Wondering how to get rid of cockroaches for good? Cockroaches are not only downright disgusting, but they also spread diseases. To get rid of them, you can call pest control professionals or do it on your own - if you are brave enough. If you're willing to get rid of them on your own, then you've come to the right place.
How to get rid of cockroaches
Here are five tips to help you with the process of eliminating these annoying bugs.
1. Clean your home and cut off the food supply
A clean home is an efficient way of cutting off the food supply of cockroaches. Nothing beats a clean in preventing roaches from invading your home. It should not be hard, right?
First, make sure to wash dishes right after meals and store them away. Also, clean away crumbs and food spills from the countertop, floor, and kitchen cabinets. Don't forget to clean your kitchen appliances as well, including stove, fridge, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, and kitchen sink.
Pet food containers can also be a source of food for cockroaches. Thus, empty them or cover tightly to make sure these pests can't get into them and feed. And lastly, try to limit the areas where you store and eat food to a minimum. It will be easier to do a thorough cleaning when you only have one room to clean.
2. Remove water sources
Water attracts roaches; they need water to survive too. Remove moisture and water sources by fixing plumbing issues and leaks. Inspect sinks, faucets, refrigerators, and appliances to make sure there are no leaking or any issues that could produce moisture.
3. Seal hiding places
Cockroaches prefer to hide in small and dark places. Baits will not be effective unless they are forced out of their hiding places. Seal all cracks, crevices, and gaps between walls where they could potentially be hiding with a caulking gun.
Check the windows and doorframes and make sure they are gap-free that can serve as an entry point. Appliances and computers may also harbor these bugs, so make sure that you seal off holes and crevices.
4. Use baits
You can use store-bought baits to get rid of these pests. Most of these chemical baits are manufactured to look and taste like food. Once eaten, roaches go back to their hiding areas and die there. Typically, one roach is enough to kill 40 other roaches through direct contact, feces, and by feeding on the poisoned roach.
Most baits are packed in tubes with tips and plungers for easy application. Otherwise, you can use bait plate stations and place them near areas where they are most likely to search for food such as garbage cans, underneath the sink and kitchen cabinets, and bathroom fixtures. When using baits, experts recommend using different types and rotate them. This will ensure that cockroaches will not eventually resist eating the bait.
Also, there are commercial liquid concentrates you can buy. You can spray them on crevices, holes, and cracks -where roaches mostly hide, or use them in cleaning countertops and mopping floors.
5. Prevent reinfestation
Killing cockroaches is not enough. To get rid of them fully and prevent reinfestation; hidden egg capsules should be eliminated as well. Insect growth regulators are great at preventing reproduction, egg-hatching, and molting, thus disrupting the lifecycle of insects. They are like "birth control pills" that prevent roaches from reproducing and keep their population under control.
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