Prevent Roaches by Eliminating Roach-Attracting Conditions

Roaches are an unsightly and obnoxious problem for homeowners almost everywhere. These bugs are ugly, carry disease, and can move surprisingly quickly. Some species can even fly, making them the stuff straight out of nightmares for some people. If you have a problem with roaches frequently making an appearance in your home, then you might be wondering just what you can do to get them to go away for good.

While professional pest control services are by far the most effective way of permanently solving a pest problem like roaches, one of the best things you can do to keep the problem gone for good is to eliminate the conditions that attracted the roaches to your home in the first place. Here are a few helpful tips that can keep the roaches away for good.

Empty the Trash Regularly

Trash is an unsightly part of our day to day lives, particularly in kitchens. However, it’s essentially a feast ripe for the picking to a cockroach. The food waste in your trash emits odors that may be foul to us, but to a roach looking for food, it’s one of the best smells they can get. And when you consider how good of a sense of smell roaches have, it’s easy to see how your trash could attract roaches to try and find a way into your home. In many cases, they will.

Therefore, if you want to keep roaches out of your home, keep the smelly trash that’s so enticing to them out of your home as well. If your trash can starts to smell, even if it’s only a small amount, bring it out to your outdoor garbage bin. This will help ensure your home stays cleaner and that roaches have no reason to try and break into your home.

Keep a Tight Lid on Garbage Cans

Your outdoor garbage cans are also prone to roach intrusion. And when roaches have a food source located near your home, they’ll often use your home as shelter located close to food. The easiest way to keep roaches away from your outdoor bins is to keep a tight-fitting lid on your garbage can. This helps keep odors from seeping out of the can and prevents roaches from getting in. When roaches can’t get in, they’ll move on to somewhere else that isn’t your home.

Don’t Leave Dirty Dishes in the Sink

Dirty dishes in the sink can cause odors and present some lovely food scraps that are there for the pickings for wandering roaches. Indeed, the remains of your last meal may prove to be an all-you-can-eat buffet for any roaches that find their way into your kitchen. And when you simply leave your dishes in the sink, roaches have all the time in the world to get in and munch away. This is why it pays to do the dishes right away when your meal is done. Clean scraps off of your dishes, run your garbage disposal, and run your dishwasher to ensure your dishes are truly clean and free of food particles and odors. This will get rid of the smells that attract roaches and eliminate the food source that might entice them to stay inside your walls or in the foundation beneath your feet.

Tightly Seal Food Containers, Including Pet Food

Containers are a common part of our pantries and kitchens. In fact, many people keep commonly-used ingredients like flour, sugar, or even coffee in decorative containers that are well within easy reach. While some containers may look beautiful, they aren’t always as functional as they should be. A container that isn’t tightly sealed could lead to that particular substance spoiling prematurely, or leave it open for the taking by hungry roaches. This is why you always want to purchase containers that have lids that tightly seal, preferably with a rubber gasket and some sort of a latching mechanism that keeps it air-tight. This will prevent roaches from getting in and even prevent things like mold and mildew from forming in your otherwise-good ingredient.

Clean Up Sitting Water or Excess Moisture

Finally, roaches need more than food to survive—they also need moisture. Standing water is a perfect source of moisture for roaches to use to sustain themselves. Leaving standing water in dishes in the sink, leaving uncleaned spills on countertops and floors, and even dripping water in the space beneath your sink are all great sources of moisture that can and will attract roaches if not rectified as soon as possible. Likewise, any areas of your home where excessive humidity is a problem, such as crawlspaces, are breeding grounds for roach nests.

Don’t let your roach problem get out of hand! Let the pros at Hopper Termite & Pest tackle your problem with effective prevention and extermination services. Call us at (870)425-4122 today.