I’ve been lucky enough to live in mostly-cockroach free housing my whole life, but lately I’ve been staying in a serviced apartment whilst our house is recovering from flood damage. Whilst this apartment is great, it has a bit of a cockroach problem, especially in the kitchen cupboards and bathroom. Let’s see what can be done about those other than just squashing them as we find them.
Common Pests in Australia
Rats, spiders, ants, termites, cockroaches; pests are a nightmare for every household. The presence of pests make it seem like your house is either old, dirty or just needs some pest control. Anyone could not help it but pests are just way too many and now crawls and resides in every household anywhere in the world. According to most sources, there are the 10 most common household pests in Australia, and cockroaches are among the top listed. Though it’s not easy to get rid of them, some safety procedures can actually have them controlled.
Cockroaches are commonly found in conditions with access to food, water, and shelter. These creatures decide where they will live based on how a place is able to provide them the resources that they need in order to survive and multiply at the same time. Kind of like people! In most cases, cockroaches will be found in areas with rubbish; like drains, food scraps, dirty tables, even behind kitchen stoves, fridges, and cupboards. They feed on almost everything that involves food. Consequently, cockroaches are rarely seen during the day due to their nocturnal character. However, it may seem okay not seeing them during the day, but these creatures often carry and spread bacteria, and can contaminate food if it is prepared on surfaces touched by the cockroaches. So, how do we get rid of cockroaches?
Controlling a Cockroach Infestation
Worry not because cockroach infestations can usually be controlled with some effort. Try these home remedies to keep your household cockroach-free or with far fewer at the very least.
- Keep your food containers tightly sealed. Food leftovers are sometimes kept on cabinets, and attract cockroaches because of the smell. Thus, it is recommended to have it tightly closed in containers, or put in the fridge for more secure safekeeping.
- Clean the kitchen regularly. Some households may only clean their kitchens weekly. but it would mean a build-up of gunk which also attracts cockroaches. Use the best cleaning agent available, which is suitable for kitchen use. When your kitchen is clean, there will be no rubbish for the cockroaches to want to eat. Thus, it would be less infested given the scarcity of resources for them.
- Fill in small cracks underneath your cupboards and floor. Cockroaches often live and hibernate during the day in small cracks anywhere in the house, so it’s best to fill them up to not make space for the cockroaches to reside. It would be best to not provide them with a space they can call their home.
- Keep an eye on your compost bins. Smelly and stale foods tend to stink, which make cockroaches come even more. Nonetheless, keep your compost bins far from inside your homes so that cockroaches stay outside. A less stale and smelly household, fewer cockroaches.
- It’s also best to invest in insecticides for cleaning kitchen surfaces. Insecticides are used to prevent cockroaches from coming in due to its insect-killing capabilities. You may use low toxicity liquid or gel insecticide to those areas where cockroaches and other pests may hide, to also avoid them from living on those surfaces.
- Roach Motels are a popular product to hide under your fridge or oven which can poison or glue cockroaches in place after attracting them inside. These are best left away from the cupboards themselves if they are poisonous ones. By putting them away from your kitchen cupboards it also acts as a distraction from those areas to lure them away.
Among all other household pests in the world, cockroaches are one of the most hated. This fast, crawling creature with fast reflexes will often startle you when you notice one. Cockroaches move and glide around too much that it’s surprisingly hard to squash them with your shoe. But hey, remember it’s your house, not theirs. So why allow them to be in charge, right? You can try the simple home hacks to have your home pest free, and evidently clean from surface to surface!
If these methods fail, it’s then time to find a local exterminator.
