Some visitors to your home are welcome sights; some are not. Certain household pests are dangerous to you and can even cause damage to your home. Others are just plain disgusting and annoying. Unfortunately, cockroaches fall into both categories.
These insects are unsightly nuisances that can thrive in your house under certain conditions. If you don’t act promptly and effectively, cockroaches can take over, leaving you feeling embarrassed, frustrated, or helpless. If you are proactive, you can get rid of these creatures once and for all. There are a variety of methods that you can use to make your home pest-free but if they continue to plague you, it may be time to call a professional and find out how much it would cost to exterminate cockroaches.
A Description of Cockroaches
Cockroaches are reddish-brown insects with a small head and a broad, flat body. There are thousands of species of cockroaches, and they have not changed much in the last hundreds of millions of years that they have been on the earth. Most cockroaches have wings.
These insects thrive in places where it’s warm, humid, and dark; this is why they are most prevalent in basements, bathrooms, and kitchens. Roaches multiply prolifically, and they can live just about anywhere. Roaches can also live without food for a month and can even live for a time without their heads.
Clean, Clean, Clean
Like other pests, cockroaches love a dirty house. The more cluttered and untidy your home is, the more likely you are to find cockroaches. Roaches can use piles of junk in your home and piles of leaves and wood chips outside to hide. Organizing your home will remove these hiding places. More importantly, make sure you clean your home thoroughly and frequently. Leaving crumbs on the table and counter will attract roaches. Remnants of food on the floor is a sure way to get cockroaches into your kitchen. Wipe off all surfaces after each meal and before you go to bed. Sweep floors throughout the day and mop regularly. Vacuuming carpets will also ward off roaches. These important routine cleaning activities will take away their food supply.
Cut off the Water Supply
Similarly, if you remove water from your home and property, cockroaches won’t have any reasons to hang around. Clean up spills right away. Check for leaky pipes or appliances. If you find any of these problems, repair them as soon as possible. Check for puddles or other sources of water around your home as well.
Secure Pet Food
Cockroaches aren’t attracted to just your food: They like dog food and cat food as well. Instead of leaving open bags of pet food in the garage or on the deck, seal it tightly in containers. Don’t leave out full dishes of food overnight. If pieces of food find their way onto the kitchen floor, pick them up before you go to bed for the night.
Leave out Cockroach Bait
If your house is immaculately clean but you still see roaches, it may be time to poison them. Cockroach bait is available at local grocery stores and home improvement stores. These are enticing to roaches and effective at killing them. Be sure to place the bait in places where small children and pets won’t interfere. Instead of placing bait on tables or in other spots out in the open, put it behind appliances or under sinks. In most cases, roaches will die within a couple of days after eating the poison.
Roach Spray
For an even more direct approach, try roach spray. This comes in various varieties, but the tactic is the same – and it’s simple. Simply point the bottle or canister at any roach you see and spray it. The benefit of this method is that it should kill the roach immediately. On the downside, it may not be the most efficient response if you have an infestation.
Natural Killers
You may have some items on hand to kill cockroaches. Mixing baking soda and onions creates a deadly cocktail for cockroaches. Place this in spots where you typically see roaches, including in corners and under furniture. Boric acid is another common way that people have tried with some success. Even turning strips of duct tape upside-down can trap cockroaches where they walk and hang out.
Call an Exterminator
Exterminators are excellent resources for killing roaches and preventing them from coming back. Exterminators will use sprays, traps, and other methods to rid your home of these pests.
Spotting cockroaches is enough to send chills up your spine. You shouldn’t have to contend with these unnerving creatures any longer. Check out these ideas and start trying them today. You may be surprised at how effective these tactics can be.
Comments