Cockroaches need three things to establish a colony: food, water, and warmth. Muscatine's housing stock gives them exactly that. A blend of established manufacturing-era neighborhoods and newer suburban growth along the Mississippi River corridor. Combined with Muscatine's climate — a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold winters, somewhat more humid than western Iowa given the Mississippi River's influence — indoor cockroach pressure rarely lets up on its own.
We start with an inspection to identify the species and the source — sanitation issue, moisture problem, or entry point. Treatment centers on gel bait placed in cracks, voids, and under appliances, not broadcast spraying, since German cockroaches in particular have developed resistance to many surface sprays. A follow-up visit confirms the bait is working and the population is dropping.