You would never put a sign on your front door that says: “Cockroaches Welcome: Come On In!” Your home is not a cockroach hotel, and these creepy pests should not be made welcome in your home. But you may be sending inviting signals without realizing it. There are many factors that attract cockroaches to a home. We’ll break down some of the most common attractors and show you how to avoid inviting roaches to come and stay at your place.
Cockroaches In Folsom
Before we get into the attractive factors, here’s a breakdown of which cockroaches you may be dealing with. There are actually thousands of cockroach species around the world. In Folsom, you may be dealing with American cockroaches (the largest species), German cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches, or Oriental cockroaches. All of them are nocturnal.
Cockroaches: Are They Dangerous?
Why is it so bad to have cockroaches coming into your home? They’re gross pests and can be scary, but are they dangerous? The answer is, yes! Cockroaches spend a lot of time in decaying organic material, fecal matter, and other bacteria-filled places. They can carry these bacteria into your home.
They can contaminate your food and cooking surfaces, make you and your family sick, and exacerbate symptoms of asthma and allergies. Rather than risk a run-in with the bacteria they’ve brought into your home, take the following steps to make sure you aren’t attracting them.
- Clean your house! While it’s a myth that cockroaches only live in dirty houses, a dirty house will certainly attract more cockroaches. Messy houses offer more food choices and more places to hide.
- Deep clean. When we say clean, we mean more than just wiping off the counter. Take some time to do a deep cleaning of the kitchen, including cleaning under large appliances like the fridge and oven.
- Clean the bathroom too. You may think the kitchen is the only room that will attract cockroaches. However, they can find plenty of food in the bathroom as well. Cockroaches even eat products like toothpaste.
- Reduce the moisture. Cockroaches love moist areas. You’ll often find them in bathrooms if there are pools of water or high humidity. Use a dehumidifier to stop them from getting comfortable in your home.
- Don’t leave pet food sitting out overnight. Roaches aren’t picky, and they don’t just eat human food. Pet food can attract them too, so make sure it’s stored in an airtight container.
- Cover your garbage. Keep trash in a bin with a sealed lid. Be especially careful not to leave organic garbage accessible, since that’s a feast for cockroaches.
- Eliminate entry points. You could have a giant entry point for cockroaches if the screens over your doors or windows are torn. Cracks and holes in siding or around vents and pipes can also be an invite. Use screens to cover vents as well, since these can be entry points for roaches.
- Fix damage on the exterior of your home. Any kind of damage can attract cockroaches. Broken siding means more entry points, water damage means more moisture. Disrepair is a sign of welcome to a cockroach.
Getting Rid Of Cockroaches Once They’re In
So, you’ve tried the above changes and you’re still finding cockroaches in your home. What can you do to eliminate cockroaches? There are some easy-to-find cockroach sprays, but we don’t recommend relying on them. Chemical sprays can be toxic to you, your family, and your pets. Plus, sprays only target an individual cockroach and won’t take care of the many more that are probably hiding inside your walls.
Instead of fussing with do-it-yourself approaches, call Neighborly Pest Management to come by for an inspection and a personalized treatment. Not only will we clear your home of cockroaches, but we’ll also help you identify attracting factors that you hadn’t noticed. This way, our cockroach control is a long-term effort to keep your house permanently free of cockroaches.