Reason For Cockroach Infestation | Where To Check | Ways To Get Rid Of Cockroaches | Neem | Boric Acid | White Vinegar | Bay Leaves | Essential Oils | Baking Soda And Sugar | Cucumber | Cinnamon | Peppermint | Onion Garlic And Pepper | Fabric Softener | How To Inspect | Preventive Measures | FAQs
What’s more disgusting than seeing cockroaches crawling in your kitchen? They tend to roam around freely on the kitchen floor and also on countertops. These creatures not only look nasty but also carry germs and dirt that can lead to diseases and infections. It is thus important to find ways to get rid of cockroaches.
It is more disturbing to see that even after you clean the kitchen properly, cockroaches tend to come out from their hiding spots as soon as you leave the kitchen unattended. The moment you turn off the light, they make their way out and have a nice time crawling in the kitchen.
There can be several reasons why cockroaches get attracted to certain houses. You should make sure to know the root cause and inspect the places that are entry points for these nasty creatures. Whenever you see the first sign of cockroach infestation in your house, you should take immediate action to get rid of them. We have come up with several home remedies that will help you in keeping cockroaches away.
Give these a try and also learn more about how to seal entry points and the reasons why cockroaches are making their way toward your house.
What Brings Cockroaches To Your House?
People have a notion that cleanliness keeps all bugs and pests away. Well, it is true for most insects. When it comes to roaches, they can easily thrive in a clean kitchen too. You will get to see a denser infestation in dirty places but a very clean kitchen or bathroom can easily be home to cockroaches.
Certain reasons attract them towards your house. These are:
Wet and humid sinks
If you leave your kitchen sinks wet all the time, it is sure to attract cockroaches as wet and humid conditions are favourable for their survival. It is also advised to clean dishes and utensils rather than leaving them in the sink overnight.
Food bits
Any leftover food on the countertops as well as floors calls for the crawlies. Roaches come in search of food and they tend to stay back in your kitchen forever.
Waste cans
Dustbins are the best places where roaches thrive and love spending time. If you have open trash cans in your kitchen and it is always overflowing with garbage, you ought to have a massive cockroach infestation. Make sure to keep garbage cans with lids and also try to dispose off the waste from time to time.
Newspapers and cardboards pile
Many homemakers use newspapers to cover the base of cabinets to keep them clean but it becomes home to cockroaches and they also tend to reproduce and lay eggs on newspapers thus multiplying quickly. Cardboard boxes also serve as a lovely home for roaches.
Threats to humans
You must have heard about mosquitoes, rodents and other pests spreading diseases but did you know that roaches are no less. They can spread several diseases and infections because they too carry dirt, bacteria etc on their bodies.
Cockroaches thrive in drains and toilets and their oily body type is always full of bacteria and viruses. When they loiter in the kitchen or dining area, they tend to shed dirt from their bodies and this results in the spread of infections. Some well-known diseases caused by cockroach infestation are E. Coli, Cholera, Dysentry.
While loitering in the kitchen, the crawlies tend to contaminate the floors and countertops and even the utensils.
Note: It is a good practice to wash every utensil you use for consuming or even cooking food in the kitchen.
Where To Inspect?
Just like us humans, these roaches also need water and food to thrive. A shelter adds a bonus and your home becomes the best place for them to live in.
Kitchen and toilets
Now that you know the crawlies are always in search of food and water, the kitchen and also the toilets are places you will find them the most. Always check beneath sinks and check for cabinet corners.
The garbage cans in your house should also be inspected from time to time for any kind of infestation. All the areas where you either prepare or consume food should be inspected at regular intervals.
Inspect outdoor areas
If you are looking for ways to get rid of cockroaches, you should never forget to inspect and treat the outdoors. These creatures not just thrive inside but can easily infest the outdoor areas like sheds, leaf litters, dumping areas etc.
Dark storage rooms
If you have storage rooms or cellars in your house, there is a high probability of cockroach infestation. Roaches love dark areas and if there’s food, it is always a bonus for them.
Ways To Get Rid Of Cockroaches: Home Remedies
Cockroaches are stubborn pests and getting rid of them without killing them is tough. There are home remedies that kill roaches when they come in contact with them. But if you prefer to just make them run away, you can opt for the ones that are not hazardous.
However, for serious infestations, it is mandatory to go for ways to kill them. The crawlies multiply very fast and if not taken care of, your house can quickly become a storehouse of cockroaches. We are sure you wouldn’t want this, so here are the ways to get rid of cockroaches using home remedies.
1. Neem
Known to have a lot of health benefits, neem is not just good for humans but also acts as an amazing pest repeller. You can use neem in several forms and ways to kill these creatures. The easiest one is to take a few neem leaves and make a paste out of them by adding water. Then mix the paste with water and use a spray bottle to spray this liquid on infested areas.
You can also dilute neem oil in water and follow the same process as mentioned above. Neem powder works equally good and dusting it in infested areas at night as well as morning helps a lot.
