Cockroaches may enter your home whether you just moved in or have been living in the property for years. They can be transported easily from one place to another. If you’ve recently moved in, you may have brought them from your old home. They can also be from your neighbours or any outdoor habitats.
How Do They Get Inside The House?
There are a few species of roaches that can easily get in your house by simply hitchhiking in cardboard boxes, grocery bags, furniture, or luggage. You can easily bring home pregnant German cockroaches or simply their egg cases.
The corrugated boxes are their favourite breeding places, so make sure that they always get rid of them. Your children may also bring them from school in their lunch containers or backpacks. You might as well check their things each night.
Oriental cockroaches are the second type of roaches that can get inside your home through the plumbing. They can easily migrate from one apartment to another through these plumbing pipes. Sealing openings and using windows and door screens can help in keeping them out of your living spaces.
Drains and sewers are the common entry points of American cockroaches. Seal these openings properly or you can use screens to keep these closed. You can also use steel wool that is tightly packed in the openings to act as temporary fillers.
Common Hiding Places of Cockroaches in Your Home
When dealing with a roach infestation, you need to figure out where to find cockroaches in your home. There are a couple of common hiding places that you should check to find this creepy crawlies.
Cabinets
Cockroaches are nocturnal pests and they can creep into your cabinets and sneak through the dark spaces inside to feast on spilled food debris. Make it a habit to clean your pantry and cabinets regularly. Store food such as different kinds of pasta, grains, and even pet food in air-tight sealed containers.
Pipes
As nocturnal creatures, they would tend to hide in dark places that you don’t regularly touch like under sinks or basements. They like moist and dark places, so they’ll probably hide near pipes and drains. Seal holes and cracks around plumbing to avoid giving them access points.
Kitchen Appliances
You’ll find these crawlies hiding where there is sufficient source of food and water. Check the back and underneath your kitchen appliances like your oven, microwave and refrigerator. These areas offer both moisture and warmth aside from the fact that they can feast on food debris regularly.
Make it a habit to wipe your countertops clean after meals. For bigger appliances, clean under these items and mop or vacuum regularly.
Also, to avoid giving major attractants in your kitchen, dispose of your trash regularly. Keep drains, traps, and drains clean and clear at all times.
Furniture
If you’re one of those people who tend to eat snacks or meals on your couch as you watch your favourite series or movies, then don’t get surprised that you’re sharing your couch with roaches. These roaches can start laying eggs in and on any part of your furniture. Prevent this by vacuuming regularly and inspecting each furniture piece regularly.
Electronics
There are times when you can’t help but eat while working on your laptop. All the debris that got stuck under the keys can attract these pests and wriggle through the gaps to reach them. This means that any of your electronics are safe from these insects.
Cracks and Crevices
The most common areas where you can find roaches and where a cockroach infestation may have started are nooks and crannies. These can be in your baseboards, corners of your walls, back of your picture frames. Inspect your home for any cracks where they can hide and seal them shut.
When dealing with an infestation, there are various pest control options that you can try from sprays to traps. For uncontrollable situations, getting expert help can be your last resort to completely get rid of these insects from your home.
