But according to experts, keeping your toilet and shower area unkempt could be a surefire way to attract roaches. Even items such as damp bathmats, wet towels, and laundry piles can give them a source of water and a place to hide.
You see, these pests will enter through other parts of the house under doors that lack weather stripping, sneak through basement windows, crawl up through drains, and work their way through holes in the exterior - eventually, some may find their way into bathrooms, especially ones that have excessive moisture or that ...
In addition to food, cockroaches love moisture in bathrooms. They'll take advantage of leaking pipes, drain issues, and other plumbing problems to access the water they need to sustain life. As for shelter, the warmer and more humid the bathroom, the more comfortable they are.
Roaches need water to survive. So, they love to find wet and damp places. They will likely be around your sink or tub or maybe even under a wet bath mat. If you want to take away this temptation, make sure you keep the tub and shower dry by wiping them down after each use.
Sugar. Sugar is by far the most attractive substance to a cockroach. They love sugar and can smell it from anywhere. This means you'll want to keep your sugar containers, fruits, and other sweeteners sealed in air-tight containers that are up off the floor.
Cockroaches are classified as “unhygienic scavengers in human settlements” and squashing them can spread bacteria that may lead to asthma, allergies, and illnesses. Cockroaches have been known to cause illnesses such as salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid fever.
If you spot one, odds are there are a few others lurking nearby, in dark corners or cracks and crevices and they could be fast on their way to a full blown infestation. Cockroaches are dangerous to humans – they carry bacteria on their bodies and their feet, contaminating any surfaces they come into contact with.
Vinegar is a natural household ingredient that can repel and kill cockroaches. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water, and then spray it directly onto the roaches when spotted. The strong odour and acidity of vinegar can be effective in eliminating them instantly.
Moisture. Roaches need moisture to survive and this search for water will bring them into even the cleanest of homes. Leaky pipes and faucets are one of the most common attractants for cockroaches and is one of the main reasons you often see them in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
If you spot one of these pesky insects, it's best to call your local Terminix technician right away to get rid of the cockroaches. There are, however, some steps you can take to prevent a cockroach infestation.
Laundry Room: Roaches look to hide under washers and dryers, in a stack of clothes or under a pile of towels, so check the laundry room for creepy crawlers.
One of the best methods for how to keep roaches away is to clean up food scraps, including tiny crumbs that you might overlook at a glance. Armed with a broom and a vacuum, give your floors a thorough cleaning regularly. Make sure to pull appliances away from the wall to clean underneath them.
Distilled vinegar does not kill or repel roaches, making it completely ineffective. Distilled vinegar will help keep your kitchen clean, giving cockroaches less to snack on. However, roaches can live for months at a time without any food at all, and they will eat almost anything to survive.
Good old-fashioned soap and water is a safe, reliable, and inexpensive method. Create a soapy water solution that you can spray with a bottle. It will only take about 2 – 3 sprays to kill any roaches, as the soapy solution will cover their breathing pores and suffocate them.
So what smell do roaches hate? Oregano, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and catnip are great herby options. Citrus oils work brilliantly too.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Number Of Roaches In An Infestation. You might be seeing two to ten cockroaches in a day. But if it exceeds ten, you should start worrying. This may be an indication that you're not only having a cockroach problem but an infestation.
Cockroaches are not likely to bite living humans, except perhaps in cases of extreme infestations where cockroach population are large, especially when food becomes limited. In most situations, cockroaches would not bite humans if there are other food sources such as in garbage cans or exposed food.
How Long Do Cockroaches Live? All cockroaches go through three stages of life: egg, nymph, and adult. While these insects usually live about 6 to 15 months, the cockroach lifespan varies based on species, moisture, and temperature in each of these phases.
Hence, stepping on and crushing a cockroach using your foot is not a good idea, as it can cause its bacteria-carrying gut juices to splash around your floor. Aside from carrying bacteria and viruses, cockroaches also contain a protein that serves as an allergen for numerous people.
It's instinctive: you see a cockroach and you crush it. Or you run away. However, entomologists advise against doing the former, because cockroaches can support 900 times their weight. Lightly stepping on the insect or swatting it with a newspaper is not the best plan.
Because they carry such serious diseases, if you see a cockroach, it's best not to touch it or try to exterminate the colony on your own.