There is nothing worse then waking up in the morning and heading into the kitchen, only to see a group of cockroaches scurry away. Besides being associated with a lack of cleanliness, cockroaches pose a big risk to a house or office. Able to multiply quickly, cockroaches can add allergens and make asthma even worse. So lets take a look at cockroaches, and see what you can do about them.
Health hazards you should consider
One reason getting rid of cockroaches is so important, besides the fact that they are a pest, is that they can aid in making our lives and the lives of those we love miserable. Cockroach poop is a leading cause of household allergens. This can get even worse, and make people’s asthma even worse. By handling a cockroach problem right away, you can save yourself a lot of later health costs.
Spotting signs of cockroaches
The best way to know if you have a cockroach problem is to see one of them. They skitter from light, but you can see them if you leave a room dark, and then quickly turn on the light. If this results in nothing, and you still think you may have cockroaches, then look around on the floor for places cockroaches may come out from. See if you can find little antenna or other bits of a cockroach. Often times, moving around will leave little parts of them behind, and this is an excellent way to identify if you have a problem. In addition, this helps you figure out exactly where they are coming into and out of your home from. Finally, If you see one of them, then you have a problem. Cockroaches multiply at an incredible rate, quickly making your living spaces a scary place to walk barefoot!
Things you can do
There are numerous ways to deal with a cockroach problem. The simplest thing to do is buy sticky film, and put it near where you think cockroaches will come out of. Sold at most home brick and mortar outlets, the sticky film will catch and stop cockroaches in their place, denying them the pleasure of skittering around your feet. A second option is to buy a spray to kill cockroaches. Available at most home improvement outlets, the spray should be sprayed into where cockroaches are entering the house. Beware though, as many kinds of spray can be toxic to people as well. Finally, you can always get professionals to do the work for you. If nothing else, this guarantees much less of a chance that they will come back.
How to Keep Cockroaches From Ruining Your Holidays
The appearance of cockroaches in your home can be embarrassing if you have company over when they decide to show up. You don’t want to take a chance that they will decide to make an appearance in the middle of your holiday dinner, so you will want to take any precautions you can to prevent cockroaches from getting into your home. There are several ways you can keep them out and preserve your dignity during the holidays.
Keep Them Outside
As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and this is especially true of cockroaches. It is far easier to prevent them than try to eradicate them once they’ve taken up residence in your home. Before they can get into your house, there are ways to keep them on the outside looking in and not make their way into your home.
Inspect the foundation and the exterior walls of your house and use caulk to seal any hole or crevice an eighth of an inch or bigger. Even the smallest crevice will seem like an open doorway from them to crawl through and find a place to nest in your house. You should also check the seals or caulking around air conditioning units, doors, window sills and other openings in your home.
Inside of your house, seal around electrical outlets, furnace vents, plumbing fixtures, pipes, mouldings and along baseboards. Cockroaches can, and will, get into any small space they can to hide or to travel around your house. You will need to repair and seal over any holes or cracks in your floors or walls and fix leaky plumbing fixtures too. Cockroaches like moisture and leaks need to be stopped.
Keep a Tidy Home
Keeping your house clean is imperative in preventing cockroaches. While they can be found in even the cleanest places, they will be attracted to your home if you’re sloppy and have food crumbs on the floor, on your counters or if you often have dirty dishes in the sink. Clean up spills right away and keep your counters and tables wiped free of food particles. Sweep and vacuum your carpets and floors frequently as well.
If you have pets, don’t leave any of their feed in their bowls overnight because roaches love pet food. Keep dry pet food in plastic containers with tight seals to keep roaches and other pests out of your dog and cat’s kibble. Their water dishes should be carefully monitored as well in order to keep roaches at bay.
Take out the kitchen garbage frequently and use cockroach proof garbage bins on the inside and outside of your home to keep them out of the trash. Also organize stored items and clean around them frequently. If you follow these preventive measures, you can easily prevent a cockroach infestation. Preventing roaches will not only keep you from being embarrassed, but you and your family will be healthier without them in your home.
Parting thoughts…
Cockroaches are disgusting pests that cause allergens in the air. In addition to being able to multiply quickly, cockroaches can make asthma and other respiratory problems worse. So don’t live with it. Instead, take matters into your own hands, and work to make your house cockroach free. It all begins with identification, and ends with a plan. Until that point, good luck!