Cockroaches are the most revolting creatures. It is common for some people to see them running around at home damaging the wallpaper and books, snacking on food, then spreading diseases to the family members.
These bugs avoid light and so are active at night, so it is quite common to find them hiding in dark crevices and dark, moist places. Cracks, crevices, holes, drains, cupboards and pantries are the favourite resorts of cockroaches.
Cockroaches play an important function outdoors in breaking up organic garbage. However, it is a necessity to be rid of them in the house to prevent their carrying of disease-causing organisms and triggering allergic reactions. The deterrence of an infestation is best achieved by first taking care of cleanliness.
This means storing your kitchen clean by removing food crumbs and wiping up spillages promptly. Keeping food in sealed airtight containers or in refrigerators helps. Avoid leaving used dishes overnight in the sink or dishwasher.
Washing cooking ranges and wiping counters over helps eliminate cockroaches because they love greasy places.
Cockroaches love dirt and water, so it is best to empty trash bins regularly. In addition, the fixing of dripping taps and leaks in bathrooms and kitchens will help eradicate cockroaches.
Frequently pouring some cheap bleach assists to prevent these bugs coming up through drains. Cockroaches detest the smell of naphthalene balls, so using them in corners of closed places assists as well.
Cracks in the outside walls provide an entry to cockroaches. Seal cracks and crevices in cabinets and on both sides of floor, door, and window mouldings, Filing all openings around pipes in bathrooms and kitchens helps to prevent their entry.
In addition, logs and other waste just outside the home provide hiding places for cockroaches. So moving these items deters cockroaches from living close by.
It is good to avoid the use of toxic sprays, and instead use sticky traps to get rid of cockroaches. These traps attract cockroaches and then trap them with an adhesive. They should be put in corners.
You can make an effective yet easy trap from jars of water. Place them next to walls. They have to permit cockroaches to get in but not get out. Just put bait like ground coffee in the jar; even plain water works fine in dry climes.
Applying a diluted concentrated poison or deterrent chemical with a spray, a cloth or a mop in places that are frequented by cockroaches assists to not just eradicate cockroaches, but also deter a re-infestation for at least 15 days.
It helps to create a light solution of bath soap and water and spray it on the head of lower abdomen of the cockroach. The cockroach will try to run and escape but will ultimately be killed.
It is useful to use a cockroach bait that is made by mixing 1 part of powdered boric acid with 1 part each of white flour and granulated white sugar. Position this as lumps in the backs of drawers and cabinets, and under the refrigerator and cooker.
The sugar turns tacky; the mixture sticks to the cockroach and kills it. However boric acid cakes readily so it is best to place it on a paper or foil tray.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several topics, but is currently concerned with bed bug covers for mattresses. If you would like to know more, visit our website at Bugs Infestation.