Whether you are running a home-based business or have a commercial establishment like a restaurant, nothing threatens your reputation faster than cockroaches. Not only do they look creepy and can cause a repulsive reaction from people, but cockroaches are a health risk that can seriously jeopardize the operation of your business. As a business owner, you cannot afford to allow a cockroach infestation in or around your place of business.
Cockroaches come into your business or house looking for food and water. While they’re a prevalent pest found in many homes, a lot of cockroach species would actually prefer living in the great outdoors, though some species prefer the indoors – that is, your place of business. And if you’ve searched for results on cockroach exterminator near me, you’re certainly not alone.
So how do they get indoors?
Like many other pests, they can come inside your house from squeezing through cracks and crevices on your walls. Windows and doors also serve as an open gateway, and they can also crawl through vents, pipes, and drains.
Some steps you can take to help prevent cockroaches from getting inside:
- Seal cracks and crevices on your walls
- Install screens on windows and vents
- Install weatherstripping to eliminate gaps on windows and doors
- Install mesh drain covers to prevent cockroaches from crawling up drains
Food and Water
Roaches basically get their nutrients from bacteria living on their bodies, so they can feed off a wide variety of things. They are opportunistic feeders and will go through the trash, flakes of dead skin, feces, and other dead cockroaches. They can also feed on accumulated gunk from your drains. When these other food sources are scarce, they’ve been known to dine on toothpaste and soap.
Cockroaches can survive for around a month without food, but can only live for about a week without water, so eliminating food and water sources goes a long way into getting rid of them!
- Don’t leave dishes overnight in the sink, as roaches will crawl all over these and feed off of leftover food debris
- Keep trash receptacles closed or properly covered
- Take out the trash daily, especially if they contain organic waste
- Regularly sweep and mop floors to clear away any food debris
Eliminating cockroaches:
There are some ways you can naturally get rid of roaches. Of course, using an insecticide spray will work, but here are a few other methods that are more environmentally friendly:
Boric Acid
It’s a popular DIY method for a lot of other bugs and not just cockroaches. Lightly sprinkle boric acid on pest highways – that is, areas where there is a lot of pest traffic – and leave it to work.
It will attach on to the cockroach’s (or other pest’s) body and once it grooms (yes, cockroaches actually groom a lot), it’s poisoned.
As it is poison though, take care of using it where your food and water (or your pets) may be contaminated, and long-term exposure to it may cause you to be ill.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a very popular DIY pest control. Same with boric acid, lightly sprinkle it where there is a lot of pest traffic. Once it attaches to a pest’s body, it will eventually die of desiccation when moisture is removed from it.
On a microscopic level, it contains shards that pierce an insect’s body – when handling diatomaceous earth, use a mask to avoid breathing it as it is abrasive to our lungs and wash your hands after. Avoid using it where you, your family, and your pets rest.
When buying diatomaceous earth, be sure to read the label – some are food grade and are more geared towards pest control use.
Cockroach Bait Trap
There are bait traps you can buy in the market and set up along high traffic pest areas. These are essentially poisoned food cockroaches will ingest, and eventually die from. Due to the delayed toxicant activity found in these products, cockroaches that feed off of other dead cockroaches also get poisoned and die from it.
When using cockroach baits, avoid using an insecticide in the area – this will keep the cockroaches away, and if insecticide gets on the actual bait, they will not eat it.
Professional Pest Control
Cockroaches are nocturnal and like to hide away in dark, damp places during the day. Even if a cockroach encounter isn’t all that common for you, that doesn’t mean they’re not there. One tell-tale sign of a cockroach infestation is when you stumble upon a musky odor, such as when you open a cabinet.
The best roach exterminator in Phoenix, AZ, will not only get rid of these cockroaches for you, but they’ll also be able to implement a pest control management plan that will help prevent roaches from coming back.
