Can Cockroaches Fly?

If you’ve ever been unlucky enough to see a cockroach up-close—like scary up-close—then perhaps you’ve noticed that they appear to have wings. We know you don’t really want to think about such things because the idea of cockroaches flying around is something straight out of a horror movie. But it must be done.

It’s true. Some cockroaches do fly short distances. In the United States, the varieties of cockroaches that are equipped with flight are the American, German, and Oriental cockroaches. The good news is that they don’t really like to fly because they’re not very good at it. Most will use it for gliding and little else. But on rare occasions, a cockroach that’s capable of flight might use its wings to flee from a predator or for mating purposes.

How to Get Rid of Flying Cockroaches

Whether cockroaches are flying, crawling, or skittering around, you certainly don’t want them in your home. Although it’s almost impossible to not get the occasional cockroach inside, there are definitely ways to prevent an infestation. To help you out, we’ve put together some simple strategies:

Keep Your Home Clean

The most obvious strategy that you can use to reduce your chances of a cockroach infestation is to keep your home clean. Make sure that you’re vacuuming your carpets or rugs, cleaning your wood or tile floors, and wiping up spills. As you’re probably aware, cockroaches are very attracted to dirty homes, so regular cleaning will help reduce their numbers.

Focus on Your Kitchen

More than any other room in your home, cockroaches love to be in your kitchen. After all, this is where the most food sources are located. It’s important that you keep your entire home clean, but your kitchen should get the most attention. Always make sure that you’re cleaning up any spills, picking up dropped food, removing crumbs from surfaces where they fall, and sealing up the garbage.

Store Food in Containers

Cockroaches have a great sense of smell, but you can dilute that somewhat by storing your food in plastic containers. Also, it’s important to note that roaches aren’t like rats and mice. They won’t be able to chew through the plastic. Sealing leftovers in a container is a no-brainer, but you can also store brand new foods in plastic containers instead of leaving them in cardboard boxes that may have small gaps where roaches can slip through.

Remove Any Clutter

Most people have had the experience of moving a box or other item in their home or garage and being startled when a cockroach skitters out. It’s a simple truth that cockroaches love hiding beneath objects. The more objects that are lying around, the more places that a cockroach will have to hide. De-cluttering your home every month or so will help prevent this.

Seal Up Entry Points

Cockroaches will routinely get inside your home through small gaps and cracks in areas like your foundation and the edges of your doors and windows. Sealing up these entry points will be very effective in keeping the cockroaches at bay. Depending on the size and severity of the gap or crack, you’ll need to use either caulk, spray foam, or weather-stripping to seal it up.

Dispose of Trash Properly

No one likes taking out the trash, but if you leave it sitting around, a bad smell isn’t the only problem you’ll have. Cockroaches will seek out your garbage and try to get inside. In addition to taking out your trash on a regular basis, be sure that you don’t keep your outdoor trash can too close to your home. You also need to leave the lid on at all times.

Reduce Water Sources

Like other pests, cockroaches are attracted to sources of water. If you have any fountains or other water structures outside, make sure they’re not too close to your house. It’s also a good idea to remove any puddles after it rains or any other standing water. This will make your property less attractive to roaches.

When to Call an Exterminator

Although it’s been said that if you see one cockroach, there are many others that you don’t see, that’s not always true. In certain areas, you may see just a single cockroach coming into your home because of changes in the weather. But if you see two or three in a short period of time, you should definitely call an exterminator because the last thing you want is a full-on infestation.

Contact ProHealth Pest Control for Cockroach Extermination

ProHealth Pest Control uses cockroach control methods that are safer, healthier, and more natural. If you have any other questions that are along the same lines of “Can cockroaches fly?” or need any residential or commercial pest control services, reach out to us at (727) 310-0521 today.