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.
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 infestation is a serious problem no matter how bad it is. These animals will contaminate the food and kitchen benches and can cause illnesses such as E. Coli infestation and salmonella.
Pest Control professionals can help with prevention and eradication. If cockroaches keep coming inside your home and you are unable to remove them or determine where are they coming from, we highly recommend you call experts on pest control.
