DIY Tips for Keeping Your Home Cockroach Free

Nobody likes having cockroaches in their home. There’s just something about these ugly critters that incites feelings of fear and disgust in people.

While cockroaches can’t physically hurt you like spiders or snakes, and they aren’t as likely to spread diseases as rats or mice; they still remain the number one fear of millions of people across the country.

Because cockroaches live all around us, both in nature and in the dark crevices in houses and other buildings, there’s no way we can ever eliminate them from our lives completely. There are however several steps you can take to minimize the impact they have on your life, by making your home inhospitable to them.

DIY Tips

Cockroaches thrive when food is plentiful and they prefer to dine on organic food sources such as sweets, meats and starches, however they will eat decaying wood, leaves, paper, and even sewerage. The key to keeping your home free from roaches is keeping it clean. If cockroaches cannot find a source of food in your home, they will not take up residence for long. You can ensure this happens by:

• Always wash up after eating and make sure you wipe down any dirty tables or bench tops.
• Wipe down the sink after washing up and make sure there are no scraps left lying about.
• Ensure all food is kept in sealed containers away from any hungry roaches.
• Take your trash out regularly and buy a bin with a lid that seals so the cockroaches cannot feed on your food scraps.
• Sweep, vacuum and mop floors often and wipe down ovens and anywhere that food might come into contact with on a regular basis.

If you take these steps you will greatly reduce the chances of cockroaches moving in or even worse, laying eggs, around your home.

You should also look for cracks or gaps in the floor and walls which cockroaches might use as an entry point to your home. Seal up any cracks that you find. Also ensure you check under sinks and basins for possible water leaks. If you find any, repair them immediately. Cockroaches like to be around sources or water and not only that, they leave a trail of chemicals and pheromones wherever they go which can attract other cockroaches to the source.

If you take the above steps and it still doesn’t rectify the roach infestation in your home, get in touch with a local pest controller to take a look at your situation for you.