Generally, all pests are frowned upon, but cockroaches are probably the most hated of them all. Not only are these pesky crawlers unpleasant to look at, they contaminate foods, trigger allergies, and on the rare occasion, they can also carry diseases.
However, there's a big misconception that roaches only infest dirty environments. Sure, these resilient insects do thrive better in unclean areas, but even if you maintain a tidy home, roaches can easily find food and water.
So what happens when you turn on the lights one day and see a roach scurrying to get underneath the fridge?
Of course, it is always a shock when your clean home suddenly becomes infested, but worry not, because there are ways you can get rid of roaches before you require professional help.
1. Eliminate their food sources
Food and shelter are two of the main things that roaches are after when they enter your home. So it's crucial that you ensure that even the smallest spills are cleaned immediately, leftovers are covered and stored, and food items in your cupboards are properly sealed.
Check behind the stove and refrigerator for food residues that may lurking there. Also, make sure your garbage and recycling bins are covered, cleaned and taken out regularly.
2. Create some baits
They may be tiny and fast, but you can certainly outsmart them. Since spraying pesticides in your home can contaminate surfaces like the counter tops and lead to health complications, gel bait is one safer and easier way to handle your roach problem.
The active ingredients in baits contain attractants that draw the roaches out of their hiding places and effectively kill them.
3. Disrupt their hiding places
Cockroaches love dark and warm areas of the home, so it's highly likely that you'll find them behind appliances, in bins and boxes, as well as in stacks of paper and cardboard.
So make sure you don't leave things open, be it the kitchen or the garage, seal all crevices using caulk or steel wool, and as mentioned earlier, empty out the recycling bin regularly.
4. Use Boric Acid
In addition to gel bait, boric acid, commonly found in other household products like laundry detergent and toothpaste, can be effective in killing roaches. The chemical is non-toxic to humans, but it is deadly to roaches.
Make sure you read the instructions carefully before applying it to problem area, because it will lose its effectiveness if not applied properly.
5. Make a baking soda and sugar mix
If you're concerned about using boric acid, baking soda and sugar are safer alternatives.
Mix equal parts baking soda and sugar to create a mixture that can be sprinkled in problem areas as a bait for the roaches to eat. Once the baking soda mixes with the bugs' stomach acid, it will slowly but surely kill them.
6. Call a professional
As I touched on earlier, roaches can taint your food and cause food-borne illnesses like salmonella and E. coli, so if none of the above methods have worked for you, it is very important that you seek out professional help. Pest control professionals can help you identify where the issue is stemming from, and help rid your home of these nasty bugs.
Hopefully these tips will help you eliminate these nasty pests from your home once and for all.
Do you or someone you know have a roach problem? Let us know!