This is Why Cockroaches Are in Your Home

What are the typical reasons cockroaches infest a home? And why are they attracted to one house but not another? The common assumption is that a dirty home is the main reason why you would get cockroaches.

It is true that an unkempt home with open food and water sources does attract them, but there are also other important reasons, too, that can contribute to an infestation.  You may be surprised to learn that one of the main factors is where you choose to live.

Do you live in a hot and humid location?

Although there are hundreds of different species of cockroach that are native to specific regions of almost every part of the globe, the vast majority of them prefer warm to hot, humid climates.

If you live in a southern state, like Florida, then you are living in “roach country” where they thrive because of the weather conditions. You have a much greater chance of getting roaches in your home there than you would in the north.

Do you live in a house or an apartment?

If you live in an apartment or condo, you could keep your home immaculate yet still have roaches.  That is because you have neighbors living directly adjacent to you they may not be as cleanly or prudent as you about roach control.  The roaches are attracted to food, water, and garbage in their apartment and then make the trek over to your home for a visit.

If you live in the single-family home, this is obviously less of a problem.  But the age of the structure makes a difference, too.  An older home is more likely to have roaches because most houses are constructed significantly of wood, which breaks down over time and attracts roaches which can actually feed on rotting wood.

Roaches can eat just about anything, so be vigilant

You must understand that roaches have to be very opportunistic in order to survive, and they are known to eat just about anything.  They can even eat inorganic objects such as fabric from clothes and furniture, and roaches love the smell of old boxes that you have stored in the closet.  The point is that anything in your home could potentially be roach food, so be vigilant about this and remove anything that may entice them.

Keep your home clean and tidy

And then, the most obvious reason you might get roaches is if your home is not neat and clean.  Roaches are driven by the search for food and water, so make sure not to leave any food out.  Wipe the counters clean after you eat and make sure that the floor is swept and vacuumed often.

In order to deal with the infestation, you may also make use of commercial roach killers.  One of the cheapest and most effective types to use is called boric acid, but you may also use roach traps are gels.  If you live in an apartment, ask them to send the exterminator over for a visit, too.

How do roaches get in your house?

Roaches get into your home usually through tiny crevices and cracks in the wall or base of the floor. Keep in mind, it only takes the tiniest little hole for a roach to be able to gain access to your house, but once you start searching you will probably find numerous places where they can gain access.

If you have a roach infestation, you may have noticed that the roaches tend to congregate in one or more areas, usually the kitchen or the bathroom.  This is where food and water is.

Wherever see roaches the most is a great sign that their entryway is in close proximity. You need to get down on your hands and knees and look along the base of the floor where the wall meets the floor and look for any cracks and crevices.

There is a good chance that their entry point is hidden in a location that you cannot see such as inside or behind the cabinets or one of the kitchen appliances. Look around the base of the toilet and the tub in the bathroom to make sure that they are properly sealed.

Use caulk to seal up cracks that cockroaches use to get in your house

Now you need to make sure that all these entry points are properly sealed to make sure that the cockroach can’t get inside anymore. The easiest and best way to do this is with a caulk gun.

Go through your entire house, but spend a special amount of time in the kitchen and bathroom, and make a good seal where your flooring meets the wall. Make sure that all sources of water are well caulked, like the kitchen and bathroom sink, the toilets, and the bathtubs. Cockroaches need water more than anything and that is what they are attracted to the most.

Now get rid of the cockroaches already in the house

Now that you have properly protected your home from a cockroach invasion, it is time to get rid of the ones who already live there. Use a cockroach pesticide, I recommend boric acid as the best do-it-yourself roach killer. There are a number of different products you can choose from such as cockroach gel, and bait traps which all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Clean up your house thoroughly and use a solution with diluted bleach in order to clean up any smells that might attract the roaches, as well as any residual food scraps that might be lying on the floor around the counters. Keep your house clean at all times in order to keep roaches from being attracted.

Featured photo: “American Cockroach” by graftedno1 is licensed under CC BY-ND