PestBear’s Blog
You know the saying, “If you’ve seen one roach, you have many more that you can’t see.” Roaches love to hide away in your crawl spaces, attic and walls. Our warm and humid Florida climate doesn’t help matters either – roaches love it!
How do you get rid of them if you have an infestation? Most likely, you will need a professional like PestBear to get rid of them once and for all. We’ve been providing professional pest control services for over 25 years. However, there are lots of things you can do to keep roaches at bay in your home. Here are five of our best tips we tell our customers.
Seal Holes
This first tip is designed to stop roaches from coming into your home in the first place. Seal all holes on the outside of your home, and use weather stripping to seal around doors and windows. Also seal any crevices you may have around interior doors and windows. Check for holes around plumbing and seal them with caulk. Remember – roaches can flatten their bodies to fit through the slimmest spaces, so seal everything well.
Don’t Keep Plastic Bags
This one might surprise you. In fact, it surprises most of our customers. Don’t keep those plastic grocery bags in your home. Why? Because both roach eggs and even roaches can come into your home that way, hitchhiking from the store into your pantry.
Don’t Keep Cardboard Boxes, Either
The same is true for cardboard boxes from grocery stores or home delivery services. Roaches and roach eggs can be in that packaging, so break down those boxes and recycle them as soon as you can.
Roaches Love Water
Roaches need water and they love water. Don’t make it easy for them. First, try not to leave any water sources around the home, particularly at night. Many homeowners pick up pet water bowls at night. Don’t leave standing water in sinks, tubs or the dishwasher or washing machine either. Finally, check your sinks and toilets for any leaks and get those fixed right away.
Don’t Create Food Sources
Roaches will definitely eat anything, including crumbs in your kitchen or even in your couch cushions. They love bits of food left in sinks, dishwashers and garbage disposals too. Don’t leave grease sources around the kitchen, and wipe sticky, sugar bottles of jellies and syrups. Also be sure that all meat juices are thoroughly cleaned from counters. Roaches love all of these things.
We recommend at least a spring cleaning of your pantry. It’s tedious but it will pay off in the end. Remove everything from pantry shelves and and wipe down all surfaces. Vacuum up any bits of cereal, rice and other grains. Be sure to place open baking ingredients like flours and sugars in sealed plastic bags so roaches can’t access it.
Call A Professional
Once you do all of these things, be sure to maintain your home. We also recommend professional PestBear treatment at least quarterly to keep roaches away. If you feel that you may have an infestation, we will come out, get rid of it, and then help you maintain your home going forward. Never fear—PestBear is here. Give us a call today.