8 Best Strategies for How to Exterminate Roaches
Household pests are a nuisance to deal with at best, and problematic at worst. Some of them, such as the common spider, can be disposed of easily. Others, such as the infamous cockroach, are smart enough to evade your attempts to kill them.
Just because cockroaches are often associated with characteristics of invincibility, doesn’t mean that they can’t be exterminated. It is important to prevent these pests from proliferating and use pest control methods to ensure that they do not flourish. These are guests that shouldn’t be welcomed into your home at any time, so you need to learn how to exterminate roaches quickly.
Although they are generally unsightly, it is in your best interest to kill them as soon as they are discovered. If their presence is left to fester, they may breed and cause an infestation. To avoid this nightmarish situation, implement some of these strategies for how to exterminate roaches:
1. Think about what attracts the roaches
There are, generally speaking, specific sources that attract roaches in and around your home. These can range, but will mostly include areas that have food or water. In addition, small crevices and other hiding spots may incite the pests to take up residence within them.
The best measures for how to exterminate roaches is to promptly act on these specific areas. Make sure that storerooms are properly locked and that pipes within your home aren’t leaking. Seal off any tiny, dark locations around your property that may invite the critter, as well. Roaches opt to hide in daylight, so force them out in the open by getting rid of potential hiding spots.
2. Sanitize areas thoroughly
Cockroaches are as tenacious, as they are annoying. They can dodge your attempts to kill them, and return to areas that you thought were originally cleaned out. Having said this, you must ensure that all locations where they fester are sanitized thoroughly.
When a mess from food inevitably happens, don’t just wait to clean it up. Roaches are attracted to untidiness, whether they appear on a rug carpet or under large appliances such as a refrigerator. Make sure you use cleaning products that have anti-insect properties, in order to further mitigate the chances of cockroaches being attracted to a potential messy area.
3. Get rid of standing water
As mentioned before, areas within your home that have water can be enticing to roaches. This is especially true if the area in question is affected by standing water. In order to exterminate roaches, make sure these areas are properly dried up, should water remain. Check around appliances for leaks; cockroaches may live under your sink if you’re not careful!
4. Relocate food
Pantries, and other areas storing food, that are not properly locked will be a target for cockroaches. All living things require sustenance, and these pests will aim to take up residence in areas that provide them with free nourishment. Should you find this to be a problem, you can either try to better secure these storage facilities or relocate your food items altogether.
First, store dry food such as grains in airtight containers, while putting produce in the refrigerator. If a food source crumbles, such as bread, it is best to keep it within containers that prevent cockroach infiltration. This will starve them off, allowing you to deal with them directly.
5. Use bait
This is one of the best ways for how to exterminate roaches altogether. Once specific areas have been cleaned thoroughly, implement the use of specific products that can control and destroy the pests for good. Insecticide, generally speaking, is an excellent way to kill roaches, after they have been drawn out using bait placed around their hiding spots.
6. Glue boards
Unfortunately, a large amount of roaches in your property will not magically go away in a few days. You will need to take specific measures in order to both draw them out overtime, and then dispose of them accordingly. Glue boards are a great method to use to do just that. Place a few around your home, which will trap roaches overtime until they are completely gone.
7. Maintain a cool temperature
Although this can be related to keeping a cool composure when managing the threat of roaches, it’s not entirely the case. Ensuring that your entire household is at a cool temperature can reduce the impact of active cockroaches. Since they prefer warm environments, a cool property can make it less hospitable, forcing them to abandon your home or risk death.
8. Hire a professional
Most of these techniques are constructed in a do-it-yourself way, and may not be enough to fully eliminate these pests. If they prove to be more methodical than anticipated, it would be best to hire a professional pest management service. These specialists thoroughly fumigate and exterminate any active roaches in your home, effectively disposing of them for good.
