What is the first thing you should do when you see cockroaches in your house? Call an expert, try to figure out how to remove them yourself or spray an insecticide? If you pick a bottle of insecticide, you might expose your kids and pets to dangerous chemicals. And if you look for a specialist, you might part with a lot of money. So, how do you keep cockroaches out of your home?
Clean Your House Regularly
As with other household pests, cockroaches are usually attracted to a dirty environment. To keep roaches at bay, you need to ensure your house is spotless because these pests are attracted to food particles. This means you should wash your dirty dishes every night instead of leaving them in the sink.
You should also wipe down the counters and sweep the floors to get rid of any food particles that might have fallen down while you were eating and ensure your stove-top is clean before sleeping.
Although these tasks seem a lot to perform every day, soon it will become routine. By doing this, you’ll decrease the chances cockroaches settle down in your home.
Make a Natural Cockroach Bait
To make a natural cockroach bait, mix three spoons of powdered sugar with one spoon of boric acid, and then add some leftover food to the mixture. The sugar acts as bait because it lures the cockroaches to the mixture, while the acid kills them.
Sprinkle it behind and under your fridge, the sink, dishwasher, as well as, into holes or cracks along the edges of pantries and kitchen cabinets. Bear in mind that boric acid isn’t harmful to pets and people. However, you should remove it from the counters and also keep it away from places that little children can access since it is irritating.
Seal Up Cracks
If there are cracks or holes in the baseboards, between the wall and the counter-top and inside your pantry, seal them up. It’s crucial to seal all these cracks since cockroaches tend to crawl the smallest spaces.
Although this may take some time, it is worth the effort in the end, especially if you live with neighbors that don’t maintain the same level of hygiene as you do. You can use a caulking gun or a tube of caulk to do this task.
Repair Any Water Leaks
Cockroaches are attracted to water leaks in pipes and also moist places. That is why you will always find them under the sink. Due to this, you should seal up any leaks because cockroaches can’t survive without water for a long time.
To get rid of roaches permanently, fix all their water sources including the tiniest leaks. Also, avoid over-watering your indoor plants and drain all the water in your sink instead of leaving it to stand in.
Ensure Your House is Cool
Did you know that when temperatures heat up in the summer these cold-blooded household pests also warm up? High temperatures make cockroaches more active and also enable them to spread their wings and fly.
Since you cannot determine weather patterns, try to be diligent in keeping your home cool and free of humidity.
Call the Experts
If you have tried all the above strategies and the cockroaches are still present in your home, it may be time to look for the experts. However, if you have a big infestation and want to remove the cockroaches naturally, work with a natural pest control company.
With such a company, you can be assured that the substance they use is free of chemicals and won’t harm your pets and family. A pest control company will also help you know where these pests are nesting, identify the type of roaches invading your house, and also give you a treatment plan for removing cockroaches permanently.
Controlling roaches can be difficult. However, with determination and patience, you can have a pest-free home. If you have a large infestation of cockroaches in your home and you don’t want to use dangerous insecticides, try any of the above natural remedies. Only bring in the experts after all your preventive efforts have failed.
