You may be wondering, “Why do I have cockroaches in my clean home?” In spite of their best efforts, homeowners who discover roaches on the floor or in other areas of their home are unable to eradicate these pesky pests. Instead, they spend hours cleaning and obsessively mopping in an attempt to rid their home of the scourge.
You can keep pests out of your home by doing things like taking out the trash on a regular basis, keeping your house clean, and storing your food in airtight containers. So, what is it about a spotless home that draws cockroaches?
Cockroaches are a pest that can take many forms. This species’ diet is extremely diverse, and it will eat just about anything you put in front of it. Their water-finding abilities are exceptional, and they’re masters at evading detection. Having all of these adaptations means that they can live in any kind of environment. Humans are at risk from roaches, which can carry diseases as well as trigger allergies and asthma attacks. Once you have cockroaches in your home, getting rid of them is extremely difficult.
How Cockroaches Get Into Your Clean Home
Where Do Cockroaches Come From?
Cockroaches are more common in certain areas than others. There is a large population of American cockroaches in the southeastern United States, particularly in Georgia and Florida (also known as palmetto bugs). Even if you regularly clean your home if you live in one of these areas, you should expect to see these pests.
In contrast to their German counterparts, American cockroaches aren’t associated with filthy environments like their German counterparts are. For example, a broken window seal or a door left open for an extended period of time could let them in.
- These are also called “sewer roaches” for a reason. If your dealing with more than just the occasional roach, you may have a plumbing issue. Check out our blog “How Plumbing Issues Lead to Sewer Roaches” to learn more!
How Do Cockroaches Get Inside?
There are three things roaches look for in your home: food, shelter, and water. They’ve also figured out how to get into your home through the tiniest of spaces. Dryer vents, exterior wall cracks, and gaps between the walls and floors are all possible entry points. Make a thorough inspection of your home’s exterior and seal any openings you discover.
What Do Cockroaches Drink?
Roaches require moisture to survive, and their quest for water will bring them into even the cleanest of homes. It’s not uncommon to see cockroaches in bathrooms and kitchens because of leaky pipes and faucets. They’ll drink from the condensation from air conditioners and refrigerators, and they’ll even drink from pet water bowls if they’re left out overnight. For this reason, roaches can be found in basements as well as in the dark corners of cabinets and under large appliances that use water.
What Do Cockroaches Eat?
Roaches will go to great lengths to find food, no matter where it may be. There is no stopping these resilient pests from surviving on anything, no matter how meticulously you keep your kitchen clean. These arachnids are so voracious that they’ve been observed eating everything from cardboard to wallpaper paste and book bindings to grease and soap. Your attic and garage are likely hiding places for them, as are books you’ve had for a long time, or even behind pictures you’ve hung on the walls.
What Attracts Cockroaches?
Food, shelter, and water are all things that roaches look for when they enter your yard. Roaches can live in your yard just as easily as they do in your home. Cockroaches are drawn to places with water, such as bird baths, flower pots, and gutters. Food and shelter can be found in the form of compost and wood piles. Trash and recycling bins are a great source of food for flies and other insects. Hideouts can be found in leaf litter, dense vegetation, mulch, or pine straw.
Tips To Prevent Cockroaches From Getting Inside Your Home
Invading roaches are extremely difficult to exterminate once they’ve established themselves in your home. You can prevent roaches from invading your home by following these steps:
- Keep your home’s exterior free of leaks by caulking any holes or cracks.
- Make sure there aren’t any leaks.
- Eliminate any areas where water is collecting.
- Overwatering your houseplants can be a big problem.
- Keep your kitchen counters clean at all times by wiping them down after each meal.
- Rinse and put away dirty dishes immediately after use rather than leaving them in the sink for hours.
- After you’ve finished cooking, make sure to wipe down your stove.
- Vacuuming and sweeping should be done on a weekly basis.
- As far as possible, keep firewood and compost away from your home.
- Your lawn and landscaping should be kept in order.
6 Reasons Roaches Thrive in a Clean Environment
- Dirty Corners: We mop and disinfect, but forget to clean cockroach hotspots. They like to hide in crevices and hard-to-reach places. Cooktop and oven drippings and splatters. Spills and food under the fridge may also attract roaches. So, clean these unusual places to get rid of pests.
- Moist Areas: Leaking pipes and standing water attract roaches. They’ll come in to enjoy it. Even your pet’s water bowl and AC/Fridge condensation will attract roaches. Cockroaches prefer dark, moist places. Basements, bathroom dressers, and kitchen sink cabinets are cockroach hotspots.
- Attracted to Non-Food Items: Roaches don’t just eat trash, food, and garbage. They’ll eat almost anything. They’ll eat no matter what. They eat cardboard, book bindings, leather, wallpaper paste, grease, soap, toothpaste, feces, and hair. These items may be luring roaches into your home. They can go 6 weeks without food, which is terrible. Eliminating their food sources won’t work unless you use other methods.
- Pantry Items Improperly Sealed: We clean the kitchen and mop up the crumbs, but we forget that open food items in the pantry are roaches’ favorite treat. Keep food in airtight plastic containers. It keeps cockroaches away.
- Unchecked Landscape: No matter how clean your house is, a cluttered yard with overgrown grass and bushes invites roaches. These are their hideouts. Cockroaches invade for three reasons: food, water, and shelter. Roaches hide in overgrown grass and bushes. Standing water in flower pots, gutters, and birdbaths will suffice for roaches. Roaches will eat leaves, litter, mulch, or anything else nearby.
- Cracks and Crevices: Roaches love to hide in cracks and crevices in walls. Roaches also call the spaces between electrical wires and walls their home because they provide them with shelter. Fill pipes’ gaps, cracks, and leaks to eliminate roach habitats.
FAQs
Cockroaches are attracted to food, water, and shelter, which your home may provide in abundance. However, if you’re experiencing an unusually high number of roaches, it could be a sign of a deeper issue, such as a plumbing problem. Leaky pipes and moisture create an ideal breeding ground for these pests. To determine if a plumbing issue is contributing to your cockroach problem, consider consulting a professional and explore our detailed insights on how plumbing can attract sewer roaches here.
Cockroaches are primarily attracted to food, water, and warmth. Leaving food out, not securing your garbage, and having moisture-rich areas can invite roaches into your home. Regular cleaning and proper food storage are critical in preventing their entry and infestation.
Preventing cockroaches involves sealing entry points such as cracks and crevices, keeping your space clean, and managing moisture levels by fixing leaks and ensuring good ventilation. Regular inspections and maintenance can also help keep your home roach-free.
Yes, cockroaches can be harmful to your health. They are known to carry bacteria that can cause diseases such as salmonella and gastroenteritis. Additionally, cockroach droppings and shed skin can exacerbate allergies and asthma in some individuals.
If home remedies and over-the-counter solutions are ineffective, it might be time to call a professional pest control service. Experts can offer more potent solutions and customized approaches to thoroughly eradicate cockroach infestations from your home.
Get Help from On Demand Pest Control
Having roaches in your home despite your best efforts to keep it clean can be upsetting. The most effective and cutting-edge pest control products and equipment are available from On Demand Pest Control. If you need help with roaches or want to prevent them from becoming an issue in the first place, call us for a free estimate or learn more about our pest control services.
