8 Steps to Get Rid of Cockroaches | ExpatWoman.com
 

8 Steps to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Are cockroaches frequent guests in your house? Follow these steps to get rid of them permanently and make sure they won't be back

Posted on

12 May 2015

Last updated on 19 January 2020
8 Steps to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Are cockroaches frequent guests in your house? Have you exhausted all pest control methods but they still come back? Don’t worry, follow these 8 steps to get rid of cockroaches permanently.

1. Clean your house thoroughly: Before you can kill your pests, you need to eliminate all their food sources and hiding spots. The only way to do so, is by getting a deep clean of your home.

What products to use:

In order to make your home an unbearable place for the cockroaches, you will need to use heavy duty disinfectants such as Detoll, hydrogen peroxide, or ammonia.

Note: DO NOT MIX DISINFECTANTS.

Where to start:

  • Bathroom and kitchen drainage systems
  • Behind and inside the washing machine
  • Behind and inside the dishwasher and fridge
  • Under all furniture and picture frames
  • All garbage bins


2. Fix leakages:  Leaking taps provide nourishment for cockroaches and a perfect moist environment for their eggs. Cockroaches can go three months without any food or water, so begin starving them now.

3. Throw away the cardboard boxes: Cardboard boxes are a safe haven for cockroaches and their eggs. Cardboard boxes create a perfectly warm, dark and moist environment for cockroaches to hide and reproduce. If you have filling boxes made out of cardboard in your home, you should either get rid of them, or wrap them in plastic to suffocate, starve and isolate the roaches inside.

4. Don’t leave any food out:  No matter how small the crumb, always clean it straight away. However this is not always possible to do, especially if you have kids. So, after cooking and eating your food, spray the floors and counters with Raid. Although this isn’t as affective as starving the cockroaches, it increases the chances of cockroaches eating the poison and driving them away.

Note: If you are resorting to the second method, make sure to keep your kids away from counters and anywhere you sprayed Raid. If you have pets, this is not an option for you.

5. Spray your home with pesticides: After conducting a thorough clean, you will need to spray your entire house with pesticides. This will kill all the bugs inside your house. However pesticides are not very affective towards bug eggs. So, remember keep your house clean for at least four months. You can buy sprays in the supermarket or you can get a professional pest control service.

Note: If you have kids or pets you cannot enter the house for 24 hours after getting your house fumigated. Before entering the house, you must clean your apartment to keep your kids and pets out of harm’s way.

6. Place cockroach powder under every door and corner:  In order to prevent new cockroaches from entering your home, place cockroach powder under every door and window.

Note: If you have children or pets you will need to place the powder on the other side of the entrance.

7. Keep your lights on: After spraying your house and placing the powder, keep your lights on for three days. Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures, constant exposure to the light will drive them insane and force them to look for a way out. Most of the time that way is through drainage pipes and drawers. Place cockroach powder and gel where the light doesn’t reach.

8. Keep your house cool: Don’t switch off your AC. Instead layer up and turn your AC on cool. Cockroaches like a warm, damp place to roam around. In fact that is the environment they thrive in. Keep your house cool to stop the reproductive patterns of cockroaches.

Remember: Roaches can live up to three months without food or water.  In order for your hard work to pay off you need to continuously keep your home clean, disinfected and without food or water for at least four months.  Good luck!

 

 
 

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