The Dangers Of Roaches
There are two big problems with roaches. First of all, they’re not only nasty but dangerous too. They’ll carry bacteria into your home from landfills, sewers, and dumpsters, putting you at risk of disease incursion. This bacteria, when spread across your food preparation surfaces, can cause diseases like salmonella, E.coli, and many more in severe cases.
The other problem with roaches is how hard they are to get rid of. They can survive on very little food, and they are incredibly resilient. Their strong, yet flexible exoskeletons make them nearly crush-resistant. Plus, they can flatten their bodies to squeeze in and out of tight spaces, making them hard to keep out and even harder to get rid of.
Four Simple Prevention Tips
While they may be hard to keep out, there are a variety of things you can do yourself to make your Greenfield home less attractive to roaches. The following tips, when done properly, might help you avoid a severe infestation.
- Addressing Moisture Issues: Roaches are largely attracted to dark, damp environments. That’s why you typically find them in places like bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. Proper moisture management begins in the yard with consistently mowed grass. You’ll also want to use a dehumidifier in your crawl spaces, along with monitoring your pipes for leaks that can lead to moisture buildup.
- Proper Food And Trash Storage: As roaches search your home up and down for an easily accessible food source, they’ll soon wind up in the kitchen. If you leave food on the counters or dirty dishes in the sink overnight, an infestation will soon arise. Storing food in cardboard containers could also allow roaches to squeeze through and overrun your stored food supplies. Trash cans should be metal or plastic with a tightly secured lid. Remember, roaches can squeeze through very small spaces.
- Regular And Thorough Cleaning: A clean home is a roach-free home. As it turns out, their strong exoskeletons aren’t the only things that make roaches so resilient. They can also survive off of just a few crumbs, which makes your cleaning habits very important to prevent them. You’ll want to start by wiping off tables and counters regularly. Once those crumbs wind up on the floor, vacuuming or mopping regularly becomes very important as well. You’ll also want to clean up the clutter, as clutter provides a comfortable environment for roaches.
- Sealing Off Entry Points: Since roaches can flatten their body to get through cracks, eliminating all of their potential entry points will prove difficult. However, you can start by applying new weather-stripping to exterior doors. You’ll also want to use caulking to fill in the gaps around window sills and any cracks you see in the foundation.
These methods may help you avoid a cockroach infestation, but we cannot guarantee that they will be 100% effective. When it comes to cockroaches, the only guaranteed form of cockroach control is the professional solutions of knowledgeable pest technicians. That’s why the last tip is the most important: Contact the professionals at American Pest Solutions for guaranteed prevention and eradication methods today.