What Causes Cockroaches in Your House & How to Get Rid of Them

There’s nothing worse than working hard to keep your Bethesda, MD house squeaky clean, only to find a cockroach in your house. Sure, a cockroach here or there is normal. After all, cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. But when the pests become persistent and begin making a home out of your home, you’ve got a problem.

If you don’t take care of the roach you find in your house, you could end up with a whole infestation. Cockroaches have the ability to multiply quickly. And the truth is cockroaches, specifically German cockroaches, do not just appear in unsanitary homes.

If you want to learn about why you have a roach in your house, and how to get rid of them, keep reading. We’ve got all the best information you could need when it comes to fighting back against this pesky pest.

What Causes Cockroaches in Your House?

Whether you have ants, termites, rodents, or cockroaches in your house, one thing is for sure – common bugs in your home are looking for food and water. So, it makes sense that even the cleanest of homes will have a few roaches.

In addition, here are the top things that the cockroach in your house is after:

• Dirty dishes on the countertops or in the sink
• Crumbs on the floor, furniture, or counters
• Garbage
• Pet food on the floor
• Leftover food in containers or cans
• Standing water spots in your yard such as puddles, birdbaths, and flowerpots

Lastly, cockroaches are attracted to humid weather. They love the excess moisture that a Bethesda summer brings. Plus, if you have leaky pipes and faucets in your bathrooms, kitchen, or laundry room, you’re likely to spot a cockroach at some point.

How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your Bethesda, MD Home

1. Keep Your Home Clean

It may seem obvious but keeping a clean home will eliminate a lot of the pests that come into your home. This is because the less food and water you have readily available, the less likely any type of pest, cockroach included, will want to stick around.

Of course, German cockroaches typically hide in kitchens since there is lots of water and food to be found there. But in general, roaches will go anywhere in your house they can find sustenance.

Here are some housekeeping best practices to follow:

• Take out the garbage as soon as it’s full
• Clean up crumbs and spills right away
• Remove grease and other food spots from the counters and stove
• Wash dishes and put them away after every meal
• Vacuum, sweep, and mop regularly
• Seal all food in airtight containers

2. Get Rid of Excess Clutter

In addition to keeping your house free of food and water that will attract cockroaches, it’s a good idea to declutter too. The more clutter you have in your home, the more places cockroaches have to hide. If you make it hard for the roach in your house to be safe while seeking out food and water, you’ll find them leaving sooner than later.

3. Close Gaps That Are Easy Entryways

One of the best ways to keep the roaches out of your house is to close up any entryways they have into your home. To prevent cockroaches on the outside from breaking in, fill all points of entry with caulk. For example, gaps between walls or tile, entry holes, and small crevices should be closed up.

If the gaps are large, you can always use something like steel wool and foam to fill them up. This is especially helpful around pipes, which is an easy way for roaches to get inside unnoticed. If you find cockroaches getting in through your chimney or attic vents, one option is to create a barrier using wire mesh.

Lastly, keep the weatherstripping on your doors and windows free of cracks and holes to keep pesky roaches out.

4. Fix Leaks Right Away

Although fixing a water leak should already be a priority for you (water damage is no fun!), it’s important you fix these things to prevent pests too.

Remember, it’s not just the humid summer that attracts cockroaches inside. Roaches are great at finding all sources of water without people even realizing it. For instance, a roach can find a refrigerator, sink, faucet, or washing machine leak very quickly. And once other cockroaches realize the source of water is consistent, there will be an infestation before you know it.

5. Don’t Hoard Boxes or Newspapers

Cockroaches love cardboard boxes and newspapers. They love to hide in them and worse yet, breed in them. If you have a bunch of newspapers or boxes laying around inside your house, in your backyard shed, or in the garage, it’s time to clean up.

Don’t wait until spring cleaning to get a jump on cleaning up this kind of clutter. That is unless you want to have a cockroach infestation on your hands.

6. Keep It Natural with Soapy Water

Eco-conscious pest control is something all people should get on board with.

Luckily, sometimes all you need to stop a cockroach in your home is a mixture of liquid soap and water in a spray bottle. When you see the roach appear, give it a little spray and trust that within about a minute it will be dead.

Though the cockroach will run away once you squirt it with the soapy water, it will die because the soapy mixture creates a film over its breathing pores. The end result is a suffocated cockroach. Just make sure to nab the roach and toss it once it’s incapacitated. There is always a chance the soapy mixture will wear off and the cockroach will recover. After all, there’s a reason people believe cockroaches will be the last living thing on earth should everything else perish.

7. Use Store Bought Solutions

If you find the soapy water mixture isn’t cutting it, or the infestation is becoming more than you can easily handle, it’s time to buy some professional products to help.

Here are some of your best options:

• Store Bought Traps: the reason these work so well is because cockroaches love the appeal of a small, dark place. Once they enter, the cockroach will become trapped and won’t be able to leave.
• Glue Strips: if you don’t want to deal with the small cockroach traps, you might try glue boards instead. This solution will allow you to capture more cockroaches at once. However, it can be kind of unsightly to see a bunch of roaches stuck to a glue strip.
• Boric Acid Powder: boric acid is found in things like toothpaste and laundry detergent. Plus, it happens to be one of the best ways to kill a roach in your house. The problem is, if you’re not careful, the powder can blow around your house and come into contact with vulnerable people and pets. Though generally low in toxicity, boric acid powder might not be something you want floating around your house unseen.

Final Thoughts

Are you in need of professional extermination services because of a cockroach infestation you can’t or don’t want to handle yourself? If so, contact us today for help with your pest problem.

At Brody Brothers Pest Control, we strive to take the most proactive and effective approach to getting rid of cockroaches in your home. Not only can we get rid of the roaches in your house right away, but we can also provide the type of long-lasting pest control results you expect from a top-notch Bethesda pest control company.