It’s easy to think of many reasons why you don’t want roaches crawling around your house. They can spread disease, trigger asthma, and cause allergic reactions. And if that wasn’t bad enough already, they can rapidly multiply and survive just about anywhere. So, the case for getting rid of them is strong, but the problem is how to get them out of your house for good.
How Hard Is It to Get Rid of Roaches?
Roaches are challenging to completely remove because of how quickly they reproduce, how adaptable they are, and how fast they evolve. Because they have a short lifespan of about 100 days, they can thrive in a lot of different types of environments, and they can develop and pass down resistances to insecticides.
Rapid Resistance
Their short lifespan and reproduction rate of every three months allows them to evolve quickly, which makes their population difficult to control. Once a mutation develops because of contact with insecticide, that mutation can be passed down genetically, making their offspring less sensitive to it.
Cross-Resistance
Roaches can develop resistance to multiple classes of insecticide at once, even if they’ve never been exposed to them. If the resistance genes are already present in the offspring, that resistance can increase dramatically within a single generation. That’s why, to effectively eliminate an infestation, any extermination plan should include a combination of chemical treatments, traps, and on-going measures to keep them away.
Behavior Resistance
Another thing that can be passed down genetically is behavior resistances. This develops when roaches learn to avoid certain food sources and bait traps and pass down those behavioral tendencies to the next generation.
What Keeps Roaches Away?
Even after eradicating the current infestation, preventative measures are needed to keep roaches away. The best thing to do is to make your home less inviting to them by taking the following actions:
- Keep the home as clean as possible.
- Do not leave food messes sitting around.
- Take out the trash at the end of the day.
- Seal any gaps or cracks around windows, doors, and the foundation.
- Prevent any moisture from gathering within the home.
There are also various fragrances that are known to repel roaches.
- Peppermint: a few drops of peppermint oil around kitchen cabinets or bathrooms can be disruptive to a roach’s sensory receptors and drive them away.
- Eucalyptus: emits a strong smell that’ll repel roaches. This can be an oil solution diluted with water or fresh leaves.
- Lavender: growing lavender around the garden or home can deter roaches, or using soaps, candles or oils.
- Citronella: burning candles outdoors is a great repellent for roaches and mosquitoes.
- Cedarwood: balls, chips, blocks, or oils can be placed around the house to keep away roaches and other bugs as well.
What if I just keep the light on at night? Nope. While roaches may scatter whenever a light goes on in a dark room, it doesn’t keep them from crawling around.
What Do I Do if I See Cockroaches?
If you notice a roach scurrying across your floor, the best thing to do is call a professional. Here at Royal Pest Services, we’ll provide a thorough inspection of your home to identify points of entry, potential food sources, and a treatment plan so you won’t have to worry about any unwanted roommates. Call us today at (904) 886-2847 to set up a home inspection today.