Preventing Roach Infestations: How to Keep Cockroaches Away

Once you notice roaches, your first thought might be to grab a can of insecticide and spray them. By doing this, you may expose your family to the toxic chemicals that may affect their health.

Did you know that most cockroaches develop resistance against different insecticides, making it virtually impossible to eradicate them using chemical on its own?

What you need is a foolproof way to prevent roaches from setting up home in your place. Besides, don’t these critters give you the chills to the extent that you would do whatever it takes to get rid of them?

Prevent Roaches From Entering Your Home

One of the reasons roaches enter your home is when they smell food, which includes trash. They certainly aren’t picky about what they want to eat. Do not give them a reason even to try.

Do not leave the door open. Be sure to close any openings. If your door is left wide open, they will invite themselves in without even thinking twice.

Some of the more common areas where roaches will enter include:

  • Door trims
  • Window trims
  • Cracks or holes in the walling
  • Dryer vents
  • Drains
  • Wiring that runs along the wall from the outside in
  • Be sure to seal up your window trims and doors using silicone or caulk

The most common roaches you will find in the US would be the German and American roaches. Both species are active year-round. They make their appearance in the dark of the night when looking for food and water.

These pests are nocturnal by nature and spend their days hiding away in secluded spots in your home.

What Attracts Cockroaches?

One way to prevent roaches is to educate yourself on what attracts them in the first place. Whether it be rodents, termites, ants, and roaches, they all search for food and water sources, which is readily available in any home. Cockroaches, in general, are prone to make their appearance during warmer and more humid weather conditions.

They like dirty dishes in your wash-up area, garbage lying around, pet food in a bowl on the floor, food crumbs on kitchen counters or the floor, excess moisture, and leftover food in cans.

Top Tips for Preventing Roaches

Make a point of keeping your abode clean and clutter-free the best way you can. Some doable tips would be to:

  • Tuck any clutter inside storage containers
  • Store any food in airtight and sealed containers

It boils down to making your home as inhospitable to these critters as much as possible by ensuring it remains spic and span.

Make sure you do the following:

  • Clear any crumbs immediately
  • Clean dishes and put them away after meals
  • Take out the trash before heading off to sleep
  • Mop tiled flooring regularly

Another way that many homeowners love doing is to purchase store-bought traps. These cockroach killing devices work some of the time in that they release a scent to attract the roaches and trap them inside so they can die. These devices may take up to two weeks before you will see any results.

Some feel that liquid concentrates will do an excellent job to prevent roaches. Once it is diluted, you can easily spray it into crevices and cracks or other areas where you know these pests will hide. Your counters and floors can also be wiped using a solution made from the liquid.

If you are keen on adopting a DIY approach, you can make use of boric acid as a home remedy for getting rid of roaches. You need to mix balls of dough that consist of equal amounts of sugar, flour, and boric acid, then place these in strategic places around your home.

There are a host of different methods to prevent roaches that other people who had this problem will tell you about.

Some of these are:

  • Get rid of cardboard boxes and old newspapers
  • Use roach repellents purchased online or from your nearest hardware store
  • Make use of a dog food dispenser
  • Purchase tried and tested cockroach killers
  • Employ professional pest control
  • Plug all leaks as roaches can live for months without water but not without water

Depending on where in the US, you are, to prevent roaches can only go so far. One may reach a point where you have to tap the knowledge of pest control specialists or check out reviews online as to the best cockroach killers.

Resources— Antipesto, Pest Hacks, MNN

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