Cockroaches can seem like mysterious pests. Baby cockroaches, called nymphs, can squeeze into spaces that might surprise you, such as the void between your floors and subflooring. They're also small enough to fit through the holes of a wall outlet. Adult cockroaches can compact their bodies and squeeze into gaps half their size. As roaches reproduce, explore indoor spaces, and find the tiniest hiding places, you may suspect that you have an infestation but not see any cockroaches. It is common for this to happen in homes and businesses. Cockroaches prefer tight spaces, dark voids, and nighttime activity. But they're not all that mysterious. When roaches get inside, they will do it in one of two ways, and their reasons for staying are nearly as limited. The cockroaches inside the hollow spaces of your property are looking for food and moisture. If they find both, you can expect them to stay. Understanding these simple facts can help you effectively deter cockroaches and prevent yourself from having to contact a professional for cockroach pest control in Katy. But don't go and try to get those cockroaches out quite yet. You'll need a few crucial details if you hope to get rid of cockroaches and stop them from getting inside. You also need to understand how do-it-yourself cockroach control can fall short. When you fail to arrest a cockroach infestation, these dirty insects will be allowed to continue to make you sick. They'll also be allowed to damage your property. Neither is good. Let's take a look at what you can do to stop them. 

What Attracts Roaches To Your Home Or Business?

You now know that food and moisture are what cockroaches want, but you don't yet know what roaches eat or the unique ways you can provide moisture for these pests. You'll also need a bit more information about where roaches hide. Before they come indoors, they'll hide in many places around your exterior. If you're not dealing with a cockroach infestation indoors yet, you'll need these important cockroach facts. 

Food: When cockroaches come onto your property, the scent of food can attract them to structures. But, what you consider to be food, isn't necessarily what a cockroach considers to be food. They eat strange things like wallpaper, cardboard, toothpaste, dead skin, hair, and feces. They also eat rotten food—the more rotten, the better. If cockroaches discover these food sources near exterior walls, they may get inside through tiny gaps, cracks, and holes. Clean and deodorize trash receptacles and ensure trash gets to the curb weekly. Stay on top of cleaning up pet waste if you have a dog. Remove any rotting organic plant matter in your landscaping. Remove anything that smells bad because, if it smells bad to you, it smells good to roaches. 

Moisture: There are many ways moisture plays a role in cockroach infestations. Cockroaches drink water to survive and hide in damp areas to keep themselves hydrated. In humid spaces, they are more likely to feed on cardboard and paper products because moisture softens these materials. Some roaches are strongly attracted to damp or humid habitats and will respond negatively to environments that are too dry. Repair gutters and clean out any clogs to reduce perimeter saturation. Address plumbing leaks, and remove containers that capture rainwater. On the inside, install dehumidifiers or ventilation to keep things too dry for cockroaches. Fix leaky faucets, showerheads, pipes, and other plumbing issues to reduce humidity and remove water roaches will drink. 

Hiding Places: Cockroaches are drawn to tight spaces and love hiding under objects. A cluttered exterior can increase the risk of roach infestation; cluttered spaces inside can promote cockroach activity. When hiding places provide moisture and a food source, such as a stack of damp cardboard, cockroaches will be in roach heaven. Pick up clutter on your property. Rake leaves, sticks, plant clippings, and other organic matter away from your exterior. Remove stacked wood and junk piles. Remove unnecessary vegetation in your landscaping, such as grass and weeds. All of these steps will work to drive roaches away. Along with these measures to remove attractants, you need to seal gaps, cracks, and holes in your exterior to keep roaches out. The tools for this job are a caulking gun and some cans of expanding foam. 

Now you have some helpful facts that will keep cockroaches out; what do you do if you already have a cockroach infestation? Can this information help you get rid of roaches as well? 

Six Ways To Exterminate Cockroaches Living Inside

There are many ways to exterminate cockroaches. Before we share them with you, we'd like you to know that we don't recommend these methods. While there are many ways to exterminate cockroaches, they are not a solution on their own, and in many cases, they're not even a solution at all. With that said, here are six ways to effectively exterminate cockroaches.

• Soapy Water. Yes. All you need is soapy water to exterminate a cockroach. Did you think there was a lot more to eliminating an insect likely to outlive humans after a nuclear war? As it turns out, there isn't.
• Boric Acid. When cockroaches pass through borates, they pick them up on their bodies and ingest the powders during grooming. Yes, roaches groom themselves. When they ingest boric acid, it quickly exterminates them. The trick is applying this product in a way that cockroaches won't avoid. Cockroaches cling to surfaces and don't prefer climbing on surfaces with too much powder. It is like sprinkling powder on a cliff face and telling a mountain climber to go at it. Powder makes finding hand grips difficult, and a mountain climber would decline your offer. 
• Vinegar and Water. A mixture of these two can create a spray that acts as a desiccant. When applied directly to a cockroach exoskeleton, it dehydrates the roach. 
• Diatomaceous Earth. When cockroaches pass through DE powder, it slices the exoskeleton, leading to dehydration. Using DE powder to control roaches is difficult because they tend to avoid the powder. 
• Fabric Softener. When mixed with water, certain fabric softeners can create a spray that will take out a cockroach. As with the other sprays mentioned, you must apply it directly to a roach. 
• Your Foot. Few things will stop a cockroach faster than stepping on it. But we don't recommend doing this. Cockroach species that carry their eggs may have their oothecae on them. The eggs can be squished out and get lodged in the treads of certain footwear. You may accidentally deposit these eggs in the places you go, such as a friend's house, and the eggs don't need the mother cockroach to hatch. A cockroach infestation can begin this way.

We can understand why you would want to exterminate the cockroaches in your home or business, and we agree with this course of action, but there is more you need to know.

• Many of these products are topical and won't get into where cockroaches hide.
• Many home remedies fail because they simply don't work as promised. 
• You can exterminate cockroaches daily and never outpace cockroach reproduction.
• Extermination is only one piece of the cockroach control puzzle. For example, applying products to exterminate roaches won't prevent more roaches from getting inside. You must seal exterior entry points and apply treatments to critical locations to keep cockroaches out. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in an endless roach infestation.

Attacking cockroaches with sprays and other home remedies isn't the only way roach control can fail. You can use products that are known to work and still not be successful. 

What Doesn't Work When Trying To Get Rid Of Roaches 

Now, you know there are many ways to exterminate a cockroach. The least effective way is to use products designed to control cockroaches. Why? Because roaches have developed an immunity to many cockroach control products. These insects are incredibly adaptable, and they're able to alter themselves on a genetic level. Certain roach populations have offspring born with some immunity to control products, making them harder to control. Worse, you can create resistant roaches or cockroaches that are bait averse by accident. 

Professional Cockroach Control Can Be A Huge Help

You can successfully arrest a cockroach infestation by applying the all-natural prevention tips we gave you at the start of this article. They don't just work to keep cockroaches out of your home or business. But, when pest control products are needed, it is best to get professional assistance. Licensed technicians have training and experience applying control products and use field-tested methods to evaluate these products. Your technician may use several active ingredients at once to ensure complete control or apply several layers of control, each adding a greater chance of success. Cockroach control varies in complexity depending on the species. 

Contact All-Safe Pest & Termite for cockroach control if you're in Katy, Texas. We can guide you toward an effective solution, and you won't have to wonder if the cockroaches in your home or business are gone. This is the best way to deal with cockroaches.  

Had my initial setup and install today, and everything went very well! Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Feel so much better after making the switch to All-Safe!!

K. Cloud

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