How to Prevent Cockroaches in My Home

The sight of a single cockroach in your premises is more than enough to have your reputation tumbling down. This is not only because cockroaches tend to be associated with dirt but also due to the fact that a single sighting could mean an infestation if not properly handled.

Prevention of cockroach infestation is far much simpler and way easier than eradication, or rather the elimination of the same. Cockroach infestation prevention can usually be broken down to proper cleanliness and sanitation. Even a very clean home can suffer cockroach infestation if a few sanitation steps and criteria are skipped here and there. As a matter of fact, you might even notice that most of these prevention tips are used in the treatment of the same.

Now, when it comes to matters pertaining to cockroach prevention in your home, sanitation goes way beyond the typical moping of the floor and washing of dishes and utensils. This means that missing a few simple and basic sanitation steps could pose your home in the danger of being infested by cockroaches. Keep in mind that cockroaches thrive in dirt.

1. Eradicate water sources

As much as the complete elimination of all water sources within your home is quite impractical and also impossible, limiting the available source does go a long way in ensuring that you prevent your home from being infested by cockroaches. As cockroaches cannot survive without water and food, limiting water sources in your home is the first phase or cockroach infestation prevention.

Tips that should help you avoid providing water sources for cockroaches include the following;
– Have any sweating pipes in your home fixed.

– Ensure that your shower and bathtub are completely dried before bed. Also, make sure that you don’t forget to have the drain stopped up.

– Water dishes meant for pets should be kept outside during the night. If not, they then should be emptied and properly dried. You can then refill them come morning.

– Ensure that any and all leaking pipes and faucets are fully repaired and fixed.

– Ensure that you completely dry up and stop up any water drains you have including kitchen and bathroom sinks before going to bed.

– Toothbrushes should be dried as much as possible before storing. The recommendation in terms of storage is having it sealed inside a clean dry plastic bag. The same case applies to wet sponges and dish rags.

All these steps and tips ensure that your home stays completely dry. Keep in mind that cockroaches need water sources and thus would not be attracted to your home. This is one of the most common prevention techniques.

2. Eliminate any and all food sources in and around your home

As stated much earlier, cockroaches need water. That is why a very dry environment cannot attract them. Another thing that cockroaches cannot survive without is food. This is actually quite simple; eliminate any and all food sources that are accessible by cockroaches.

You need to realize that this prevention technique needs much effort and vigilance. However, you don’t need to forget that the results are worth the amount of effort employed.

Anyway, here are a few tips and guidelines that should help you get started with the eradication of all food sources in and out of your home;

– Ensure that you constantly clean and thoroughly dry all your kitchen appliances after use. These include toasters, stoves, microwaves and also gas burners.

– From time to time, ensure that you completely empty out the cabinets and the thoroughly clean and dry them.

– Keep all your trash cans quite a few yards away from the house. Also, ensure that they are properly cleaned from time to time.

– Any food substances stored within the house should be stored in airtight sealed containers.

– Before heading to bed, wipe and clean the countertops using a proper disinfectant.

– The kitchen floor should be thoroughly and properly vacuumed each night before bed.

– If you can, the best way to implement this is by limiting food consumption to a single room in your home.

– Also, ensure that you vacuum all other areas in your home after every two to three days.

– Empty pet dishes during the night or have them stored inside plastic bags.

– Use a trash can that features a tight lid. Also, ensure that you take out the trash on a daily basis before going to bed.

Adopting and employing all these sanitation techniques should ensure that your home is free of loose food and water that usually attract cockroaches.

3. Finally, completely eliminate any cockroach hiding spots

This is actually as basic and simple as it sounds. Another cockroach prevention technique is ensuring that you eliminate any and all hiding spots that can have cockroaches get attracted to your home.

So, you might be asking yourself which are the ideal hiding spots for cockroaches? Generally, cockroaches tend to get attracted to tight crevices and cracks or even dark all void where they can hide and stay safe during the day. By eliminating as many harborages as possible, you ensure that these cockroaches lack any hiding spots. In turn, this will definitely have them stay as far away as possible from your home. Tips on the same include the following;

– Use a caulking gun to completely seal off any crevices and cracks.

– Seal off all and any holes surrounding all wall and light fixtures with the relevant material. A copper mesh can also be used in this case.

– Ensure that all your doors and windows fit squarely and tightly within their frames. This should prevent any entry from outside and harborage in general.

– Ensure that you tape any and all relevant holes in your home appliances and any other household items if need be. These appliances include computers, toasters, alarm clocks, phones and TV backs among other appliances prone to cockroaches.

Summary

When dealing with cockroaches in any place around the world, including Singapore, the most common fact is that prevention is far much easier and better than elimination. The reason why you need to adopt and employ the stated prevention techniques is to ensure that your home stays safe from attacks by cockroaches and any other tedious pests.