Bug Off! Keeping Roaches Out of Your Home
These steps are also effective for people that live in community organizations. The best way to prevent cockroaches from coming in from a neighboring unit is to restrict food sources.
If you suspect possible cockroach populations in your building it would be a good idea to contact your property owner or building janitor and manager. Often they are required to resolve this matter quickly. Until your manager can get a licensed exterminator to the property, it is imperative to begin thorough cleaning of the premises.
Tips to ensure proper cleaning
1. Clean the house often and thoroughly.
2. Before you go to bed, be sure to clean your kitchen. Wipe down counters and stove as well as prepping and cleaning stations. Wash the dishes and put away any food sources, including the family pet’s food and water bowls. Be sure to clean with hot soapy water as this kills any remaining germs but will also ensure you have cleaned up every bit of food or nutrient so the cockroach will have nothing to eat.
3. Keep all chips, cookies, cereals and mixes in airtight containers. Cockroaches will not be able to penetrate the plastic lid to reach the food source inside the tub.
4. Remove excess paper and box products. Cockroaches not only find shelter between the layers, but also can survive off the protein and nutrients found with in the paper.
5. Take out trash often. Be sure to tie bags tightly and check to make sure garbage can lids are secured firmly.
6. Vacuum often. Be sure to sue the attachment to reach into corners and hard to reach places that cockroaches will hide in. Afterwards, be sure to empty your vacuum and tightly tie the bags hut and throw it away immediately.
7. Do not forget the outside of the home as well. Keep your yard free from woodpiles and trash. Rake often to keep dead vegetation from building up as well.
Another way to prevent cockroaches from entering your home would be to make home repairs. No ladies, this is not a way to get your husband to finally repair the drywall. This is a means of safety and precaution against these creatures taking up residence in your home.
Proper repair tips and techniques
1. Cockroaches often find their way into your home through plumbing and drain pipes. Be sure to fix any cracks or leaks in the home. In addition to saving money and reducing waste and mess, this ensures the cockroach does not find its way in through the pipes.
2. In addition to pipes, cockroaches will enter your home through electrical sockets. Be sure to fix and repair any drywall cracks or exterior holes. You will want to seal or fill every crack greater than 1/8 of an inch. I would advise you to seal any crack, no matter the size.
3. Be sure to re-caulk spaces between windows and doors. Cockroaches are attracted to heat emanating from our homes and can be let in through these small cracks and spaces.
4. Remove any loose wallpaper. Cockroaches have been known to eat wallpaper glue for nutrients. Cockroaches also hide behind the layers of wallpaper and can begin to nest there if allowed.
5. Use expandable foam to fill in cracks around outlets, pipes, windows, and doors. Expandable foam provides airtight barriers that are mold and water resistant. The cockroaches will not eat their way through this material and therefore will have to seek out another point of entry.
Cockroaches will also move with you to your new home. Be sure to thoroughly clean everything before you pack it. Once you have packed it, take it immediately to your new home. Do not allow packed boxes or luggage to remain in the old house over night because cockroaches will hide inside the boxes and be carried to the new home. It is best to pack and move during the day when cockroaches are least active. When it comes to furniture and appliances, common hiding places for cockroaches, it is best to allow the furniture to sit out over night. The cold nighttime air will drive the cockroaches out of their hiding places and force them to seek shelter elsewhere.
You should know though that exterminations rarely work fully on the first attempt. Cockroaches are resilient bugs and often you will see more after you have had your house cleaned. Egg sacs in particular have very durable protective coating that can protect the larva inside from the toxic fumes. The gases will kill the adults, and your house will be roach free until the egg sacs hatch. Then the cycle begins again.
Consider using baits and glue traps as a precautionary measure even after your house has been bombed or sprayed.
Another point would be to keep up on house chores. Often food left sitting out and excess trash are what attracted the roaches to the home the first time. Continued proper hygiene will reduce the chances of attracting more cockroaches.
If you do happen to find yourself infested again, you will have to spray or bomb the house again to ensure a healthy home. If you feel you have kept a clean house and cannot find the reason for a cockroach community, you may want to considering looking at outside ways in.
Often you can bring them in from a friend’s or relative’s home or they will visit from the neighbors. You will have to take extra precautions if this is the case. Consider talking to your friend and seeing if they have noticed a problem. They may not be aware of their own problem. If this makes you uncomfortable as it most likely would, consider leaving purses and coats or bags in the vehicle.
If you feel the critters may be coming from a neighbor’s, you will have to take steps to stop them from entering the yard or home. Consider creating a protective border around the house with a non-toxic chemical or one that an exterminator says is safe. You could also leave traps out throughout the yard, near sheds or garages. Cockroaches will be attracted to these and take the poison back to the nest. You may even be able to help your neighbor defeat their cockroach problem without their even knowing.
