Like bed bugs, cockroaches are among the most common living and infesting different areas. They carry diseases and bacteria that they can transmit to other people and animals. So even though they are not considered as harmful as other pests, you should still get rid of them.
Signs of cockroaches are cockroach droppings or cockroach poop, odor, shredded cockroach skin, smear marks, and eggs. Once you notice a few of these signs, it could be an indication that there are, indeed, cockroaches in your house. Luckily, you can do a few things in order to get rid of them. In order to do that, you must first know what attracts cockroaches.
There are a lot of things in your home that can attract bed bugs, but one thing is for sure, cockroaches invade your home because of shelter, water, and food. However, although cockroaches eat bed bugs, it doesn’t necessarily mean that cockroaches are attracted to bed bugs, as it’s not their primary food source.
So, today, we will share with you some home improvement ideas on how to get rid of cockroaches and how to prevent them in the first place.
Remove crumbs and spills
Food and standing water are one of the few things and two most common things that attract cockroaches. They are attracted to food that smells like starch, sugar, grease, meat, and cheese. The pungent smell of rotting foods can also attract cockroaches. On the other hand, cockroaches are attracted to water because they cannot survive without water. They can go about their lives without eating, but they have to drink water.
Moreover, cockroaches will eat any kind of food, including little bits of food left on your dirty dishes. Therefore, immediately wash dirty dishes once done eating. Avoid leaving your dirty dishes in the sink or lying around in your house for too long. This also includes all used and dirty utensils that you have used for cooking.
Additionally, you should keep your kitchen clean by storing your food properly. Store foods in an airtight container, clean your kitchen cabinets and check for any leakage from your refrigerator or under the sink.
Pet food will also attract cockroaches because it is a source of food. Sometimes, your pets will not finish their food, so keep them lying around in their pet bowls. Whether it is dry or wet pet food, it can still attract cockroaches. You can avoid this by cleaning your pet’s food bowls after they eat or by giving them just the right amount of food to avoid leftovers.
Lastly, cockroaches are attracted to your garbage bins even if there are no foods in there. So throw your trash properly, seal the bags, and cover the garbage bins.
Use dehumidifier
A humid and moist environment attracts cockroaches, which is why as mentioned earlier, you should remove anything that can produce excess moisture, like standing water in your home.
But another way to remove humidity and moisture in your home is to use a dehumidifier to eliminate the excess humidity and moisture in your house.
Set out trap
There are many cockroaches that are sticky enough to trap them once they get in contact with it. Attract them by leaving a piece of food like bread and sprinkling a dash of boric acid as well to kill them.
If you want to make your own trap, you can use a board and put some peanut butter or tape on it as the sticky substance that will trap cockroaches. Then, put food to attract them and boric acid to kill them.
Seal entryways
If you see signs of cockroaches and suspect that you have cockroaches inside your home, you may wonder how they got inside.
Cracks, crevices, holes, doorways, plumbing lines, packages, and the basement are just a few entryways of these pesky pests. Try sealing up as many entryways as possible to reduce the chance of cockroaches entering your home.
Spray Repellent
You can easily buy cockroach repellent in any store near you. However, you can also try making your own cockroach repellent. You can combine essential oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender, cypress, and peppermint to create your own spray repellent.
You can also light some candles that diffuse these kinds of smells that will repel cockroaches. On the other hand, if you have a pet cat and you keep catnip to drive them crazy. You can also use this to drive cockroaches crazy. Nepetalactone, a substance in catnip, is known to be a strong repellent of cockroaches.
Hire professional exterminator
Now we saved the best for the last. The most effective and best way to get rid of cockroaches is to call and hire a professional pest control company.
They are experts in identifying the type of pests that are infesting your home, knowing the root cause of the infestation, and the severity of your problem. Additionally, they know the best and most effective ways how to get rid of any type of pests. According to a pest control company in Fort Worth, Texas if you suspect that you are dealing with a cockroach infestation, the best option you have is to call a pest control company.
