Futon Heaven

Cockroaches are perhaps the most unwelcome pest in the home. Associated with squalid living conditions, the sight of a roach in one’s home can elicit both revulsion and shame. A roach problem is also a health hazard, as these pests carry harmful bacteria that can spread to humans. However, even the cleanest of residences can fall prey to these persistent pests, and the cockroaches’ ability to migrate from location to location in shopping bags, luggage, storage boxes and any other sort of portable container means that everyone is at risk for infestation.

The First Step: Prevention of Cockroaches

While it is true that even the cleanest environments can fall prey to cockroach infestation, this is far more rare than the typical situation of dirty living conditions enabling cockroaches to thrive. The keys to cockroach prevention are also the keys to discouraging the growth of a roach problem.

Of course, one of the best ways of stopping roaches is to make sure you have a clean house. This gets rid of the roaches source of food. In addition to keeping the main areas of the house clean, care should be taken to clean basements and garage areas — which often provide an entrance for the roaches. Pet food spills, decaying leaves, and stacks of trash or recycling can all provide food for roaches and should be cleaned up quickly.

The Second Step: Trapping and Killing Cockroaches

A homeowner has a wide variety of commercial traps and poisons at her disposal. The best traps for cockroaches are bait traps, which provide a poison that cockroaches pick up and take back to their nest. Kitchen and bathroom areas are the prime locations for effective baiting.

There are many roach extermination options available commercially, but there are also ways of making up roach poison yourself. A common do-it-yourself recipe for roach poison is 4 parts borax, 2 parts flour, and 1 part cocoa powder, which should be sprinkled along walls in the kitchen, and under sinks and other appliances.

In addition to poisoning and trapping, the homeowner should take care to seal cracks and gaps that are the entrance points for roaches in the home. Force a bit of steel wool in the gaps, and seal with caulk or putty. As they attempt to eat through the steel wool and get into your house, they will die. There are many ways to kill roaches but these are some of the most effective.

The Final Step: Call a Professional Cockroach Exterminator

Sometimes, no amount of effort by the homeowner will prevail against a roach problem, and in such situations a professional roach exterminator must be called in to halt the cockroach infestation. However, once such a professional has done their work, the wise homeowner will carefully follow the above principles of prevention and crack-sealing to ensure the problem does not return.