Cockroaches are among the world’s most common domestic pests.

They are just another insect thriving in the warm sticky heat of summer. The warm weather promotes breeding, which means more cockroaches will look for food in your home.

In winter, the cockroach population shrinks but they are forced to search indoors for cover, making them more visible.

It’s not only unpleasant to have cockroaches but they can contaminate your food, transmit dangerous bacteria, and worst of all, survive all the eradication attempts.

Luckily even the most aggressive infestations can be prevented with a few tricks and tools.

1. Remove any food source

Cockroaches, like humans, need food to survive. These animals will survive off almost everything left out for them, including crumbs, garbage, and even unopened food.

They like to live behind appliances such as the refrigerator, dishwasher… as they can find a nice, warm environment. It is unusual to carry out regular cleaning behind those appliances so they would probably find a food source there.

Here’s a few things you can do to prevent this:

• Start by cleaning the inside of the kitchen cupboards, ensuring there is not spilt or leftover food.
• Do not leave food packages open, be sure to close them well so that cockroaches cannot access the inside.
• Clean behind kitchen appliances such as fridge dishwasher…
• Make sure you don’t leave dishes with leftovers of food in the sink.
• Place your garbage in a bin with a tight lid and take it out regularly.
• Repair any leaky pipes or a dripping sink as they are good water sources for cockroaches.

Cockroaches aren’t just a hygiene nuisance — they carry more than a dozen diseases including Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria that contaminate the surfaces they walk across.

2. Cover entry points

Cockroaches are highly adaptable intruders in the household and they can easily hide their presence. They use any small gap for entry with most common entry points being holes, doors, windows, vents, pipes and sink…

Here’s how you can block the entry points:

• Cover any holes with copper mesh or steel wool.
• Make sure doors and windows shut properly and are airtight.
• Flyscreens can help to protect these entry points.
• Seal any hole in the house which may be on the wall with cement or plaster.
• Vents should be covered preferably with screens making sure that the ventilation is not affected.

3. Seek professional help

Cockroach infestations are a serious hygiene and health risk regardless of severity. They carry Salmonella, E. coli and other pathogens, and their shed skins and droppings trigger asthma and allergic reactions.

DIY products have two key limitations: they don’t reach the harbourage areas where cockroaches actually live (inside wall cavities, under appliances, in subfloor spaces), and they don’t affect cockroach eggs. Professional cockroach pest control uses commercial-grade gel bait placed directly in harbourage zones and residual spray on skirting boards and entry points — addressing the lifecycle, not just visible adults.