The Top 5 Causes of a Roach Infestation
A roach infestation is something everyone hopes to avoid. While they may not technically be dangerous, there’s just something about roaches that can make your skin crawl. If you’re hoping to avoid a roach problem, take a look below for the top five causes of a roach infestation so you’ll know what to look out for.
What Causes roaches?
Roaches are attracted to similar things as any other pest: shelter, food, and water. Anything that makes these things more available and easy to access is going to contribute to a roach infestation.
The top 5 causes of roaches are:
Roaches, much like many other insects, love a good place to hideout. The more cluttered your home is, the more likely they are to come on in. Piles of newspapers and books, clothing left on the floor, shelves jam-packed with things – these all provide an excellent hiding spot for roaches. Keep your home as clutter-free as possible to avoid roach intruders.
The dirtier your home, the more likely you are to have a roach infestation. Crumbs, spills, and food that has been left out are a great way to end up with a roach infestation quickly. The key to keeping roaches out is to keep your home, but most importantly your kitchen, as spotless as possible. After cooking or preparing a snack, wipe up crumbs and spills immediately. Sweep and mop your floor regularly. Never leave food out or in the sink. Rinse and wash dishes and put them away as soon as possible. Your kitchen may be the number one attraction for a roach invasion, so make it less enticing for them however you can.
This is an unfortunate side effect of sharing walls with others. If you live in an apartment, condo, or townhome and you have a neighbor with a roach infestation, chances are pretty good you will, too. Roaches don’t seem to know where one home ends and another begins, so expect any nasty invaders that your neighbors have to make their way into your home. The best way to avoid this is to speak with management and ask if they will provide routine pest control for the entire building. Keep your home as clean as you possibly can, and hopefully, the combination will ward off those overly friendly roaches.
Pretty much every insect around is looking for three things: water, food, and shelter. We’ve already discussed the shelter that clutter provides, so now you’ll need to think about food and water. Keep your food sealed and stored properly. Any food in your pantry should be kept in glass, hard plastic, or metal containers that are airtight. Don’t leave food out on counters. And make sure don’t have any leaky faucets around your home. Also, keep an eye on your pet’s food and water bowls. These tend to be a big draw for roaches.
Take your trash out at the end of the day, every day, to help avoid a roach issue. Especially if you are throwing food away, trashcans can be a major attraction for roach visitors. Also, wipe your trashcan down with a disinfectant on a regular basis. The leftover grime from food that has been thrown away may also draw them in.
While you may not be able to dodge every possible cause of a roach infestation, avoiding the above causes will certainly help. In addition, enlist the help of a pest control expert. By having your home treated for potential insect and rodent infestations on a regular basis, you will be doing all that you can to prevent an infestation in your home.
Think You Have An Infestation? Get Help Today!
Are you sick of finding surprise roaches in your bathroom or kitchen? While baits and traps may work to a certain extent, nothing compares to professional pest control treatments. With Zap Termite & Pest Control's co*ckroach control services, we can help you eliminate current infestations and prevent them from returning. Give us a call today to learn more about our services!
FAQs
Food & Grime
The dirtier your home, the more likely you are to have a roach infestation. Crumbs, spills, and food that has been left out are a great way to end up with a roach infestation quickly. The key to keeping roaches out is to keep your home, but most importantly your kitchen, as spotless as possible.
Why does my clean house have roaches? ›
Roaches need moisture to survive and this search for water will bring them into even the cleanest of homes. Leaky pipes and faucets are one of the most common attractants for co*ckroaches and is one of the main reasons you often see them in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Why do I suddenly have a roach infestation? ›
Some factors that can attract co*ckroaches to clean houses include: Moisture. Leaking sinks and appliances create conditions in which roaches thrive, since they offer a readily available source of water as well as the warm, sheltered spaces that provide the ideal harborage for co*ckroach nests. Untidy landscaping.
What brings a lot of co*ckroaches? ›
co*ckroaches are attracted to various factors, including food, water, shelter, and warmth. They are particularly drawn to crumbs, spills, and food residues, especially starchy and sugary items. Moisture-rich environments like leaky pipes and standing water also attract co*ckroaches.
What smell do co*ckroaches hate? ›
Ways To Repel co*ckroaches From Your Home
Due to their strong sense of smell, co*ckroaches dislike several pungent herbs and spices, including cinnamon, citrus, thyme basil, citronella, basil, mint, garlic, coffee grounds, peppermint, and bay leaves.
Can a dirty house cause roaches? ›
As we touched on above, it's a common misconception that only dirty or cluttered homes attract co*ckroaches. While it's true that these pests thrive in environments with readily available food and water, they can also show up inside clean, well-maintained houses.
How do you get rid of roaches permanently fast? ›
Boric acid can quickly kick a roach infestation to the curb. It's extremely toxic and can kill multiple generations of roaches. Mix a combination of equal parts of boric acid, sugar and water to make a dough. Roll that dough into balls or cylinders and place them where roaches will find them.
Will roaches leave if you clean? ›
Available Entry Points
Even though you keep your place tidy, if entry points are open, they will keep on coming. With this, it will be harder to get rid of them over time. They come because they need to survive. and in your clean home, they can find their needs for survival.
How to know if roaches are in walls? ›
Look for warning signs along the joints and corners of your walls around cracks and gaps. That's where co*ckroaches are most likely to enter. Flecks And Smear Marks On The Wall – One obvious signs of co*ckroach infestation is co*ckroach smear marks. Near their hiding spots, co*ckroaches leave irregular smears.
Why do co*ckroaches crawl on you at night? ›
While co*ckroaches can crawl on humans at night, it is relatively rare. co*ckroaches are more interested in finding food and shelter than in seeking human contact. However, if you have a severe infestation or roaches are attracted to food or crumbs in your bed, they may enter your sleeping area.
Essential oils such as peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus can be effective in repelling co*ckroaches due to their strong scents, along with other unwanted pests. Conveniently, they can also be some of the best essential oils for sleep, so you're accomplishing two purposes at once.
What do co*ckroaches hate the most? ›
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep co*ckroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
What drink attracts co*ckroaches? ›
Outside your house you can place a few pie pans filled with beer. Roaches love beer and they don't check IDs. Also, they don't like light beer. They will climb in the pie pans and get drunk and drown.
What scents attract roaches? ›
Strong Odors
An unsealed bowl of sugar or open box of sweet cereal can also seduce their senses. Nice smells aren't the only ones they love. The smell of garbage, a compost pile or dirty laundry whets their appetites. They find collections of grocery bags and empty boxes with the faint smell of food delicious.
Can you have a clean house and still have roaches? ›
No matter how clean your home is, if there's some excess moisture somewhere, it could very well be an attractive invitation for your neighborhood roaches. This is one of the reasons why you'll commonly find roaches hanging out in your bathroom and laundry room or around an appliance that produces condensation.
How do you make roaches go away? ›
Here are some simple tips for keeping your home free of roaches:
- Always keep your floors, counters and other food surfaces clean.
- Store food in airtight containers.
- Make sure your trash can lid has a good seal.
- Seal any cracks, gaps or holes near doors, windows, pipes and vents.
Soap and Water Spray
Getting rid of roaches with just soap and water can be effective. Simply place a few drops of soap into a spray bottle filled with warm water and shake it well. The roach might continue to run after being sprayed but will die after a minute or so.
