cockroach
- Asian cockroach
- Cuban cockroach
- Pale-bordered field cockroach
- Surinam cockroach
- Woods roach
- Florida woods roach
- Turkestan cockroach
How to keep them out
Here are the best ways to control cockroaches in Mississippi, according to Waynes Pest Control:
- Store food in sealed containers
- Wipe grease from stove tops and cabinet interiors
- Sweep crumbs after meals
- Keep pet food off the floor overnight
- Fix dripping faucets and pipes
- Seal gaps around utility lines, door sweeps, sill plates and foundation cracks with caulk
- Use traps and baits for small isolated areas
- Call pest control when DIY methods haven’t worked
