Pests. Vermin. Evil little invaders known as Cockroaches. We all hate these disgusting little creatures and cringe at the thought of our homes becoming a host to them. But it can happen quickly if our lives get too busy to keep up with the dishes or we are just unable to clean as thoroughly as we would like. How do we reclaim our territory? How do we re-establish dominance over these detestable bugs and rid our homes of them forever? It’s a tedious process but with a renewed dedication to clean and fueled by repulsion you can take back your space and be free.
First, you need to do some planning and deep cleaning before using any extermination techniques. It’s important to problem solve and discover how this happened in the first place so you can prevent the cockroaches from returning. It would be beneficial to figure out how to better manage your time, how to better delegate chores to other family members and how to be more thorough. After that’s accomplished, roll up your sleeves and get to work!
Here’s a cleaning plan that may help you evict your unwanted guests:
Clean all dishes and countertops getting behind and underneath all countertop kitchen gadgets and decor.
Disinfect as you go.
Vacuum out every cupboard and drawer in the kitchen, starting near the ceiling and working towards the floor. Wipe out with a clean rag and disinfect.
Take out drip pans from the stove to wash and vacuum/scrub under the stovetop.
Move refrigerator and any other moveable appliances like the stove cleaning under/behind. Sometimes roaches nest in the motors of appliances to be warm so vacuum wherever your hose attachment will reach.(Have a fly swatter available for killing any bugs that may scurry out of hiding).
Vacuum all other nooks, crannies and cracks, around the edge of the floor and between counters and large appliances.
Clean out the area underneath the sink and fix any leaks as bugs are also attracted to water.
Next move on to the bathrooms following a similar protocol: clean and disinfect everything from ceiling to floor and vacuum out cupboards, drawers and crevices.
Lastly dust and vacuum the remaining rooms being mindful of possible liquid spills and leaks as well as crumbs.
After your house is thoroughly cleaned (and your exhausted), it’s time to set traps, spray or use natural means to kill and further repel these creepy crawlers from your home. Potential methods include:
Store bought Roach motels/bait. They go in to eat the poison and eventually die and the other roaches eat the dead one ingesting the poison as well.
For a non-toxic bait mix sugar and baking soda and leave it in a dish placed where those pesky critters might dwell, along with a shallow dish of water. After eating the powder mixture the bugs will go for the water causing a reaction with the baking soda in their stomachs that will exterminate them.
Use sticky traps that catch them.
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth along the perimeter of each room. This ground fossil powder is sharp to bugs and cuts them up, killing them.
Spray a mixture of water, vinegar and peppermint oil around your kitchen. The smell of the peppermint expels the bugs.
Use a pest repeller box that plugs in and emits an ultrasonic frequency that bugs hate.
Call your local exterminator to spray outside around your building.
Ideas to prevent future infestations:
Don’t allow anyone to take food anywhere other than the designated areas where crumbs can’t get lost in hidden places.
Do your dishes after every single meal and do a quick sweep even if you’re busy. It only takes a couple minutes and will save you a headache later.
Look for any possible entry points in walls leading to the outside and seal them with caulking.
Cockroaches can be a nightmare as they are hard to get rid of and tend to spread harmful bacteria so it’s best to stay on top of things and not neglect your necessary duties. As difficult as it seems, you can be victorious in the battle against these six-legged foes and your home can quickly become a no bug zone.
Although they aren’t pest control, Out of Sight Cleaning can help you do a deep clean and make your house food particle free and sanitary to help keep pests out! Call us today!!!