Do you know what attracts cockroaches in your home or office? Cockroaches in the home or workplace usually strike as not only repulsive but one of man’s worst nightmare. Imagine walking into your kitchen at night only to discover an intrusion, group of cockroaches littered every. No need discussing what follows next if you incidentally step on one or a cockroach jumps straight at you.
Even for homes that are relatively clean and make use of pesticides or home remedies the cockroach problem still persists. Then one wonders what attracts cockroaches in your home in the first place and how to get rid of cockroaches permanently by calling cockroach exterminator Toronto services.
Cockroaches have been around for about 300 million years now. Of the 3,500+ species of cockroach worldwide only one percent are pests. The most prevalent cockroaches include the American cockroach, brown-banded cockroach, wood cockroach, Oriental cockroach, and the German cockroach. The most common cockroach in Canada, however, is the German and oriental cockroach. Now, this should call for concern because the German cockroach has the tendency to cause allergens and illness.
Cockroaches are both omnivores and scavengers. They will eat quite literally anything. Dead skin cells, garbage, feces, and other means of disgustingness are their ideal food source. With such a wide diet range, how could you ever hope to keep these nasty creatures out of your home? Fortunately, identifying a cockroach’s diet and understanding what attracts them to your home will help you keep these pests at bay.
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Why is your Home Cockroach Infested?
Cockroaches need to survive. Unfortunately, your home turns out as a plausible attraction, high on their list of preferred places for a residence. But why? Simple, they require a warm, moist and cool place for shelter. They also need access to food high in protein, sugar, and starch as well as anything chewable. And that’s exactly what your home can provide.
Once cockroach gains access to your home, they extend an invitation to their friends and others. And soon they start hatching eggs. A German cockroach for instance after hatching needs just 36 days to get to adulthood. And before long you could have a full-blown cockroach invasion.
What Cockroaches Eat and What Can Create a Good Nesting Place for Cockroaches in the Home?
These are some of these scenarios that could attract cockroaches and encourage them to nest rather than flee your home so soon:
Food
Although cockroaches will eat anything, they do have specific preferences that they enjoy most of all. Keep in mind, however, that roaches can live months without food and they can survive weeks without water. Decaying food is perhaps the number one choice for just about any roach species. However, they also prefer grease, sugar, starch, cheese, and meat.
Dirty dishes, leftover food on the sink, cabinet or in the waste bag, and crumbs provide access to quick meals for cockroaches. Besides leftovers, most edible foods kept exposed could serve as a delicacy for cockroaches. Also, uncooked foodstuff not kept in an airtight bag or sealed container can serve as a source of food for cockroaches.
Also, cockroaches do not only feed on edible food like bread, cheese, beer, and other meals. They can also survive on postage stamps, wallpaper and other soft items in the home.
Moist Environment
Everyone loves a bit of comfort, so does the cockroach. A moist environment keeps the cockroach away from too much heat.
Moist surfaces that could attract cockroaches:
- Having a leaking sink or pipe.
- Wet foot mat around the kitchen or bathroom floor.
- Underneath the fridge with fluid dripping from inside.
Your home contains almost everything a cockroach considers ideal, no matter how clean you keep it. Cockroaches seek out warmth, moisture, food, and a place that will provide them with shelter. Of course, if you do not keep a tidy home, it is even more of an allure. Although cockroaches prove to be a year-round issue, they do not typically prefer the cold. Therefore, dropping the temperature in your home may act as somewhat of a deterrent.
You should also be sure to keep your home as clean as possible. Remove trash as soon as the bin fills. Do not leave trash bins full of trash near your home. Instead, move them out to the curb immediately. If you keep trash near your home, it can attract roaches, who will then take up residence in your space.
Make sure you decrease their food and water source by cleaning your dishes immediately after every meal. Even one dirty plate left in the sink can provide a hefty meal for a cockroach. Use a towel to dry the area around the sink after you wash dishes to remove any attractive moisture. Also, clean up counters and the stove after you are done the cooking. Any traces of food or grease may act like a magnet when it comes to hungry roaches.
Cool places and Hideaways
Cockroaches like dark areas of the home better because it keeps their activities discreet and void of human interference. So these are the things and locations in your home that could attract cockroaches:
- Cracks on the wall, kitchen, and store
- Wardrobe, cabinets, under the sink
- Unsealed containers, cardboard boxes
- Attic and store
- Underground storage facilities or rooms
- Old, spoiled or abandoned properties like cabinet, chairs, electronics, unwashed clothing, luggage, umbrella, etc.
How to get a Clean Break from Cockroach Infestation
Cockroaches make a mess. They produce an offensive odour plus leave their eggs and droppings around. And this can have negative health implications if consumed in foods or come in contact with. Also, cockroaches create a nuisance when they destroy properties, important documents and more. So, what do you to deal decisively with roaches?
Keep the surroundings clean
This obviously is the first thought that crosses most people’s mind when it concerns getting rid of pests. But it is important to understand that cockroaches are adaptable insects. They can survive for one whole month without food. That means cockroaches can stay hidden without been discovered on time. Though roaches can survive without food for long they can’t survive more than a week without water. So sealing off all water sources properly can help keep these creepy crawlers away. Water sources like pipe leakages, underneath drains, moist or wet fabric or wood are mostly affected.
Keep rid of hideouts and keep lids tightly closed
Ensure all food containers, lids, poly, and paper bags are tightly closed or sealed. This will help reduce access to shelters for the cockroach. Also, ensure all cracks in the wall, crevices and more are covered properly to eliminate breeding grounds for cockroaches. Always insulate pipes that are prone to moisture to make the environment unfriendly to roaches.
Use Pest Control Measures
Another hurried solutions people go for is over-the-counter pesticides. Unfortunately, different pesticides serve a different purpose. To deal with cockroaches you need to have a clear picture of the type of infestation you are dealing with. That way you can apply the right measure in resolving the problem.
Clean the Home Regular
Regularly cleaning of the home, taking away garbage, cleaning out crawl spaces and basements will help keep these bugs out. Also, you need to ensure dirty dishes and leftovers do not stay overnight. Vacuum or steam clean often to get rid of roaches eggs.
Having known what attracts cockroaches in your home, it is pertinent to understand the importance of professional help with getting rid of roaches. They adapt fast and once in it, it’s difficult to get rid of them so easily. Cockroaches can run as fast as three miles per hour. That means they can spread diseases around the home pretty fast. These pests are highly adaptable and can stay without breathing for over 30 minutes even if you cut off the head. And that’s because they have tiny holes at different locations of the body that they use for breathing.
While it might seem okay to use home remedies and DIYs for getting rid of cockroaches they do not offer lasting solutions. Hence, it is the best practice to seek professional advice and to get rid of cockroaches. If despite your best efforts you spot signs of a roach infestation in your home, you will need to contact a professional exterminator Toronto. Whatever you do, do not rely on any DIY methods for a roach infestation as most don’t work. Remember that all our pest control technicians in Toronto are certified and licenced to perform cockroach extermination and provide a 6-month warranty. We at The Exterminatros Inc., are always looking for pest control experts to extend our pest control team, if you are licensed exterminator and have some experience please fill free to check our pest control jobs in Toronto page.
Article Updated: 21 May 2019
