Cockroaches are believed to be in 63 percent of homes in the United States.
After all, cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. But when the pests become persistent and begin making a home out of your home, you've got a problem. If you don't take care of the roach you find in your house, you could end up with a whole infestation. Cockroaches have the ability to multiply quickly.
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 cockroaches and is one of the main reasons you often see them in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Easy points of entry. Loose window seals, gaps under doors, tears in screens, holes around dryer vents and other access points can give roaches a clean path into your home.
Cockroaches are one type of pest that will feed on almost anything in a home, and once they're inside, these bugs can hide and reproduce rapidly within the smallest of cracks and crevices. However, a cockroach infestation doesn't necessarily point to a dirty home.
Food crumbs and overflowing trash cans are big attractants for cockroaches and can easily lure them into your home. However, these aren't the only things that attract cockroaches. Standing water from leaking pipes, water damage or even your pet's food bowls are also attractive to these pests.
Even if your home is clean of excess food or moisture problems, cockroaches are crafty enough to find food on their own and thrive in even the most hostile conditions. And once you've got them in your Roseville home, cockroaches aren't so eager to leave. Cockroaches won't go away on their own.
Roaches are resilient and extremely hard to get rid of once they have established themselves in your home. As long as the temperature indoors is above 50 degrees, roaches can remain active year-round, although they are more prevalent in the spring and summer months.
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.
If you spot one, odds are there are a few others lurking nearby, in dark corners or cracks and crevices and they could be fast on their way to a full blown infestation. Cockroaches are dangerous to humans – they carry bacteria on their bodies and their feet, contaminating any surfaces they come into contact with.
Home remedies like diatomaceous earth, baking soda, boric acid, citrus, essential oils, and borax can be effective ways to get rid of roaches. If you want to take a more aggressive approach to eliminate roaches, glue traps, bait stations, and liquid roach deterrent concentrates are all excellent options.
If you spot one of these pesky insects, it's best to call your local Terminix technician right away to get rid of the cockroaches. There are, however, some steps you can take to prevent a cockroach infestation.
American cockroaches can live for about one year while German cockroaches are estimated to live for about 100 days. On average, cockroaches can live for a month without food but only a week without water. Cockroaches can feed on a variety of materials so starving cockroaches as a means of pest control is not effective.
As soon as you see one cockroach—one—schedule a time for a trusted pest control service to come take a look.
Food & Grime
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.
You will find roaches year-round in California. In other states, the warm and moist spring and summer months are the roach's favorite time for foraging and breeding. But, in states like California with wEarth climates, the cockroaches have no off-season.
Turning up the AC may not look good on your energy bill but at least your house will be cockroach-free. There's a reason why we see roaches in the summer, and they vanish during the winter – cockroaches hate the cold. Always turn up the AC. To save energy, you can turn on an overhead fan or buy a large fan.
During the daytime, cockroaches typically stay hidden in dark, moist areas around your home. If spotted crawling around, you likely have dozens and dozens hidden elsewhere. The most common areas where roaches rest in your home during the day are as follows: Underneath or behind appliances like stoves and refrigerators.
Unfortunately, bleach is a very ineffective method for killing cockroaches. It has a very strong smell, so it doesn't work as bait, and cockroaches won't willingly go to it. The only real way to kill a roach with bleach is to drown it, and there are much more effective ways of killing cockroaches.
Yes, killing a cockroach can attract more to the area! There is an acid released by cockroaches when they die that can be smelled from a distance and attracts more of them to the area.
Cockroaches are attracted to the food and shelter that comes with filth. Cleaning your home is the easiest way to keep roaches at bay. You need to be incredibly thorough in this effort—unfortunately, roaches can survive for 2 weeks without water and 3 months without food.
Roaches can access a neighbors living area by traveling under doors, through sinks, sewer pipes, air ducts/ vents, and electrical pathways. In fact, roaches have been found traveling between neighboring apartment units by crawling through wall outlets.