Cockroach infestations are one of the most disgusting things you can experience as a homeowner. You make all the effort to keep your home cockroach-free, but these pests keep coming back. Here are the top reasons why you have cockroaches at home.
If you know the reasons why they are there, you are one step closer to solving your cockroach problem. All you have to do is to eliminate these reasons and make your home as unattractive as possible to these pests.
Food and water sources
There is a great variety of pests that can invade your home. You have ants, bed bugs, rats, and whatnots. And they all have one thing in common – they are in your home because of food and water. If they can easily access food and water sources in your home, they are likely to go there, nest, and thrive.
Here are some things you can do to prevent cockroaches from getting the food and water they need:
- Avoid leaving crumbs, leftovers, and spilled drinks. Clean up after eating or drinking. You don’t want cockroaches to consume your scraps. If you have leftovers, store them properly in your refrigerator or in sealed containers.
- Keep everything dry. Cockroaches can live for more than a week without water. But you should still try your best to deprive them of the stuff. Wipe all surfaces so there are no drops or spills. As much as possible, keep your whole home dry, even your bathroom. Also, fix piping problems that may provide leaked water to cockroaches.
Garbage
No, your bathroom and kitchen are not the only sources of food and water. Your garbage bins are just as attractive to cockroaches because you throw away food and water there.
Having filthy garbage bins is one of the reasons why you have cockroaches at home. Here are some things you can do to make your garbage bins less attractive to these pests.
- Cover your garbage bins. Use garbage bins with lids. The lids will prevent pests such as cockroaches from accessing the garbage bins easily. Also, empty your garbage bins on a regular basis. You don’t want the garbage to pile up beyond the lids. The lids will be useless at that point.
- Maximize the garbage bins outside. Minimize throwing food and water to the garbage bins inside your home. If possible, always throw away these cockroach attractors to the garbage bins outside. If cockroaches do come for them, at least your doors and walls will serve as an extra layer of protection against these pests.
Clutter
Pests invade homes not just for food and water, but also for shelter. Cockroaches like to stay in dark and undisturbed places such as attics and basements. But they can also be found on the clutter that is significant enough to provide darkness, peace, and warmth.
If you have a lot of stuff at home, you are at risk of getting a cockroach infestation. Avoid cockroaches by dealing with your clutter in these ways:
- Throw away all your old and unnecessary stuff. Empty out your cardboard boxes, shelves, and other containers that may have old and unnecessary items. Bargain items, broken shoes, newspapers, magazines, sentimental items – these are just some of the most common clutter you can find in houses. Consider throwing them away if you really have no need for them.
- Store your stuff properly. If you really can’t let go of these items, at least store them properly. Put them on containers that can’t easily be infiltrated, like aluminum, glass, or plastic. Also, check on them from time to time. You will never know what they will attract if you don’t look after them for months.
Filth
Here’s some bad news – you can still suffer from a cockroach infestation even if your home is squeaky clean. The cockroaches may be finding food and water in places you are not aware of. They may also have passageways in and out of your home. More on that later.
Yes, clean homes are still at risk, but you are not giving yourself better odds if you have a filthy home. Here are some things you can do:
- Focus on your bathroom and kitchen. If you don’t like cleaning that much, at least give attention to your bathroom and kitchen. Keep everything dry and avoid leaving crumbs, leftovers, and spills.
- Wipe all surfaces. Grimes, spills, and stains are attractive to cockroaches. Wipe your countertops. Mop your floors. And scrub your walls if necessary.
Passageways
Easy access is one of the reasons why you have cockroaches at home. Remember that cockroaches are small and thin crawlers and flyers. They have a lot of tools to get in and out of your home. If your home has passageways for these pests, it is basically asking for an infestation.
Here are the common passageways of cockroaches and what you can do about them:
- Keep your doors and windows closed. Humans are not the only ones who use doors and windows. These openings are perfect passageways for pests such as cockroaches. Keep them closed as much as possible. If you can put weather strips on their edges, the better.
- Fix cracks and holes all over your home. Cockroaches are small and thin enough to fit cracks and holes, even those that are only a few millimeters thin. Give particular attention to your walls, especially at the edges of your ceilings and floors. Cover them with the appropriate sealants.
Cockroach-infested neighbors
Your neighbors may have cockroaches. And because cockroaches have a lot of tools to travel to different homes, you are very vulnerable. This is especially true if you live in a condominium or apartment. A small crack on the wall you share with a cockroach-infested neighbor is bad news.
When you think about the reasons why you have cockroaches at home, this is probably not one of the things that come into your mind. Here are the things you can do if you have cockroach-infested neighbors.
- Talk to them. Communication is key for a better relationship with your neighbors – with pests or otherwise. Inform them that their cockroach-infestation is putting you at risk.
- Convince them to get professional help. You can’t always DIY your way out of pest problems, especially if your neighbors are already becoming affected. Seek professional pest controllers to get rid of the pests fast.