How to get rid of cockroaches
If you spot a lone cockroach in your home, chances are there are many more crawling around out of view. Of all the household pests, they are the most adaptable and are very good at hiding their presence. Roaches can hide in nests in your walls, cupboards, skirting boards and under moveable appliances, and a single nest can be home to hundreds of cockroaches.
Despite their large numbers, it is possible to tackle cockroach infestations yourself. Read on to learn how to get rid of cockroaches in your home.
How to deal with cockroaches
When dealing with a cockroach infestation, the first thing to do is investigate.
Locate the nest, which is often in a dark area that’s free from vibration and noise. There are three species of cockroaches commonly found in Australian homes: the German cockroach, the Australian cockroach and the American cockroach, and all of them prefer warm, moist areas.
This means you’ll most likely be able to find their nests near plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens, within cracks in cupboards, under drawers and inside or underneath appliances. You may also notice cockroach droppings around the nest’s location, or your nose can help you sniff it out — most cockroach nests have a strong, foul odour.
To successfully eradicate a cockroach infestation, you must kill both the cockroaches and any cockroach eggs. Mortein Kill & Protect Cockroach Baits eliminate cockroaches with no mess and no fumes. They work by attracting the bugs to the bait station, where they eat the bait, return to the nest and die, contaminating other cockroaches and eggs. Simply place a few baits around your home in dark, warm areas where moisture is present to protect your home for up to three months.
Of course, baits won’t stop cockroaches from entering your home in the first place. So, for maximum protection, use the baits in conjunction with an outdoor surface spray such as the Mortein Kill & Protect Crawling Insect Surface Spray Barrier to kill them before they get inside.
How to get rid of cockroaches in the kitchen
While surface sprays are the most effective way of preventing cockroaches from entering your home, there are a few additional things you can do to make your home as unattractive to roaches as possible. Because of the easy access to food and water, cockroaches pay special attention to the kitchen. Take the following precautions to keep roaches at bay:
- Store all your food in sealed containers
- Clean up food and drink spills immediately
- Wipe down your sink and benches of excess water
- Put a tight lid on your bins and take your rubbish out regularly
- If you have pets, empty and wash out pet bowls every evening
- Keep an eye on your compost bins
How to get rid of cockroaches in your house
Cockroaches tend to gravitate towards the humid areas of your home, which is why you may also find them in bathrooms and toilets. Ensure that floors and vanity sinks are dry after use by giving them a quick wipe down with a microfibre cloth. Check any open drains in your bathroom (as well as your laundry room) and use rubber drain covers to metal drain screens at night to reduce opportunities for cockroaches to squeeze through into your home.
You may also want to check for:
- Cracks around air ducts or electrical boxes
- Any gaps in windows or doorways
- Gaps around indoor and outdoor piping
If you’re frequently seeing cockroaches inside and outside the home, it’s time for stronger measures in the form of Mortein Powergard DIY Indoor & Outdoor Surface Spray. It can treat roach infestations inside and outside your home for months at a time. The professional surface spray contains the same technology used by professional pest control operators and can flush out cockroaches and other insects from their hiding place.
To keep cockroaches away for the long run, it is essential that you take action the moment you see the first signs of this unwelcome visitor. Female German cockroaches are prolific breeders and can produce three to four generations of offspring per year, with 40 offspring in each generation. As you can imagine, it’s not hard for a minor roach problem to quickly spiral out of control. By following the steps above you can spend more time enjoying life in your protected home, free of cockroaches.