4 Tips to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your House

Everybody hates cockroaches. These nasty bugs crawl over everything and are hard to kill, making it more frustrating when they infest your house. Roaches eat anything, from wood to sweets to decaying food.

Cockroaches can live up to a month without food and a week without water. So starving the cockroaches in your house to death won't work. Exterminating roaches is a job for a pest control expert. Follow the tips below to keep the cockroaches in your home at bay before you set up an appointment with a pest exterminator.

1. Clean Your Kitchen

Like most pests, roaches feed off food particles around the house, and the kitchen is often the most likely place to have food particles in your home. Clean your kitchen after cooking to eliminate any food particles on your floors. Ensure you do not leave dirty dishes in the sink when you go to bed.

Your garbage bin is also a prime spot for cockroaches to search for food. Therefore, always clear out your garbage before bedtime, and keep it covered at all times. Ensure your stovetop is clear of grease. Dishwashers also harbor oil and food particles; thus, wash your dishwasher regularly to deter cockroaches from making a home there.

Seal food containers, and clean your cabinets to get rid of particles from stored food products. Roaches can get into cardboard packaging easily. Thus, store any foods in metal or glass containers. Sealable plastic containers are also a good alternative.

2. Cut Off Access Points

If you live in an apartment and keep your home clean, you might have recurring roach infestations if your neighbors do not exercise the same caution. Thus, your most effective remedy to keep your home pest-free is to cut off their access into your home.

Cracks and holes in the skirting, windows, and doors are entry areas for cockroaches. Thus seal these areas. A caulking gun closes gaps effectively. Foam and steel wool come in handy for filling larger holes. 

Any appliances in your home that have openings serve as a hiding place for roaches. Place tape over the spaces in your devices where cockroaches like to stay. But before you do this, ensure you do not leave the insects inside your appliances. Also, remember to close openings around wall fixtures.

3. Get Rid of Water Leaks and Standing Water

Roaches need water to survive. So if you want to get rid of the pesky insects, make it hard for them to access water in your house. If any faucets in your home have leaks, get a plumber to fix them. After washing the dishes, always dry off your sink.

If you have a pet, always empty their water bowl or place it outside at night. Ensure that your shower and bathtub are completely dry when you go to sleep. Wet rags also provide roaches with water, so hang them outside to dry before keeping them in the house. Keep your damp dish sponge in a sealed storage bag overnight. Finally, never leave water standing in your buckets or any containers in the house overnight.

4. Do Your Gardening Further Away From the House

Asian and Australian cockroaches make their homes in mulch, but they get inside the house when they get the opportunity. So if you started noticing roaches in your home after mulching your garden, consider moving your garden bed further from the house. When your garden is far from the house, outdoor roaches do not have direct access to your house. 

Roach infestations take time to eliminate. Therefore, even with the above tips, a while may pass before you see no roaches in your home. The quickest way to eliminate cockroaches is to have a pest control expert exterminate them. Contact us today to get rid of a cockroach infestation in your house.