Cockroaches. One of the most notorious pests around, right up there with rats and mice. We all know what they look like, and we all get the heebie-jeebies when we see one skitter across the floor.
If you don’t want to suffer from roach invasions and infestations, then you have to know what they like, what they hate, and how you can get rid of them if the need arises. So, in this article, we will go over what attracts cockroaches, some preventive measures you can take, and the available extermination options.
What Are Cockroaches Attracted to
If you want to keep roaches away from your property, the first thing you need to understand is what attracts them to it in the first place.
1. Food
Like any living thing, cockroaches need food to survive. They are omnivores, which means that they will eat practically anything. But they are particularly fond of starchy foods, sweets, grease, and meat. Any easy sources of sustenance—like food left out in the open—will attract roaches like a magnet.
2. Water
Cockroaches need water as well as food. And even if your home is free of any food debris, roaches can still come inside seeking a source of water. Even a leaky pipe under your sink could attract this pesky pest.
3. Shelter
Another reason cockroaches enter our homes is to seek shelter. They need a safe space to survive and reproduce, which our houses often offer. They love quiet and undisturbed places where they can stay out of sight and establish themselves. Their hiding spots differ from one species of roach to another, but some favourites are under the sink, behind the toilet, under stacks of boxes, and even in the backs of electronics.
How to Get Rid Of Cockroaches in Your London Home
Now that you know what attracts these insects, the next thing you need to understand is how you can make your home an unattractive harborage for them.
1. Seal potential entry points
The best way to stop cockroaches from getting into your home in the first place is to seal off any cracks, gaps, and holes that can provide easy access to the inside of your house. Look for cracks and crevices around doors and windows. Check for any holes around your home – most often around pipes, cables, and ventilation.
After you’ve found the weak points of your house, it’s time to fix them. Use caulk to seal any small crevices tightly. For larger holes, it would be best to use expanding foam instead.
2. Don’t leave crumbs around
Like we said before, any food left lying around in the open is practically roach bait! That includes dirty dishes, leftovers, crumbs on the counter, and pet food on the ground.
Clean up after cooking, wash dishes immediately after eating, put away uneaten pet food, and close your trash cans tightly. If you don’t leave any easily accessible food for the cockroaches, they won’t be able to thrive in your home.
3. Keep your home decluttered
Cockroaches like quiet and undisturbed places to hide in. Any clutter around your home ticks this box perfectly for them, especially stacks of newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes, and the likes.
Declutter your home by selling, food recycling, and throwing away anything you don’t need. You’ll free up tons of space, destroy potential cockroach lairs, and feel much better overall!
4. Store food properly
Food debris isn’t the only thing you should keep under control – any left-out food is a prime roach snack. Instead of leaving food all over the place, place it in tightly sealed boxes and, if possible, in the refrigerator. Less food out in the open, fewer chances of a cockroach infestation.
5. Eliminate moisture in your home
Some species of cockroaches love living in dark, moist spots, like under your leaky kitchen sink, for example. Any spots that are damp or hold water can attract roaches. This includes leaky pipes, faucets, showers, around toilets, and even pet water bowls. Resolve any plumbing issues, keep the moisture in your house under control, and avoid keeping any water on or near the ground more often than is needed.
Not all roaches like living in humid spots, but all species need water to survive. Cockroaches might be able to last over a month without any food, but they can only last one week without water. Eliminating the roach water supply is a surefire way of keeping their population in check.
How to Exterminate Cockroaches at Home
You tried your best to prevent a cockroach invasion, but alas, they’re already skittering about your home. So what are some ways to eliminate these nasty critters in a pinch?
1. Try trapping them with glue strips
Glue strips are a great solution, as not only do they trap and kill roaches, but they can also be strategically placed around the house (inside or outside) and show you where the cockroaches are entering from.
Place the glue strips in areas where you often see roaches hanging around and spots where you have suspicions that roaches enter from. You can easily see how much traffic there is in each area by the number of cockroaches caught. When you see that a strip is filling up with dead bugs, simply swap it out for a fresh one.
2. Apply some boric acid
Boric acid is a natural compound that is highly useful against cockroaches. While it is only mildly toxic to humans, it is absolutely deadly to roaches! The substance disrupts their nervous and digestive systems, leading to a quick demise.
Using boric acid is simple – just sprinkle a small amount onto a paper plate, put a spoonful of peanut butter in the middle of it, and place the whole thing anywhere you’ve noticed roach activity.
3. Spread diatomaceous earth
Diatomaceous earth, a compound consisting of finely ground fossilised microalgae called diatoms, is a widespread mechanical insecticide. It works by damaging the outermost layer of insects’ bodies and subsequently dehydrating them to death. Some people may have used it in their garden before to get rid of certain pests, but it’s just as useful inside – to make quick work of cockroaches!
All you need to do is purchase some food-grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it around in all the cockroach hotspots around your home. The rest will happen by itself.
4. Deter cockroaches with essential oils
This method won’t actually kill any cockroaches, but it will deter them from sticking around your house. Roaches loathe the aroma of certain essential oils, so make use of their weakness! Purchase lemon, peppermint, or lemongrass essential oil and mix it with a bit of water. Spray this mixture anywhere around your home where you’ve spotted roaches.
Conclusion
Cockroaches are not only disgusting, but they can even carry diseases, so they aren’t something you want to see crawling around your home. But now that you’ve read this article, you know how to keep cockroaches from entering your house, and even if they do, you will be more than prepared to deal with them.
If the infestation seems to have gotten out of hand, it may be time to make use of a professional cockroach control service. The expert pest controllers will make quick work of all those persistent roaches.
