What Causes Roaches In A Clean Home And How To Eliminate Them Permanently

Last Updated on August 16, 2023 By Emma W. Thomas

Roaches can enter clean homes through infested items, cracks, or drains. To eliminate them, maintain sanitation, seal entry points, fix leaks, and use baits or boric acid. Professional pest control may be needed for severe infestations. Consistent prevention measures ensure long-term eradication.

Why You Have Roaches In Your Clean Apartment

Various factors may cause roaches in a clean apartment which include;

1. Water/ Moisture

Cockroaches cannot survive without water, and their search for this essential commodity can bring them even to the tidiest home. Leaking faucets or pipes are major attractions to insects and the reason you see them in your kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms.

You will find roaches under refrigerators or air conditioning units where there is condensation, and they can also drink from your pet’s water bowl when you leave it open overnight. These insects will also be found in dark, undisturbed areas such as basements, dark corners of your cabinet, and beneath large appliances that use water.

2. Location

You may find cockroaches in your home if you live in some prone areas such as Florida, Alabama, or Georgia in the Southeastern parts of the United States. American Cockroaches are also known as palmetto bugs and are common in these regions despite your house being clean. Palmetto bugs are not associated with dirty environments, unlike German cockroaches. They can come into your home through any opening such as a door or a window that you leave open for a longer period. 

3. Food

You may make every effort to keep your kitchen spotlessly clean, but roaches are resilient enough to look for what to eat. They will eat anything, including soap, grease, cardboard, wallpaper paste, book bindings, and more. You will find the pests hiding in your garage, books, and behind pictures on hanging walls even when the house is very tidy.

4. Accessibility

In their search for water,  shelter, and food, cockroaches will use any entry point like cracks in the wall, gaps between floors and walls, dryer vents, or other small openings. You should evaluate the exterior of your home and seal any point where the bugs are likely to hide.  

5. Landscaping

Cockroaches will be attracted to standing water in places like flower pots, birdbaths, or gutters, and you can get as many of them in your yard as in the house. They will also be attracted to woodpiles and compost in search of food and shelter. Your trash and recycling bin also acts as an excellent source of food, while vegetation, leaf litter, pine straw, or mulch will be suitable for hiding places.

How To Get Rid Of Roaches Permanently

Nothing disgusts than seeing roaches on your cabinets, countertops, or anywhere in the house. The pests are not only an eyesore but also a health hazard since they can contaminate food and transmit bacteria.

There are two main types of cockroaches, i.e., American and German roaches. It is essential to identify the kind of cockroaches in your house and what attracts these pests to get rid of them. German cockroaches are usually 1/2-inch to 5/8-inch in size and dark brown. American roaches, on the other hand, are 1 ½-inches to 2 inches and also darker. These creatures are very active at night, looking for food and water.

You can eliminate the pests from your home permanently by;

1. Keeping Your Home Thoroughly Clean

Roaches are attracted to filthy and dirty environments since they are always looking for food. Ensure that your home is clean all the time through;

• Cleaning your dishes after meals and not leaving them in the sink overnight
• Wiping away crumbs and spills immediately
• Taking out the garbage before going to bed
• Wiping your stovetop and removing any grease
• Storing food in airtight containers
• Cleaning the floor regularly.

1. Using Traps 

You can buy a cockroach trap from home improvement stores or the supermarket to help trap these pests. The tool uses bait or scent to attract the insects and catches them in a sticky substance leaving them trapped inside. Ensure that you check the traps periodically as it can take up to two weeks to see the outcome. 

2. Liquid Concentrates

You can also purchase a liquid concentrate that is designed to keep away roaches. Dilute the liquid and spray it into crevices and cracks where the pests are likely to hide. Mopping the floor or wiping the countertops with the solution will also help to deter insects.

3. Using Boric Acid

Boric acid is an excellent home remedy for cockroaches, and you can use a DIY approach. Mix equal proportions of the acid, sugar, and flour to make the dough. You then need to set balls of dough in places where roaches are usually found, such as dark corners, behind refrigerators, or on stovetops. Sugar and flour attract the insects while boric acid kills them once they ingest it.

This method is very effective, but you should not use it if you have pets around as it can be dangerous.

4. Using Baits

You can buy chemical baits from home improvement stores that disguise as food for the roaches. Roaches will ingest the insecticides and go back to their hiding places where they die. Living cockroaches feed on the dead ones, and this helps to spread the poison to the rest, and eventually, all of them die.

Chemical baits should be placed in places where roaches hide, such as near garbage cans, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, underneath sinks, and other common places.

5. Calling A Licensed Exterminator

Sometimes you may try all the above methods but still realize that some of these pests persist. You may call a professional exterminator to help control these pests and eliminate them.

Smells That Keep Away Roaches

Roaches have a strong sense of smell. You may use some scents to ward off the pests and keep them away from your home completely. They include;

1. Citrus

Citrus has a lovely scent, but roaches hate the smell. Using citrus-scented cleaners in your bathroom and kitchen helps to chase these lingering insects away. If you keep citrus peels in strategic places in your home, cockroaches will keep you off your yard. Ensure that you refresh the scent regularly for the best result and a cockroach-free home.

2. Lavender

Cockroaches are also known to hate the smell of lavender, and you can take advantage of that. Growing lavender in your garden and yard will help a great deal to keep off these pests. Surround your home with lavender plants as a defense against roach infestation/. 

Using lavender oil inside your home will also chase the existing roaches away and prevent others from coming in. You can dilute lavender essential oils and use a spray bottle to place them in the hiding places of cockroaches. 

3. Eucalyptus

Roaches dislike the smell of eucalyptus, and planting a bush of these plants in your yard or spraying your home with fresh oil of eucalyptus is a great remedy. You can dilute eucalyptus oil with water and spray it around your home regularly or plant eucalyptus in your garden or yard. 

How To Kill Roach Eggs

Killing adult roaches alone may not be enough to eradicate their mess, and you may also need to get rid of the eggs as well. Eggs are normally hidden in areas that are difficult to find, and killing them requires some caution, knowledge, and expertise.

The roaches’ eggs are laid in cases, and killing them requires you to destroy the case. Use the following methods;

1. Dousing the case with residue pesticides such as aerosols or sprays to kill the embryos. Read the instructions on the label and follow all the directions. 

2. Cover the eggs with boric acid. You can use powder, gel, or dust form of the boric acid and spread it over the hard-to-reach hiding places. Roaches ingest boric acid, which kills them together with any nymph and prevents them from hatching.

3. Spraying with insect Growth Regulator which interferes with the insects’ development by disrupting the molting process. IGR causes the eggs to abort or prevent them from developing properly.

Final Word

Cockroaches are a menace that nobody likes to have at home. They may cause illness and allergies as they have bacteria with them. Preventing the infestation of these pests is more effective than getting rid of them. Always practice proper hygiene such as cleaning your dishes, countertops, kitchen cabinets, and other places where the pests like to frequent.

Not all roaches come as a result of filth or dirty homes, and using the methods mentioned above can help eliminate these crawling insects from your home. Ensure that you seal all cracks, store your food in airtight containers, and remove any stagnant water in your compounds as these creatures will come looking for water and food. The garbage bins must always be covered to avoid them inhibiting the place as they look for food.

References:

https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/pest-control/how-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches/
https://www.livspace.com/in/magazine/home-remedies-cockroaches