Causes of Cockroaches and How to Get Rid of Them

So there you are, just living your life in your nice, clean Santa Fe home when BAM – you see it. A nasty, crawly roach skittering across your floor. Gross!

How in the world did that creepy little monster get in here? What does it want? And more importantly, how can you kill it and make sure its friends don’t come visiting too?

This post is going to break down why those gross bugs, the ever famous cockroach, sneak into your house and how to boot them out for good, aka pest control.

What Attracts Roaches?

Alright, first things first – why are roaches trying to move into your place anyway? Well, like most pests, roaches are looking for food and water. Even if your house is spotless, a roach or two might stop by. Here’s what roaches get excited about finding at your home:

• Dirty dishes chilling in the sink or on the counter. Party time!
• Crumbs or spills on the floor, chairs, or countertops. Roaches love to snack on these.
• Garbage that’s not taken out regularly. All-you-can-eat buffet!
• Leftover pet food around the bowl. Pets can’t compete with roaches for leftover kibble.
• Open containers of food, like cans or bags. Roaches will stick their heads right in!

Roaches also dig damp, humid weather like Santa Fe’s summer monsoons. Leaky faucets or pipes in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room are like VIP invitations for roaches too.

Eliminate Roaches from Your Santa Fe Home

Alright, enough about why the roaches came to crash your party. Let’s talk about how to get them to take a hike!

Keep Things Tidy

Having a clean house will cut down on bugs looking to move in. When food and water are scarce, roaches and other pests won’t stick around.

German roaches love kitchens because that’s where the food and water is at. But roaches will explore every nook and cranny looking for grub.

Here’s what you can do to keep them from finding it:

• Take out the trash as soon as it’s full. Don’t let it pile up.
• Wipe up spills and crumbs right when they happen.
• Clean food gunk off counters and the stove after cooking.
• Wash dishes and put them away after eating instead of letting them sit.
• Vacuum, mop and sweep regularly to get rid of crumbs.
• Store human and pet food in sealed containers.

Lose the Clutter

Having lots of clutter gives roaches more spots to hide out and search for food and water. Make life harder for them by keeping your home organized. With fewer places to tuck themselves away safely, roaches will get discouraged and leave faster.

Seal Up Entry Points

An easy way to keep roaches from sneaking in is to seal up any holes or gaps they could use to enter your house. Caulk up any cracks and crevices roaches could be coming in through from outside. Look for gaps in walls, tile, small holes, etc.

For wider openings, use steel wool or foam to plug them up. This is especially important around pipes where roaches can scurry in unseen. If you notice roaches coming in through attic vents or your chimney, installing wire mesh screens can help block them.

Also check weatherstripping around doors and windows to make sure there are no holes or damage for roaches to crawl through.

Fix Leaks Quickly

Taking care of leaks should be a top priority not just to avoid water damage, but also to keep pests at bay. Roaches can detect leaks way faster than you can, and are amazing at finding water sources. Once they find one that’s reliable, they’ll call all their roach friends over to join the party. Yuck!

Toss Out Cardboard and Paper

Roaches looove cardboard boxes and stacks of old newspapers. They breed and hide out in them like little roach hotels! Start clearing out piles of boxes, paper and other clutter from inside your home, garage and shed to avoid creating a roach paradise.

Use Soapy Water

Want a more natural way to kill roaches that sneak in? A spray bottle with some soapy water can do the trick! When you spot one, spray it down and that sucka will be dead within a minute.

The soapy water makes the roach bug out, but it eventually dies from the soap covering its breathing pores and smothering it. Make sure to catch and dispose of the immobilized roach after spraying it. The roach can revive if the soapy residue dries off, since roaches are ridiculously resilient survivors.

Traps

If the soapy water isn’t cutting it or you’ve got a major infestation on your hands, it may be time to bring in some more hardcore solutions:

• Roach bait traps – Roaches love crawling into small, dark spaces so these traps are like an open invitation to a roach hotel they can’t leave.
• Roach sticky traps – These let you catch a bunch of roaches at once, which is satisfying but also gross to see when they get stuck flailing on the glue.
• Boric acid powder – This stuff can be found in some toothpastes and laundry detergents. It’s highly effective at killing roaches but can also be harmful to pets and people if you aren’t careful using it.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve got a roach situation that you can’t or don’t want to take on yourself, get in touch for professional pest control services.

Here at Parker Pest Services, we take proactive approaches to kick roaches to the curb for good. We don’t just eliminate existing roaches super fast – our treatments give you long-lasting control. When you’re dealing with pests in Santa Fe, think of us for top notch pest control services!

FAQs

Can roaches recognize and remember people?

Roaches have tiny brains, so they likely don’t recognize individual humans. But studies show roaches can remember negative experiences, like being sprayed with insecticide. This helps them learn to avoid dangers in the future.

What smells attract roaches?

The strongest roach attractants are food smells – especially sweet things like fruit, sugar, grease, starch, and alcohol. Non-food smells that appeal to roaches include hairspray, glue, floor polish, and even book bindings.

How long can a roach live without its head?

A roach can survive for weeks without its head! This is because the roach has an open circulatory system and the body sections operate independently. The roach eventually dies from lack of food.

Can roaches develop immunity to pesticides?

Unfortunately yes. Roaches can become resistant to chemicals in pesticides that are overused. This is why pest control pros rotate different treatments to effectively control roach populations.

Do ultrasonic devices really repel roaches?

The jury is still out on this one. Some ultrasonic pest repellers claim to use high-frequency sound waves to drive roaches away. But there’s limited evidence showing they work well for roach infestations.

Do roaches swarm like bees?

Not exactly. But large groups of roach nymphs leaving their nesting area at once can look like a “swarm.” It’s just roaches dispersing to find new food sources and habitat.

Can roaches climb smooth surfaces?

Yep. Roaches have sticky pads on their feet that allow them to cling to and climb up all kinds of slick, smooth surfaces like glass, tile, plastic and more. The pads excrete a sticky substance that adheres to the surface.