5 Simple Tips For A Cockroach-Free Kitchen

#1 Protect your food and your health

Cockroaches are highly mobile insects. They scale walls and run across ceilings. They also chew holes in paper and cardboard. Keep these facts in mind as you work to protect your food:

• Store packaged foods in sealed containers.
• Keep food covered when dishes are sitting out on the counter.
• Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator.
• Store potatoes in a bin with tiny holes to allow airflow but keep roaches out.

When you guard your food against cockroaches, you reduce the risk of health issues related to these pests, such as salmonellosis.

#2 Address anything a roach will eat

There are many things in your kitchen that you don't consider food, but a roach does. It is critical to do an inspection, identify potential food sources, and remove them. Here are some suggestions:

• Dispose of food packages after putting contents in sealed containers, and put cardboard waste, like pizza boxes, in a sealed bin. Roaches don't just chew holes in cardboard and paper; they eat it for the cellulose.
• Wash the sides of your oven, and clean underneath it while you have it pulled out from the wall. Cockroaches eat grease and decaying food debris.
• Establish a mealtime for your dog or cat, and clean pet dishes. Roaches love pet food—even more when it is decaying.
• Clean your floors and keep your counters disinfected.
• Wipe down food shelves to remove powders and other food debris.
• Wash honey jars and other containers that have food on the exterior or around the top.
• Remove your kitchen trash frequently to prevent food from decaying too long.
• If needed, get a trash receptacle with a lid that seals.

Sanitation is key to cockroach control and helps to reduce the risk of illness. It is worth rolling your sleeves up and applying these tips.

#3 Control moisture and humidity

Cockroaches have a high moisture requirement. They won't like living in a home with no water to drink. Removing water sources is almost more effective at controlling cockroaches than removing food. The only problem is cockroaches can derive the water they need from certain foods. Therefore, both must be controlled.

• Repair leaking faucets, pipes, or your garbage disposal.
• Refrain from leaving water down for your pets.
• Install a dehumidifier if your kitchen tends to stay humid.
• Address your damp and moisture-prone crawl space.

These simple steps can have a bigger impact than you might think.  

#4 Create barriers to deter roaches

When you have cockroaches in your kitchen, it is evidence that you have entry points. After you've taken the time to control indoor food and water sources and made your home less humid, it is time to seal the gaps and holes roaches use.

• Seal gaps around the pipes under your kitchen sink.
• Seal cracks around your kitchen window frame.
• Seal along baseboards.
• Check for holes behind your oven and in other secret places. Rodent holes can provide access for roaches. Fill them in with expanding foam.

Cockroaches don't chew through wood and other building materials. They follow routes that already exist. If you seal these pathways and work to take away the food and water, you can naturally control cockroaches.

#5 Get help from a pest control company

Some cockroach infestations are correctible. If you continue to see roaches or you want professional cockroach control, contact a licensed pest control service provider.

Keep cockroaches and other pests out with ongoing pest control services

Are you in Florence, Myrtle Beach, or elsewhere in the Pee Dee and Grand Strand regions? If so, contact Harris Pest Control to sign up for a year-round home pest control plan that keeps roaches, mice, and spiders as well as other nuisance and potentially damaging pests out of your home and away from your family. Compare our residential plans and pricing below or reach out today to request a free quote!