What Attracts Cockroaches to a House?
Absolutely no one wants to share their house with cockroaches. These filthy pests are just as gross as they look; roaches can spread numerous diseases and allergens when they infest your living spaces. It can be extremely frustrating to keep on having cockroach problems in your home, leaving you to wonder: "Why me?" The answer is that there are three essential things that attract cockroaches to houses - shelter, food and water - and your home in Raleigh makes these things too readily available to roaches.
Why You Keep Having Roach Problems
The first big reason that cockroaches like our homes so much is because of the shelter they offer. Outside, roaches have to deal with bad weather and numerous predators. Inside, provided they can keep hidden from you, they're completely safe and comfortable. There's a myth that cockroaches only infest homes in Raleigh that are always dirty. While it's true that unclean homes are more likely to suffer roach problems, even the cleanest houses offer plenty of places for these pests to hide. Cockroaches are also drawn to warmth; when winter comes around, your home will offer a lot more of it than the great outdoors.
Cockroaches also tend to target homes in Raleigh as they search for food. This is why cockroach infestations so commonly focus on the kitchen. As omnivorous scavengers, cockroaches can eat just about any type of food we can and then some, though they often display a preference for sweet and greasy foods. Roaches will eat any food they can find, including crumbs off the floor and scraps off of dirty plates. They will also raid unsealed bags of food and feast on food waste in the garbage can. Cockroaches may even nibble away at the food you leave out for your cats or dogs.
Finally, cockroaches might invade your home in Raleigh because they're in search of water. During hotter and drier times of the year, water can be hard to come by out in nature. However, our homes have sinks, drains, showers and toilets that offer a plentiful source of water for roaches to quench their thirst. Because of this, roaches often infest parts of the house with many sources of water, such as bathrooms and kitchens. If you have any leaking pipes or drains in your home, expect roaches to congregate around them
How to Keep Cockroaches Out of Your Home
If you don't want cockroaches to keep invading your home in Raleigh, you'll need to mitigate the factors that attract them. Food is usually a good place to start. Keeping a clean kitchen makes it less likely that you'll develop a roach problem. Wiping down counters, washing dishes, and sweeping floors on a regular basis will minimize the amount of food scraps that roaches can feed on. It's also best to store all food in airtight containers and take out the kitchen trash frequently.
The fewer places that cockroaches have to hide, the less likely they are to hang around. Roaches will always be able to hide in spots like under the fridge or inside of cabinets, but you can declutter your home to cut down on the areas where they can take shelter. If you have stacks of boxes or bags, or any sort of junk sitting in a pile, try to clean it up so that intruding roaches don't make a home out of it.
It's harder to keep roaches away from water, but you can make it more difficult for them to find a consistent source. Fix any leaking pipes, faucets or drains so that there isn't a constant puddle of water for roaches to drink from. These leaks can also cause wood rot, which may attract additional cockroaches.
The best way to keep roaches out of your home is to enlist help from a local cockroach control company. If you're in need of cockroach control services in the greater Raleigh area, reach out to Sustainable Pest Systems today!