If you spot roaches in your house, they are in there for good reasons. To survive, cockroaches look for food, water, and shelter, which they can find in your house. Roaches are drawn to a house with paper bag stacks, piles of cardboard boxes, food, spills, and crumbs. When you suddenly realize that you are sharing your home with these pests, you can feel frustrated and terrified. This is where Brooks Pest Control services can help. Read on to understand what draws roaches to your house and what steps you can take to prevent a roach infestation:
Why Cockroaches Invade Your House
To free your space of roaches, you must learn what is attracting them in the first place. Below are what roaches want from your house:
- Food. Roaches are not picky eaters. Crumbs and spills on the floor as well as food bits on dishes left in the sink can attract roaches. So, to make your home less attractive to roaches, keep it free from leftover foods sitting in the open.
- Water. Roaches need moisture to survive. They can be drawn to anywhere moisture is available. From kitchen spills to leaky pipes, roaches will stick around if they can find a good source of moisture.
- Shelter. Roaches hide in crevices, gaps, and within clutter. These include piles of wood or cardboard. If cardboard is wet, the soft fibers can be a source of food for cockroaches. Also, roaches are drawn to the smell of wet cardboard.
How Roaches Can Enter Your House
Roaches can sneak into your house through even tiny openings. The following are their common secret routes:
- Cracks and crevices. Roaches can squeeze their bodies to fit through the tiniest of gaps. These can include gaps in the foundation and walls as well as around doors and windows.
- Drains and vents. The ventilation system and drainpipes of your house can serve as highways for a roach invasion. Usually, roaches can climb up into houses through drains.
- Groceries and packages. Roaches can get in your house through grocery bags, cardboard boxes, and other packages.
- Used appliances and furniture. Roaches can hide themselves in used appliances and furniture you might bring into your house.
- Utility lines. Sometimes, utility lines have big enough gaps for roaches. You can deter their entry by sealing such entry points.
To ensure you don’t deal with roaches in your house, make sure to clean up after you eat. Also, you need to dispose of garbage properly, making sure the trash cans are covered with tight-sealing lids. Other steps you can take include addressing plumbing problems, not leaving the food bowl of your pet out in the open at night, and decluttering.