Take the following steps to give your home less cockroach curb appeal.
Bonus: Many of these cockroach prevention tactics alsohelp you avoid other pests, too.
Seal any exterior gaps and cracks.
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Avoid leaving crumbs or food out.
“If there isn’t food available, they can’t grow and reproduce,” Williams says.
Address any leaks or other potential water sources.
Water is another draw for cockroaches, so ensure that you handle any water leaks or standing water quickly.
Inspect anything you bring into your home.
“It’s more than just groceries that you should check,” Gore says.
“Anywhere that people go, German cockroaches can hitchhike with them and move from one item to another.
For each one you see there can be many, many more hiding and multiplying behind your walls.”
Williams also suggests vacuuming any visible roaches.
Boric Acid
This stuff comes in gel or powder form, though the powder is most common.
It works by clinging to the cockroach’s body and attacking its nervous system.
Be careful not to use it around pets and kids, or on any food prep surface.
Since cockroaches are attracted to sugary foods, try mixing baking soda with regular old table sugar.
The smell of the sugar will draw them in and the mixture will kill them.
Again, you’ll want to place this mixture in those small areas where you tend to see roaches.
These are best used for small colonies or hidden spots you’ve seen roaches in before.
They don’t prevent roaches, but they can help tackle the ones you currently have.
Just be careful when placing them!
That sticky substance can also come off on furniture or fur.
Diatomaceous Earth
This substance is made out of the fossilized remnants of organisms called diatoms.
Fear not, you’re not running out there to catch them yourself.
The diatoms are made of silica, which, over time leaves deposits in the earth.
This substance is then mined from those areas.
“Always read and understand the use directions for any insecticide being used for insects.”
Knowing this allows you to take advantage of these traits to build and execute an effective control program."
