How to make your home inhospitable to cockroaches

Having cockroaches in your home is more than just an embarrassing problem that prevents you from inviting people over, but it is a health risk to you and your family. This is because cockroaches infest food, and in doing so, they leave behind debris that contains bacteria such as salmonella, which can be harmful to your health. Additionally, cockroach infestations have been linked to allergies and asthma in children.

Due to these horrible risks, it is important that you apply a proper pest control method to ensure that the cockroach does not become a permanent guest in your home. Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures that don’t like to be seen (hence why they scatter when the lights are turned on). If you can spot a roach during daylight, you can be sure there are more hiding in the dark that you can’t see.

Cockroaches are naturally drawn to environments in which they feel most comfortable. This will include areas that have a water source, a food source, and dark places to hide, ie your kitchen or pantry. However, there are certain approaches one can take to make your home uncomfortable for roaches and more satisfying for yourself.

Cut essential supplies
By fixing a leaky pipe or dripping sink, you’ll help not only conserve water, but also shut off the water supply to roaches. Eliminate their food source by making sure there are no open food containers that are easy to reach in your cupboards or pantry. Place pantry staples like pasta, grains, dried fruit, and baking essentials in airtight containers. Quickly get rid of stubborn food crumbs from your counters, trash cans, floors, and dirty dishes.

cut your input
You can get rid of roach hiding places and entry points by sealing the cracks and crevices where roaches are thought to enter your home. Use weather stripping and caulk to block these nooks and crannies.

Beyond prevention
If you’re experiencing a full-blown roach infestation, you’ll need to apply more than simple preventative measures to get them out of your home. Cleaning definitely helps, but roaches are persistent and can live a month or more without food, so don’t expect them to go away just because the kitchen was clean overnight. For cockroaches, traps are often needed to ensure that they are completely exterminated.

traps. Baited traps are beneficial because they attract the roach instead of relying on the insect to stumble upon the trap. Sticky traps also work well, giving you clues to major infestation spots so you can zero in on a specific area of ​​the house. Roaches mostly travel in dark places and close to walls, so locating the traps in the general travel area is the best option to catch them on the sly.

chemicals Chemicals can be used, but mostly as a last resort, especially if the infestation is in your kitchen. You don’t want to risk poisoning any food or surfaces where food is prepared. Always read the label before using any chemical, and be sure to avoid using it where children or pets can access it. Boric acid is a pest control chemical that many use because cockroaches do not develop immunity to it like they do to other poisons. Boric acid dries roaches instead of poisoning them.

By using the pest prevention methods described above and contacting a pest control expert if the situation gets out of your control, you can make your home uninhabitable for you and your family, and uninhabitable for roaches, again.