Common Critters
Are you tired of having to deal with cockroaches in your home again and again? You’re not alone. Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. Whether you’re dealing with an infestation or wanting to be a step ahead at keeping your house cockroach-free, we’ve got just the five simple cockroach control methods for you.
Cockroaches and their Risk to Human Health
While cockroaches are just downright nasty to look at, they actually carry a handful of health risks into your home. They aren’t the direct sources of these risks but are rather an intermediate host for small organisms and bacteria that can harm humans. Other than that, cockroach infestations can also cause respiratory problems in humans like asthma and allergies.
The best long-term cockroach control is prevention. Here are the three general cockroach prevention methods you can follow:
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Keep them Out
Their size allows them to sneak in through small and narrow spaces. As with any other pest control or prevention, blocking and sealing any possible point of entry will help in keeping them out. Here are some common spots you should definitely close up:
- Seal gaps around wires and pipes that connect to your home.
- Screen doors, windows, drains, vents, and other entry points.
- Be cautious of your clothes and luggage when coming from outside your home.
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Keep it Clean
Blocking out cockroaches does work, but it will not be enough if your house contains what they thrive in or are attracted to. Cockroaches by nature prefer dark crevices with minimal airflow. Thus, it’ll do you good to avoid clutter, especially in storage areas like your garage. Here are some ways to maintain tidiness in your home:
- Don’t keep trash sitting in open spaces for too long and dispose of it every few days.
- Store food in sealed containers; including your pets’. After your pets have finished their meals, ensure that there isn’t food left as they can attract cockroaches and other pests.
- Clean your house regularly and move furniture around to inspect hidden areas.
- If you have things in storage and aren’t regularly used, keep them sealed in boxes and tidy to prevent a conducive environment for cockroaches to thrive.
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Keep it Dry
Another element that attracts cockroaches, aside from the dark and small spaces, is moisture. Reducing their water sources will lower your chances of getting infested.
- Fix water leaks.
- Keep tubs, sinks, and other sources of water as well as their areas dry.
- Regularly inspect for leaks and stagnant water in and out of your house.
If you’ve found your home already infested, here’s what you ought to do first before following our first three steps:
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Baits
Baits generally act as a food source for roaches that are mixed with chemicals that are toxic to them. There are a variety of baits that you can use such as dust, pastes, gels, and stations. They are easily accessible in supermarkets and hardware stores.
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Traps
Traps are also efficient in getting rid of cockroaches and are easy to acquire in supermarkets and stores. Common cockroach control in the household is the sticky traps, which you can set up in dark narrow spaces that cockroaches can potentially hide in.
Cockroaches are prolific and relatively hardy creatures. Their small size also allows them to sneak and hide in tiny places. And if you see one, it is likely that more are hiding somewhere inside your home. So, to completely eliminate an infestation, you may need to follow all the methods we’ve got for you in order to control them. If the infestation gets too much for you to handle, it may be time to call in professional pest control to get the job done and keep your home safe.
