If you ever shared a house or apartment with someone, you know that cohabiting is not easy at all.
I remember moving in with a friend of mine some years ago. The first year, everything was great, but the following year, we argued over lots of things, important and unimportant.
Our friendship eroded, and eventually she moved out.
Living with another human being is difficult, but even more difficult is living with pests.
I also remember sharing my flat with cockroaches. One day, you see just one tiny roach, and the next day you see them all over the kitchen counter, where you cook, where you have your dishes, where you place your food.
Roaches are not exactly the best companions to live with. They pose several health risks, they contaminate food and air, and your mental health can collapse if you are scared of them (like me, with nausea every time I see a roach).
According to a list of 10 tips to prevent a cockroach infestation, we can conclude that roaches look for essentials, like other pests: water, food, and shelter.
In this post, we’ll give you some tips to deter cockroaches based on that list so that you don’t leave your house due to an infestation.
Tips to Avoid Roaches
Eliminate Food Sources
The primary item that brings cockroaches to your house is food.
These ugly animals eat almost everything, even what you consider trash, and that’s why they are associated with garbage and contamination.
The most obvious and easy thing you can do is to make sure that they don’t reach YOUR food by:
- Storing food in sealed containers
- Not leaving food outside the fridge
- Washing all the dirty dishes in the sink
- Trying to avoid taking food to other rooms (like that midnight snack when watching Netflix)
Cleaning everything up when you finish cooking is essential.
Believe me: You won’t find it funny when you discover cockroaches walking over your pans and plates.
Avoid Clutter
We all accumulate things in our closets, garages, basements, and attics.
The problem is that cockroaches love these places. Materials such as cardboard, paper, and different types of fabric are excellent materials for them to nest, and yes, also to eat.
In addition, roaches like humid, dark spaces where predators are not able to reach and disturb them. That’s why basements, garages, and other places that you rarely use and clean are great for this pest.
To avoid roaches, get rid of things you don’t use anymore and reduce the accumulation of stored items. Plus, clean unused spaces from time to time to eliminate other bugs, like spiders.
Repair Water Damage
That broken pipe you have in the bathroom? The accumulation of water under the kitchen sink? That leaking faucet in the garden?
Water damage in your house is a great opportunity for cockroaches.
Besides food, roaches look for water. In fact, they can go some time without food, but water is vital for their survival.
So, every day you delay fixing water problems is another day for cockroaches to enter your house and nest.
Address water issues as soon as possible to avoid cockroach infestations.
Block Entry Points
Besides eliminating water, food, and shelter, it is important to avoid cockroaches from gaining easy access into your home.
Block common entrances, such as:
- Doors and Windows: Block cracks and gaps around windows and doors. Place a door sweep as well to avoid roaches.
- Vents: Install mesh on vents to avoid cockroaches while also letting air flow properly.
- Other Holes and Cracks: Use caulk or expanding foam to block holes, for example, where cables and wires enter your house.
By blocking these common spaces where cockroaches can get in, you reduce their options to enter your house and minimize the chances of infestations.
Preventing Is Better Than Moving Out
Stories of people with uncontrollable cockroach problems frequently end with them moving to another place. You don’t have to reach that point.
Preventing cockroach infestations is a huge step towards reducing the chances of having roaches in your house.This pest is very tough to eliminate. So, applying prevention techniques is way better than not doing anything and letting them be your roomies.
