Is this a question you have been asking yourself? Maybe you have been swatting roaches for a while now and struggling to get rid of them but somehow they just keep popping up again. You can’t help wondering, “Where do roaches come from?” and more importantly, “What attracts cockroaches to my home?” These questions and more will be answered below. So take heart and see what you can do to make sure that the roaches will not love your home much longer.
How Do You Get Cockroaches?
Cockroaches are one of the most resilient insects which have been around for thousands of years. They can survive in the harshest of conditions and they breed and multiply like wildfire. At times they can seem to appear overnight and you may wonder how on earth they managed to find their way into your living space. There could be a wide range of answers to that question, but basically there are two most likely avenues:
They are carried in unknowingly
It is possible to carry in the roaches or their eggs in potted plants, grocery bags and packages, or even in briefcases. You may have moved house recently and unknowingly brought in a few ‘stowaways’ which were hiding in the cardboard boxes, or which had glued their egg cases to the undersides of your furniture. Firewood is another favorite hiding place for certain species which can enter your home when you bring in the logs not realizing that they are harboring cockroaches.
They come through entry points in your home
Besides being brought into your home inadvertently, roaches may also enter on their own steam, coming through various entry points in your home. They may fly or crawl through open doors or windows. If there are any cracks or crevices they can easily squeeze through tight areas, as well as crawling up pipes and drains.
What are Roaches Attracted to?
Knowing where do roaches come from gives you an idea of how they could have made their way there. The next question is what attracts cockroaches? What causes roaches to be more attracted to your home than the next one? The basic needs of cockroaches are similar to those of any other living creature. Essentially they are looking for three things:
- Something to eat: Although roaches can survive for up to a month or even longer without eating, the more food there is available for them the better. They are not fussy eaters at all and will be more than satisfied with crumbs, spillages, leftovers and decaying matter.
- Something to drink: They cannot last more than a few days without water, so they need to be near some kind of water source even if it is a few drops from a dripping faucet or a leaking pipe.
- Somewhere to hide: The third need which cockroaches seek to meet is that of shelter. They want somewhere warm where they can hide and breed undisturbed.
What Kinds of Things Attract Cockroaches?
It would be absolutely unthinkable to send out an open invitation saying, “all cockroaches are welcome in my home, come and enjoy yourselves and you will be well cared for!” But this is exactly the kind of message the cockroaches seem to receive when they discover certain elements in your home. Some of these ‘inviting’ elements are what attract cockroaches as follows:
Dampness and moisture
Cockroaches are particularly partial to damp, moist and humid conditions. They thrive especially in warm tropical climates, but can also survive in most other conditions. If you have an area in your house that is not being used every day, this may be where the roaches see their ‘welcome card’. These areas may include your basement, or an unused garage or perhaps a storage unit. Make sure to check such spaces regularly, and don’t leave your old mop standing in a bucket of water.
Darkness and cramped places
Cockroaches are mainly nocturnal so they prefer to be in the dark. They love to hide in boxes, or behind the books on a shelf, inside closets, and anywhere that they can feel secluded and out of harm’s way. They like to squeeze themselves into cramped areas and have even been known to set up camp under the roof tiles.
What attracts cockroaches like a magnet is a stinky odor. If your trash can is left open or your garbage is not properly sealed and disposed of, you may find that the roaches have moved in.
Crumbs and leftovers
The crumbs and spillages which collect behind or beside your toaster, dishwasher or refrigerator are like a buffet meal for roaches. If you have a deep pile carpet, little particles of edible matter may remain as an attractant for pests like roaches. And don’t forget that cockroaches can also enjoy eating paper, cardboard, glue in book bindings, toothpaste and soap.
Cockroaches are also attracted to any kind of water source, whether it is your pet’s water bowl, a leaking pipe or a dripping faucet. If you leave water standing around in buckets or in the sink overnight, this may well be where the roaches choose to quench their thirst.
What can you do?
The last thing you want to do is make your home a haven for roaches. But what can you do to ensure that they feel unwelcome and uncomfortable should they ever dare to approach your place? There are several things you can do:
Keep clean and clutter free
Make sure that you always wipe off surface areas especially in the kitchen. Clean your counter tops after food preparation and remember to sweep and mop the floor every evening. Vacuum your carpets every day and tidy up any clutter, particularly paperwork as roaches tend to find paper clutter such as piles of newspapers and cardboard boxes very appealing.
Put away all foods
Don’t leave any food out in the open, even scrapings on dirty dishes. Put away any leftovers and seal up food items in secure containers. Make sure your dog or cat’s bowl is cleaned before bedtime, and clean up any spillages or crumbs which may have been dropped.
Fix any water leaks
Check your bathroom and kitchen pipes under the basins and see if there are any drips or small seeping leaks which need to be fixed.
Take measures to eliminate the roaches
If you already have some resident roaches you would need to take some definite measures to evict and eliminate them and their offspring. These may include using chemical sprays, baits, and dusting with boric acid. If these readily available methods don’t seem to be working, you may want to call in a professional pest control expert to help you clear the cockroaches from your living space.
Now that you know the answers to those two questions, “Where do roaches come from?” and “what attracts cockroaches?” you are well on your way to creating a home that is welcoming to humans and unwelcoming to cockroaches. As long as you are vigilant about removing those delements which your uninvited ‘friends’ the roaches find attractive you can soon look forward to enjoying your home with your real friends and family.