One of the most annoying and prevalent pests is the cockroach. These small insects are active year-round, are tough to kill, and are adept at hiding. This article lists the best ways you can prevent and get rid of cockroaches.
Preventing a Cockroach Infestation
Cockroaches, like all other pests, invade your home in search of food and water. They enter your home through small cracks and crevices, holes in vents or pipes, and other sneaky methods. To prevent cockroaches from choosing your home, take the following steps:
1. Clear out clutter
Cockroaches love clutter as it provides dark places where they can easily hide and breed. To prevent this, clear out your clutter. You especially want to remove newspapers and cardboard boxes, as those are their favorites.
2. Seal cracks
You don’t want to provide them with easy access to enter your home. Be sure to seal up the cracks around windows and doors, along the foundation or roof, throughout the attic and crawl spaces, and any holes used for electric, gas, or plumbing lines.
3. Perform home inspections
You want to regularly check your home for issues such as new cracks that lead outside, plumbing issues, or leaks. Cockroaches will search for moisture, so make sure that any problems are fixed immediately.
4. Keep food locked up tight
Cockroaches are looking for a buffet; don’t give it to them. You should:
- Seal up all food
- Don’t leave food on the counters
- Wash and put away dishes
- Regularly take out the trash
- Remove grease from the stovetop
- Clean up crumbs on the counters or floor
- Regularly sweep and mop the floors
- Put away pet food when they aren’t eating
How to Get Rid of Pests
Unfortunately, even our best efforts do not always stop these pesky critters from invading our homes. In this case, here are a few DIY methods that you can try.
1. Traps
Traps are essentially sticky strips that you lay down in high traffic areas for the cockroaches. The scent of the sticky materials draws them in, and then they die from being stuck there.
2. Bait
When cockroaches ingest the bait, it is really poison. They then return to their nests where they die, are eaten by other cockroaches, and the poison spreads to kill more of them.
3. Liquid Concentrates
Liquid concentrates are products that, once diluted, can be sprayed into cracks or hiding places. This concentrate repels the cockroaches and forces them to find another entry point.
4. Boric Acid
You can mix boric acid, flour, and sugar to make a dough. When the cockroaches eat the dough, it will poison them quite quickly. If, however, you have pets or small children in your home, do NOT try this.
If the above DIY solutions are not working, it is time to call Pest Control. Commonly, a cockroach infestation can get out of hand due to their quick breeding rate before you can self-manage it. When this happens, a licensed exterminator can handle it for you quickly and efficiently.