2. Boric Acid
The most well-known remedy for killing cockroaches is dusting boric acid on the floor as well as in the corners of the house. You just need to wait and let the powder stay for some time. As soon as the roaches come in contact with the powder, they are likely to die.
Note: You should always be extra cautious with boric powder because of its poisonous nature. Make sure to keep kids and pets away.
3. White Vinegar
One of the most commonly found ingredients in the kitchen, white vinegar when mixed with hot water works as a great cockroach repeller. You should wipe your countertops and floors with this solution to keep roaches at bay.
Additionally, spilling this solution in the kitchen sinks will prevent cockroaches from thriving in the drain pipes to come out at night.
4. Bay Leaves
A common ingredient that is used in everyday cooking, bay leaves not just add flavour to your food but also add flavour to your life by keeping cockroaches away. Crush a few leaves and leave them in cabinets or severely infested areas. You can also make a spray liquid by boiling a few leaves in water. Use it on floors and corners.
5. Essential Oils
The essential oils like lavender oil that you love using for your skincare regime or as an aromatic oil also acts as a remedy for keeping roaches away. A few spritzes on areas infested with cockroaches works wonder.
6. Baking Soda And Sugar
Ever heard about remedies wherein one component is used to attract the pest and the other kills it? Well, here the sugar is used to lure cockroaches towards the baking soda that ultimately kills them. A mixture of sugar and baking soda dusted over the infested areas will do the job.
7. Cucumber In A Jar
Take a tin can and store slices of cucumber in it. The slices react with the tin and a typical odour is emitted from the jar. This pest tends to hate the smell and it is sure to run away from it.
Cockroaches are also believed to hate the smell of cucumber in general and they are likely to run away if you simply throw a few pieces of cucumber in infested areas.
8. Cinnamon
Roaches hate the strong smell of cinnamon and you can use this spice to keep them away from your house. Dusting cinnamon powder in and around areas where you often spot these creatures is all you need to do.
9. Peppermint Oil
Spraying peppermint oil mixed with saltwater on infested areas is one of the easiest ways to get rid of cockroaches. Make sure to repeat this process at regular intervals to ensure that your house is cockroach free.
10. Garlic, Pepper And Onion
Take one litre of water and add pepper powder as well as garlic and onion paste to it. Use this spray over corners, under sinks and other places where you spot the roaches in your house. They are sure to stay away.
11. Fabric Softener
A solution made with fabric softener and water when sprayed on roaches kills them instantly. This however works for a smaller infestation and you need to look for other effective remedies if the problem is spread largely.
All these remedies are likely to work and give you some relief by protecting your home from the nasty crawlies. Most of the components are easily available in your kitchen or home and you can give them a try. Do let others know which one worked wonders for your home.
How To Inspect?
Now that you know about the ways to get rid of cockroaches, your first mission should be to inspect your house for infestation.
- Look for egg capsules that roaches often leave in places where they thrive.
- Any damages to your food packages, stored items and even pieces of furniture indicate cockroach activity in the house.
- Inspect common infestation areas for roach skin which they tend to shed every 4-5 days.
- See if your kitchen sinks or toilets have an unusual pungent smell. This indicates the presence of roaches.
- When this pest loiters around places in the house, it leaves a dropping almost black. You can also search for smear marks in wet areas.
How To Prevent Roach Entry?
By now you know that roaches can survive and attack clean homes. But, if you use certain remedies even if there are no signs of infestation, there are chances you can prevent them from entering your house.
- Do not leave food crumbs anywhere in the house.
- Make sure to get the water leakage issue solved at the earliest.
- Keep checking cabinets, under sink areas and toilets from time to time and maintain cleanliness.
- Monitor the stuff in your storage room at regular intervals.
- Do not store newspapers or cardboard anywhere in the house.
- Seek professional help
A cockroach infestation can be a serious problem if not taken care of. Sometimes when your house is densely populated with these creatures, it is not possible to control their spread with home remedies. It is then time to look for professional help.
Opt for the best pest control service team and let them work diligently to make your home pest free. Roaches if left unattended can make your daily life haywire so it is always advised to take serious measures as soon as you spot them.
FAQs
1. Can cockroaches infest clean houses?
Yes, cockroaches prefer to thrive in dirty places but they can easily survive on food and water even if the place is clean enough.
2. How do you know you have a serious roach infestation in your house?
Being nocturnal, roaches usually come out during the night. When you start spotting them in the daytime, there are chances that you have a really serious infestation that requires professional help.
3. Do cockroaches come back?
Most home remedies do not work long-term. Keep repeating them at regular intervals. The ones that kill the roaches do not work when you have a large infestation at home. The remedies that only make them run away are one-time solutions. They can easily come back and thrive again.
4. What do cockroaches thrive upon?
Roaches love humid, dark and cool places. They look for food and water and can make your kitchen their nesting place.
5. Can you get rid of cockroaches permanently?
Pest control service providers suggest that you should get pest control done every year. Not just cockroaches, but any other pest can easily re-infest after a certain period. If you take pest control services at regular intervals, your house is likely to stay pest free permanently.