Roaches are prolific breeders – which is a big reason why it’s preferable to prevent a roach infestation than it is to get rid of one. They’re active all year, and with their propensity for tracking filth and bacteria, they are known to contribute to asthma, allergies, and the spread of diseases. Knowing how to prevent cockroaches is an essential skill for any homeowner, so let’s talk about it.
How to Roach-Proof Your Home
When roaches are in your home, they’re there for a reason – they can find the resources they need to survive. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent them from finding these resources. Most importantly, you have to stop them from having access to food and water.
Here are ten ways to roach-proof your house and prevent the next infestation before it starts:
- Put food in your fridge and store food in containers with tight-fitting lids. They can chew through paper, cardboard, and thin plastic so food in sealed containers is best.
- Do not leave pet food and water out overnight.
- Wash your dishes and everything else that you’ve used for cooking – pans and utensils – as soon as possible. Don’t leave things to soak overnight.
- Wipe up all spills from stove tops, counters, tables, and floors.
- Vacuum floors and all cracks and crevices to get rid of crumbs. Confine your meals and snacks to the kitchen.
- Take garbage out daily.
- Repair any leaky water pipes or faucets.
- Recycle cans and bottles regularly.
- Wash and clean garbage cans and recycling bins.
- Eliminate favorite hangouts like corrugated cardboard boxes, newspapers, bags and other unnecessary clutter.
How Do Cockroaches Get Inside?
Roaches can get into your home in a variety of ways.
- Cracks and gaps: Roaches can squeeze through small openings in the foundation, walls, or around windows and doors. Sealing cracks and gaps with caulk or weatherstripping can help prevent entry.
- Plumbing pipes: Roaches in our area often enter homes through pipes, drains, and other plumbing fixtures.
- Bags and boxes: Roaches can hitch a ride into your home on grocery bags, cardboard boxes, or other containers from infested areas. You can be extra careful by checking these items before bringing them inside.
- Electrical outlets: Small German cockroaches can often be seen entering and exiting wall outlets in highly infested areas.
- Outdoor vegetation: Overgrown plants or mulch close to your home can attract roaches and give them easy access to your home. Keep vegetation trimmed and away from the exterior.
How Can You Prevent Roaches in an Apartment?
Roaches are highly resourceful. Even if you’re super clean and have a tidy home, they can find a way to survive. In apartments and condos, infestations can thrive because one tenant leaves out food for them, even if every other tenant takes care not to. If you’re living in a multi-family dwelling, they will move around entry points like pipes and holes in shared walls.
In these types of situations, it takes a concerted effort from all tenants to prevent or eliminate cockroaches. In some cases, a landlord may first need to get multi-family pest control services to get the situation under control.
If your cockroach prevention efforts are still unsuccessful, be sure to check out our article >> Why Do I Have Cockroaches?
Cockroach Prevention Is Easier Than Cockroach Control
Cockroach prevention is way easier and more pleasant for you because cockroaches are resilient. It’s not easy to kill them. Consider these facts about cockroach resiliency:
- Roaches will eat nearly anything
- They can also go for weeks without food or water, eventually dying of dehydration
- Roaches can even survive without air for 45 minutes
- Roaches can have thousands of offspring
How to Spot a Cockroach Problem
Cockroaches have a flattened, oval appearance, long spiny legs, and long antennae. They can be reddish brown to dark brown and from tan to black. You will not see its head if you spot it from above. Even though this insect may have wings, it’s unlikely to fly. Cockroaches tend to come out to scavenge at night, so you’re more likely to spot them then.
You may also spot a roach infestation without spotting any actual roaches if you experience any of these symptoms that are associated with roach infestations:
- Itchy eyes
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
- Asthma or allergy triggers
Where Do Cockroaches Hide?
Cockroaches can find many places in your home to hide. They prefer narrow cracks and crevices. Look for them behind the fridge, under sinks, in dark drawers, and in dark cabinets.
They start looking to eat when your lights go out! Eating almost anything! Roaches prefer warm spots with access to water sources.
Each cockroach type prefers different hiding climates:
- German cockroaches prefer kitchen and bathroom areas.
- American cockroaches are commonly found in sewers. They also invade places that store and process food like restaurants, bakeries, hospitals, and grocery stores.
- Brown-banded cockroaches can be found in attics, on ceilings, in furniture, in the upper cabinets of bathrooms and kitchens, and living around the motors of large appliances like refrigerators.
- Oriental cockroaches live in moist areas like sewers, under leaf piles, under stones, and underneath firewood piles.
Call a Professional Cockroach Exterminator
There’s no better way to get rid of cockroaches than calling a professional roach control expert. Our roach treatment plans vary depending on the type of roaches you have – and the type of environment that’s being treated.
Our roach experts will perform a thorough evaluation and set you up with a treatment that works. Call us today for a free estimate.
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