You do everything you can to keep your house squeaky clean. You do this not just to make your house comfortable and livable, but also to avoid pests such as cockroaches. But do you know that cockroaches can actually thrive in a clean house? So, why are there cockroaches in your clean house?
Cockroaches are not just attracted to dirty houses
There are some cockroach species that are associated with filth – such as the German cockroach. But there are other species that are not necessarily in a house because it is dirty. For instance, the American cockroach may be in your clean house just because it happens to find an opening.
The sight of such a cockroach doesn’t mean that you have a dirty house, and you need to rethink the way you keep your house clean. It may mean that you only need to make a few adjustments to avoid hitchhiking cockroaches stumbling upon your property and starting an infestation.
Here are the strongest reasons why there are cockroaches in clean houses and effective methods on how to solve them.
Why there are cockroaches in your clean house
1. Your house is not as clean as you think
Do you really clean your house properly? It’s easy to say that you have finally cleaned your house just because you turned on the vacuum for a few minutes. You have to be thorough to prevent attracting cockroaches. If cockroaches can thrive even in clean houses, you are not giving yourself any favors if you have a dirty house.
- Clean the parts of a house that are often neglected. Many homeowners neglect certain parts of their house when cleaning. These parts can accumulate dirt and grime that cockroaches may find attractive. Such parts include the areas below furniture, baseboards, kitchen cabinets, mattresses, refrigerators, windows, and those small spaces behind toilets. They can be breeding grounds for cockroaches.
- Throw away clutter that can serve as hiding spots. Your house may be clean, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have clutter around, especially if you are sentimental. Many sentimental items are old and musky – the perfect spot for cockroaches to thrive. Clutter can come in many forms, from sentimental books to old shoe boxes.
2. Food and water are too accessible in your house
Just like any other pest, cockroaches need food and water to survive. If they can find these resources in your home easily, they may be able to thrive there. Make sure to make these resources inaccessible.
- Store consumables properly and clean up after eating. One way to make these resources inaccessible is by storing them in containers and refrigerators. That may seem like obvious advice, but you will be surprised by how many homeowners just leave food and water out in the open, especially on countertops and tables. You should also pick up crumbs, wipe spills, and wash dishes immediately after eating.
- Don’t forget about your pet’s food and water. You and your family are not the only ones consuming food and water. Your pets may have food and water easily accessible to cockroaches too. You should store pet food properly and clean after your pet has eaten.
- Avoid letting your garbage cans overflow. Another source of food and water is the garbage can, especially the ones in your dining area and kitchen because they have the tendency to have more consumables. Make sure the lids of your trash cans are always down and empty the trash cans before they overflow.
- Fix piping issues. You don’t always see piping issues. You can have a clean house, but deep inside, your pipes are leaking and attracting pests like cockroaches. If you think you have piping issues, call a professional plumber to get them fixed. Leaks provide enough sustenance for cockroaches, so if they don’t get fixed, you are basically begging for an infestation.
3. Your house has passageways where cockroaches can enter and exit
Speaking of piping, do you know that the piping system around your home may have gaps between them that are big enough for cockroaches? It’s the same for your electrical wiring. There are a lot of small cracks, gaps, and holes around your house that may be serving as passageways for cockroaches.
- Remember that cockroaches can get through the tiniest of gaps. Cockroaches can flatten their flexible exoskeletons and spread their legs to go through the thinnest gaps. This is the reason why you often see cockroaches near windows even if your windows are closed. There may be small gaps in the windows where cockroaches can fit.
- Close off all possible passageways. To minimize the risk of having cockroaches in your clean house, make sure to cover or seal all the cracks, gaps, and holes you can see, including the cracks and holes in your walls and the gaps between your doors and windows.
4. You have a lot of clutter where cockroaches can hide
A clean house is not necessarily clutter-free. Even a clean house has cardboard boxes, old magazines and newspapers, and piles of old DVD’s and toys. Unfortunately, these are some of the most common hiding places for cockroaches.
- Throw away everything you don’t need anymore. Check around your house and look for items that have no practical or sentimental value and throw them away. They are basically free real estate for pests.
- Store items you don’t want to throw away in cabinets or containers. If these old and musky items have some sentimental value and you don’t want to get rid of them, the least you can do is to make them inaccessible to pests. Put them in cabinets or containers, preferably those made of glass or metal, so pests won’t be able to chew on them easily.
5. Cockroaches thrive in your house’s exterior
Remember that your house has an exterior too. You may have a garden, lawn, or yard that needs to be maintained. If you don’t maintain your house’s exterior, they may end up becoming breeding grounds not just for cockroaches, but also for mosquitoes and other pests.
- Trim your greeneries. Plants, shrubs, trees – you name it. These provide food and shelter for pests, so you better trim them down. Cockroaches that thrive near your greeneries may be able to infiltrate your home, no matter how clean it may be.
- Avoid stagnant water. Your house’s exterior has many sources of water – birdbaths, flower pots, garden ponds, gutters, and even random craters in the soil. Make sure to remove all stagnant water around your house to avoid them from providing sustenance to pests.
Cockroaches can thrive in clean houses
Cockroaches are not always a sign of a dirty house. These pests can actually thrive in clean houses too, especially when food and water are too accessible and there are a lot of dark, moist, and warm places to settle in.
Avoid getting cockroaches in your clean house by minimizing access to food, water, and shelter.