You take pride in your home: you wash the dishes, wipe down your kitchen, vacuum and sweep up, and take out the trash before it piles up. So why do you have cockroaches? Well, contrary to popular belief, you don't need to have a dirty home to have a cockroach infestation.
If you're experiencing a cockroach problem in your clean home, here are some possible reasons why:
1. They're Searching for Shelter
When not looking for food or water, roaches are searching for shelter. When you're as small as a bug, there are a lot more ways into a human home than one might think. Even the smallest gap can be an entry point:
The space between the floor and an exterior door
The gaps around a window AC unit
Vents to the outdoors
Holes in your walls made for cables and pipes
A tear in a window or door screen
Cockroaches can even sneak into your home while you're making a few trips back and forth to bring in your groceries. You can minimize the likelihood of a roach infestation (and other types of pest infestations) by performing regular perimeter checks around and throughout your home and sealing up any small gaps. Additionally, eliminating hiding spots such as cardboard boxes and clutter can prevent roaches from finding shelter.
2. They're Attracted to Water
Did you know that roaches can live for up to a month without food but only a week without water? No matter how clean your home is, if there's some excess moisture somewhere, it could very well be an attractive invitation for your neighborhood roaches. This is one of the reasons why you'll commonly find German cockroaches or American cockroaches hanging out in your bathroom and laundry room, or around an appliance that produces condensation. The kitchen sink is also a common hiding spot for roaches due to its warm, moist environment, which provides easy access to water.
To prevent this issue, make sure to repair leaks around the house, even small ones that don't seem like they'd make a major impact. If you notice standing water around your yard, improve the drainage in those areas so that the moisture won't attract roaches and other pests to your property.
3. They're Foraging
Even if you tidy up your kitchen and dining area after each meal, it still might not be enough to prevent a roach from foraging through your home. Roaches often detect crumbs that have been missed under the refrigerator and microwave, and food that hasn't been adequately sealed in the pantry. They will also eat food that's left out for pets. Additionally, roaches can digest cellulose, which allows them to eat things like paper, cardboard, and wallpaper.
To prevent attracting roaches, it is crucial to clean up food scraps and properly manage pet food. Leaving pet food accessible can invite these pests, so make sure to clean up any leftover food and store it securely.
Cockroaches in the kitchen (or anywhere in your home) are nothing to take lightly. These bugs can contaminate your food and water and are known to carry Salmonella typhimurium, Entamoeba histolytica, and the poliomyelitis virus. Furthermore, cockroach allergens trigger allergies and aggravate asthma. Research is currently underway to study evidence that early exposure to cockroach allergens can actually cause pre-school-aged children to develop asthma.
Uncovering More: How Roaches Enter Your Home
Roaches can enter your home through various means, including cracks and crevices, pipes, drains, and even on used furniture or boxes. They are also attracted to leftover food, dirty dishes, and standing water, which can be found in kitchens and bathrooms. German roaches, in particular, are known to infest homes through used appliances and food packages. To prevent a roach infestation, it's essential to seal all entry points, keep your home clean, and eliminate any food sources that might attract roaches. Using boric acid, diatomaceous earth, or insect growth regulators can also help deter roaches from entering your home.
How to Get Rid of Roaches
If you're tired of seeing roaches skittering across your floors like they pay rent, it's time to evict them. The truth is, getting rid of roaches takes more than just a can of insecticide spray and a dream. To completely eliminate roaches, you've got to think like a Pest Nerd.
Start by targeting their favorite party zones: kitchen sinks, beneath cabinets, and anywhere there's moisture, like around leaky pipes. Bait stations and poisoned bait can be super effective, especially for tricky German cockroaches and brown banded roaches. Working with a team of professionals means strategic placement and advanced plans that target adult roaches and their offspring. No babies means no more roach family reunions in your pantry.
Should You Kill Roaches When You See Them?
Absolutely. Roaches aren't house guests; they're freeloaders with terrible hygiene. Seeing one might mean there are dozens (or hundreds) more hiding in the shadows. Squashing a visible roach is fine, but it's only a temporary fix. Adult roaches you can see are usually just the tip of the infestation iceberg.
Instead of playing whack-a-roach, get strategic. Sticky traps help monitor activity, and bait stations bring poisoned bait back to the colony. You'll want to wear gloves when cleaning or setting traps (roach goo isn't for the faint of heart). And if you're feeling overwhelmed, it's time to bring in the professionals: cough, Greenix, cough.
Clean Homes Still Win the War on Roaches
Sure, a clean house won't guarantee you'll never see a cockroach, but it does make you a way less attractive host. Roaches eat just about anything: leftover food, pet food, food scraps in the trash can, even the glue in cardboard boxes (ew). Dirty dishes, uncovered garbage cans, and crumbs in kitchen cabinets are VIP invites for a cockroach infestation.
A thorough cleaning routine paired with sealed containers and airtight bins can deter roaches from turning your home into a buffet. Store food properly, fix those drippy faucets, and seal cracks around walls and floors. You might not be able to stop every pest from wandering in, but you can make sure they don't stick around for dessert.
Trusted, Sustainable Pest Control Services
At Greenix, we want you to feel comfortable and secure in your home so that you can enjoy peace of mind and more time with your family. For help with cockroaches on your property, don't wait to contact our pest control experts.
