Struggling with a cockroach infestation in your home? Here's some tips on how to deal with this
Amongst the annoyances of summer, one of the worst is undoubtedly the "arrival" of cockroaches which can lead to serious, hard-to-eradicate infestations.
If you have to deal with a cockroach "invasion", the first thing to do to is to find out why they're attracted to your home: food and environmental conditions are the two main factors that determine how "attractive" your home is for cockroaches. Let's explore this topic in more detail:
What attracts cockroaches to your home?
So, what makes a home attractive to cockroaches? Well, here's a short list:
- Food and water: food residue and open leftovers will attract cockroaches, as will any small leaks from pipes or easy access to your pets' water/food bowls;
- Dirt and grime: poor hygiene means cockroaches can find food and an ideal place to nest (especially in places that are warm and humid, like the bathroom or kitchen);
- Accessibility: cockroaches colonize environments with greater ease if they can exploit exposed access points, such as cracks in the walls and gaps around window/door frames, for example;
- Shelter: cockroaches love to nest in silent, dark, hidden places like in the spaces behind stacked boxes and loose skirting boards and under furniture or rarely-used appliances, etc.
Natural remedies to eliminate cockroaches in your home
You can eliminate cockroaches from your homes by using some effective, all-natural remedies:
- Lavender oil: this is a highly fragrant essential oil with relaxing properties for humans; on the other hand, lavendar oil repels insects and will drive them from your home. Place bunches of lavender flowers in drawers, closets and wardrobes; alternatively, make a spray with 10 drops of lavender oil in 250 ml of water;
- Peppermint: this is another aromatic plant that repels insects and you can use just like lavender oil, described above;
- Neem oil: another insect-repelling oil, neem can be sprayed around access points for cockroaches (such as window frames, door jambs, cracks in walls, etc) and on the plants you have in the house and/or garden;
- Pyrethrin: this compound is extracted from the chrysanthemum flower and can be sprayed directly onto cockroaches if the infestation is not already "out of hand";
- Traps: using insect traps can also be effective; place the traps wherever you notice sustained cockroach activity.
How to prevent cockroach infestations
Of course, "prevention is better than cure", as they say, and here's some preventative steps you can take to ensure cockroaches don't invade your home:
- Hygiene: the first step in preventing a cockroach infestation is to keep your home clean and sanitized, especially the bathroom and kitchen (where cockroaches can find both food and shelter); this advice also applies to the garden, which should kept free from any debris that might attract cockroaches (and other insects);
- Food: store food and leftovers in airtight containers, taking care to sweep up any crumbs and taking out the trash regularly (which will deny food sources to cockroaches);
- Doors and windows: install seals around door and window frames to prevent cockroaches from entering your home through any small gaps or cracks;
- Cracks in the walls and leaking pipes: seal off any cracks in the walls and make sure none of your pipes are leaking (or that the pipes have pulled away from the wall, leaving access holes);
- Inspect your premises regularly to make sure there are no "unwelcome guests" trying to establish themselves in your home.
Of course, if you have a serious infestation of cockroaches, you will need to call on the services of professionals.
Follow these tips, and your home should stay cockroach-free!
