How to Get Rid of Cockroaches

Like so many other places on the planet, the cockroach is a familiar yet unwelcomed summer pest, often seen scurrying around.

Notorious for the diseases they spread it’s no wonder Australian homeowners are eager to keep these pests out of their kitchens. While relying on pest control is the best solution to deal with an infestation, the most effective strategy for knowing how to get rid of cockroaches is to keep them from entering in the first place.

Effective Ways to Keep Cockroaches Out of Your Home

Every year our pest control team here at Dawson’s tends to hundreds of calls dealing with suspected cockroach infestations. This has led our team of experts to suggest we share a few handy tips with our clients to avoid these pests from moving in.

1. Seal Potential Openings

Cockroaches can squeeze through just about any size crack or opening. That means, if you have an older house that’s more likely to have cracks or gaps in the walls, you have a bigger chance of encountering cockroaches.

Make it part of your cleaning routine to check for cracks, holes or gaps and seal them off. Since cockroaches can crawl up pipes and through air vents, it’s important to make sure that these areas aren’t providing an entry point.

2. Keep a Clean Space

As with most other critters, the number one reason cockroaches may be attracted to your home is the food they can find there. For the most part, they’re particularly attracted to crumbs, garbage and even dirty dishes.

Therefore, one of the most effective ways to keep cockroaches away is to clean regularly.

Follow these cleaning tips:

Thoroughly clean your kitchen and any other area where you or your pets eat
Wash counters with an anti-bacterial product with a citrus smell to keep these pests away
Don’t keep food standing around in open containers—ensure all food is covered and stored out of reach
Empty garbage bins regularly and ensure lids are securely fitted—be sure to clean your bins with anti-bacterial agents at least once a week
Don’t leave pet food standing around—pick food up immediately after the pets have eaten
Keep your sink clean by doing dishes immediately after your meal
If you suspect cockroaches are crawling up the sink, be sure to clean your sink with vinegar and baking soda at least once a week

3. Regularly Clean Your Outdoor Areas

Cockroaches can just as easily live outside in your yard. In fact, they will nest wherever there’s access to food. Ensure that your yard is clean of leaves and plant foliage. Keep dustbins away from the house and only use bins that have lids.

DIY Remedies to Get Rid of Cockroaches

In addition to keeping a clean home, many homeowners also opt for a few popular natural remedies to keep these pesky creatures at bay.

DIY approaches for how to get rid of cockroaches can include:

Sugar and baking soda mix: Mix one part sugar or honey with one part baking soda and place it in a dish where you have seen cockroach activity. The idea is that the sugar attracts them, and the backing soda creates a gas that these pests can’t process, killing them shortly after they have ingested it.
Diatomaceous earth: This is a type of dirt, made of pulverised algae fossils. Since it has a sharp odour and easily dehydrates insects, it’s a popular outdoor option.
Boric acid: While not toxic to humans and pets, boric acid is harmful to pests. When these critters walk through the powder, they lick it off their legs, ingesting it. This then kills them. Some experts recommend sprinkling some on peanut butter and placing it in areas they frequent.
Borax: Another effective DIY method to try involves borax. Simply combine equal parts of sugar and borax and sprinkle where you’ve seen the critters. Borax is extremely dehydrating, which when ingested, kills both adults and babies.
Clean using essential oils: Cockroaches generally don’t respond well to certain smells. These include citrus scents such as lemon, lime and orange. Additionally, other smells such as peppermint, eucalyptus, and lemongrass are also offensive to them. You can easily make a vinegar and essential oil mix and spray this mixture on your kitchen counters, windowsills and tabletops when cleaning.

Opting for the Best Pest Control is Easier Than You Think!

Home remedies aren’t always enough. So, have you seen a cockroach scurrying around? Is it time to call in the professionals? The good news is that keeping cockroaches out of your home is easier than you think when you have the experts of Dawson’s by your side! We can remove them AND assist with maintenance plans to avoid future issues.

Give us a call at (03) 9222 2222 for a QUOTE and the best pest control solution!