Nobody wants cockroaches in their home. But sometimes, no matter what you do, they seem to find a way into your property. One of the most common passageways for these pests is the drain — particularly those in your bathroom and kitchen. But why do cockroaches keep coming up the drain, and what are the things you can do about it? So here’s how to stop cockroaches from coming up the drains.
Why cockroaches keep coming up the drain
Cockroaches keep coming up the drain because the drain is connected to where cockroaches usually live — the sewers. What cockroaches can find on the other side of the drain, such as food and water, can also be motivating them.
- They live in the sewers. Cockroaches like dark and moist places. This is one of the reasons why you often see cockroaches in the bathroom at night. The sewers have the same conditions. They are damp, dark, and quiet — perfect places for these pests. And since the sewers and the drains in your home are connected via pipes, it’s not farfetched to see cockroaches coming up your drains. There is also the issue of flooding during intense rain. When the sewers are overwhelmed with water, cockroaches may look for other places to stay, and sometimes, they find your drains.
- There is food and water around. Cockroaches are not picky eaters. If there is anything organic around, they will not hesitate to eat it. Though rare, they may even jump into your mouth if they can find anything to eat inside. It doesn’t help that your drains are likely to have food and water around them. The drains in your kitchen may have leftover food and residue. The drains in your bathroom may have hair, soap debris, and other organic matter. These things are going to attract cockroaches for sure.
- The drain is an ideal passageway for pests. Cracks, gaps, and holes around your home serve as passageways to a variety of pests, such as ants, cockroaches, rats, and wasps. And here’s the thing – your piping system may have cracks, gaps, and holes on them too. Your home is your safe space from the harmful creatures outside. These outsiders can exploit any kind of structural damage and use it as a passageway to your home.
How to stop them
Stopping cockroaches from coming up the drain is fairly simple. Since your piping system is basically a bridge for pests, you just have to safeguard it.
- Call a pest control professional and a plumber. The best way to get rid of pests is to call a pest control professional. They have the experience, knowledge, and tools to effectively and safely get rid of infestations. You can also call a plumber to fix all draining and piping issues that are being exploited by cockroaches.
- Be careful of pouring chemicals down the drain. Yes, you can pour bleach down the drain to stop cockroaches from coming up. But this should be done sparingly. Using bleach too often or too much can have a negative effect on your piping system. After all, bleach has corrosive properties. You can also pour hot water. But like bleach, it can also have a negative effect. It can momentarily melt grease and other residue in your piping system and let them solidify in a more inaccessible area, causing more harm than good. Aside from bleach and water, you shouldn’t pour anything else down the drain, especially chemicals like pesticides.
- Seal the passageway. Do you know you can have cockroaches even in a clean house? It’s not the filth that attracts cockroaches. It’s the easy access to food and water. Solutions don’t have to be complicated to be effective. Here is a simple solution — if your drain is a passageway for pests, seal it. Use drain covers, stoppers, or screens. Yes, cockroaches are very flexible and they can squeeze through the tiniest gaps. But using these obstacles helps.
How to prevent them from coming back
Prevent cockroaches from coming back by being assertive. Always be on the lookout for cracks, gaps, and holes in and around your drains. You should also make sure that there is nothing attractive for cockroaches beyond the drains, such as food and water.
- Always be on the lookout for structural damage. Calling a plumber is the most ideal choice here. Sure, you can probably find cracks, gaps, and holes on your own with a flashlight and if you know your way around your piping system. But you may miss some spots that only a trained professional will be able to see. If you really want to do this yourself, make sure to be thorough and research the appropriate sealant you should use to fix the structural damage.
- Keep your surroundings clean, particularly your bathroom and kitchen. Give cockroaches less incentive for coming up the drain. If there is nothing for them beyond the drain, you can minimize the chances of seeing cockroaches. Give particular attention to the drains in your bathroom and kitchen because these are the drains that usually have cockroach attractors. In the kitchen, leftover food and residue are the common culprits. In the bathroom, they are hair and soap debris. Make sure to wash dishes and wipe surfaces to maintain the cleanliness of your kitchen. For your bathroom, make sure to keep it dry and free of shampoo, soap, and other debris.
- Move garbage cans to more inaccessible locations. Sure, leftover food and drinks are obviously resources that attract cockroaches. But remember that leftovers are not just found in countertops, drains, and tables. They are also very abundant in your garbage cans. Your garbage cans are a haven of resources for cockroaches, especially if you don’t clean them often and they have residue all over them. They are even more attractive if they are not properly sealed. If you have garbage cans near your drains, consider moving them to more inaccessible locations to avoid attracting cockroaches.
You can stop cockroaches from coming up the drain
Cockroaches keep coming up your drains because your drains are ideal passageways for pests in general. It doesn’t help that these passageways also lead to sewers, where cockroaches tend to thrive.
The best way to deal with these pests is to get the help of professionals — licensed pest controllers and plumbers. But if you really want to deal with the problem yourself, be careful in pouring chemicals down the drain. And keep your surroundings clean and free of food and water that may incentivize cockroaches to come up your drains.