Cockroaches are a nuisance no matter where you live in the world. They can cause all kinds of problems in both your home and your business. Roach infestations bring about notions of poor hygiene and exhibit a poor image onto others. It can have a huge negative impact on both your personal and professional life.
One thing that I will point out is that cockroaches are quite difficult to eliminate without the proper professional help. In fact, in most cases it will cost you less money in the long-term to hire a professional to eradicate them. Don’t panic though because we’re here to help!
For all of you DIYers out there, here are four steps to eliminate these pesky bugs once and for all!
Step 1: Remove their Food Sources
Cockroaches will scavenge anything they can get their antenna on! They are dependent on food being left lying around so you will need to make sure that you are not helping them thrive. Roaches thrive on the same diet as we do – sugar, protein and carbs. So the best way to prevent cockroaches is to make sure there is no food lying around for them to eat.
- Remove all liquids
- Remove standing food sources
- Store food in airtight containers
- Empty the garbage regularly
Step 2: Keep a Clean Home
This kind of goes hand-in-hand with keeping food out of reach but this is another important step to preventing cockroaches. Ensure that all surfaces are free to food, including crumbs. Make sure spills are cleaned up immediately. You should also keep pet food sealed away at night since roaches tend to move mostly at night.
Make sure you keep your workspaces clean as well and limit eating at your desk to help prevent possible crumbs or other food sources.
Step 3: Remove Clutter
Cockroaches will use clutter as a safe haven. Worst of all, they will signal other cockroaches to come and join them! Removing clutter will prevent this from happening. You are essentially creating a less hospitable environment for cockroaches to inhabit. Remove old magazines and boxes. Clean up paperwork and file it away neatly. Not only will you prevent cockroaches, your home will also be much more appealing.
Step 4: Perform Regular Maintenance
There are also several maintenance tips that you should follow to help prevent cockroaches. These are issues that most people do not link to roach infestations:
Fix leaky pipes and drains as quickly as possible. Cockroaches love damp areas so it’s essential that you fix these issues. Perform regular checks of all drains and pipes.
Wooden shelves can also create a hospitable environment for cockroaches. If there are cracks in these shelves, then seal them up. You could also replace wooden shelves with ones made from plastic if your roach problems are severe.
Finally, make sure all entrances into your home are properly sealed. Some common places are window seals, door seals, and even electrical outlets. Make sure these are all sealed properly.
