Roaches are one of the most resilient household pests in the world. They are vectors of harmful pathogens that can lead to diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera and provoke asthma in people with allergies and skin rashes.
When in large numbers, cockroaches can create foul odors. Getting rid of roaches before they infest your household and predispose your family to sickness is always best.
To completely remove cockroaches from your home, you need to know what attracts them to your household in the first place. This is the most important step in reclaiming your home.
Why Roaches Are Attracted to Your Home
To eliminate roaches, it is important to know the type of roach you are dealing with. Some roaches, like German roaches, are found indoors because they have a constant supply of food and water to survive, while some roaches can survive on water for weeks without food.
Roaches are mostly attracted to dirt, and moisture, usually from leaking taps, standing bodies of water and uncovered food. Refuse, compost, trash bins, and wood piles are all open invitations to roach invasions as they provide a feasting spot.
Sometimes, neighboring infestations can cause the spread of roaches into your household, especially when you share a fence.
What to Do to Get Rid of Roaches
Eliminate The Attraction
The first step to treating roach infestations or preventing them is by removing what is attracting them. Clean all your dirty plates and kitchen utensils. Fix leaks and keep the taps, shower, and drains dry before going to bed at night.
Drain stagnant water as it serves as a breeding ground for cockroaches. Kitchen appliances should be kept clean and washed before and after every use. Also, you should keep your kitchen cabinet clean and dry. Sweep up food crumbs and, if possible, restrict food handling to a single room.
Dispose of waste as soon as it is collected. Garbage cans and trash bins should be covered at all times.
Treatment
Use a quality roach control product to subdue roach infestations. It is advisable to combine insecticides when treating infestations. This is due to the ability of roaches to adapt quickly to repellents and chemical treatments.
Use roach bait to catch and eliminate those that are hiding. Use Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to control the pest population by interfering with the cycle of roaches’ reproduction in the egg and larval stage. IGR is a synthetic substance that acts like a birth control pill for roaches. Its function is mainly to prevent future cases of infestation.
Use sealants like Silicone Caulk on any suspected point of entry, like the gaps in your walls, on the windows, doors, and kitchen countertops.
Home Remedies to Stop or Prevent Roaches’ Invasion.
- A pinch of dry boric acid
- Baking soda plus sugar is a perfect sweet poison for roaches.
- Saltwater and peppermint oil are natural roach repellents.
- Crushed bay leaves will protect your kitchen cabinets from roaches.
Roaches are dangerous insects; their tiny body is a deception to the amount of harm they are capable of causing. Proper hygiene is the best way to be safe from roaches’ threats. Sometimes though, could be beyond what you can handle in which case you would need help from professionals, check here for pest control.