Many homeowners attempt to address a cockroach problem on their own, but home remedies and DIY products often fall short because of an incomplete process when a comprehensive solution is needed. For example, while cockroach traps might catch a few pests, they do little to stop the rest of the infestation from reproducing or to prevent new cockroaches from entering your home.
Over-the-counter pesticides are another common approach, but they are rarely effective. Cockroaches are naturally resistant to many pesticides, and excessive use of these products can pose serious health risks to you, your family, and your pets.
Cockroaches are extremely resourceful when it comes to getting inside your home. There are several ways that cockroaches use to gain access to your home, such as:
• Drains and sewers: Many cockroach species, like American roaches, don’t mind hanging out in unsanitary locations like drains and sewers – and they may even use these areas to get inside your home. If your sewer line or drain is experiencing repairs, displaced cockroaches may wander inside as a result. They can use sewer lines to crawl in and then emerge into your home through a floor drain.
• Plumbing and pipes: Roaches often use plumbing lines and pipes to crawl between neighboring apartments and townhouses if you share utility lines or walls with someone else.
• Boxes and bags: In some cases, cockroaches may end up in your home because you’ve brought them inside. Like bed bugs, roaches aren’t shy about hitching a ride on luggage, bags, or boxes to get inside your home. Before bringing in groceries or secondhand items, it’s always a good idea to check your belongings for signs of cockroaches.
• Cracks and crevices: If they can’t get inside through plumbing lines or sewer lines, cockroaches can also use cracks and crevices in your home’s foundation to access your home.
Once they’ve made it inside your home, cockroaches are far from easy to eliminate. Since they’re excellent hiders (and most active at night), their presence can go undetected for months.
Even if your home is clean of excess food or moisture problems, cockroaches are crafty enough to find food on their own and thrive in even the most hostile conditions. And once you’ve got them in your home, they reproduce quickly – which means it’s difficult for homeowners to stop a growing infestation on their own.
DIY cockroach home remedies may be able to repel cockroaches or force them into hiding temporarily, but there’s no guarantee that these solutions will permanently solve the problem. Some solutions may even put your pets or small children at risk, depending on the location and how they’re applied.
