Cockroaches are resilient – and these pests have the ability to spread bacteria and pathogens wherever they roam. From contaminating food to exacerbating asthma and allergy symptoms, the presence of roaches in a home goes beyond a mere nuisance. This makes cockroach prevention a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy and safe living environment. Keeping these unwelcome guests at bay can save you not only the discomfort of their presence but also protect you from the potential health hazards they bring. Learn how to prevent roaches and how to keep roaches away from your home.

What causes roaches?

Cockroaches are attracted to environments that offer them easy access to food, water, and shelter, making even the cleanest homes vulnerable to infestations under the right conditions. These pests are opportunistic feeders that will consume anything from crumbs and food scraps to unsecured garbage and even pet food. Water sources are just as attractive to cockroaches, including leaky pipes, dripping faucets, and any form of standing water. Additionally, cockroaches seek out dark, warm environments where they can hide and breed undisturbed, such as cluttered spaces, cracks and crevices in walls, and areas behind appliances. In apartment buildings or multi-family units, cockroaches can easily migrate between homes, making it essential for all residents to know how to prevent roaches.

Cockroach on kitchen counter

Tips for cockroach prevention

A cockroach infestation can happen quickly and without much warning, as these resilient insects are always on the lookout for food, water, and shelter. Fortunately, there are effective strategies to keep roaches away. By taking a proactive approach to roach prevention, you can help maintain a roach-free environment.

Seal entry points

Cockroaches are sneaky insects – some species, such as American cockroaches, can enter your home from outside, while others, like German cockroaches, have to be brought into the structure to infest. Eliminating common entry points for these pests can help prevent cockroaches from entering your home. It's also important to inspect baseboards, utility pipes, and crawl spaces for gaps and seal cracks or holes. If you live in a multi-unit home, seal between units around pipe and wall junctures to help keep roaches away. Additionally, ensure windows and doors are secure and use weather stripping to prevent new cracks.

Inspect items entering your home

Roaches can be accidentally brought into your home via storage boxes, packages, and even grocery bags. To prevent cockroaches, inspect these items carefully before bringing them inside from areas like your garage, and dispose of any packaging materials promptly to prevent roaches from settling in.

Cockroach in the sink

Keep a clean home

Cockroaches can thrive in even the cleanest homes with minimal food and water. Effective roach prevention starts with good housekeeping practices, such as maintaining a clean kitchen, preventing potential food sources, and vacuuming to eliminate potential egg sacs and debris. Regularly cleaning surfaces that might be contaminated by these pests is also crucial for preventing roach infestations.

Focus on maintaining cockroach prevention in the kitchen

Cockroaches may invade your kitchen at night, targeting any available food, including trash residue and crumbs. Since they are nocturnal, it's crucial to prevent cockroaches by eliminating nighttime food sources by thoroughly cleaning dishes, countertops, and kitchen floors every evening, as well as keeping spaces around appliances and under the sink free of food residue and grease.

Limit dining to one room

To prevent roaches from getting out of hand, limit food, drinks, and dishes to the kitchen or dining room, as these pests often target areas with food. This approach not only helps prevent cockroach infestations throughout the home but also simplifies cleaning by reducing crumbs. For effectiveness, ensure the whole family consistently follows this rule.

Cockroach eating bread crumbs

Practice proper food storage

Cockroaches spend most of their time hidden in cracks and dark spaces close to food and water, preferring surfaces like cardboard and unfinished wood. They can squeeze into packaged food unseen by flattening their bodies. To prevent roaches from hiding in your pantry, store all food, including pet food, in sealed containers and ensure pet bowls and open containers are emptied nightly.

Remove hiding places from the floor

A cluttered home can encourage cockroach infestations by offering hiding spots and making them hard to spot. Roaches seek warm, dark places to hide, especially among cluttered cardboard and paper. For effective cockroach prevention, keep floors clear and avoid storing boxes, pet food containers, and similar items in the kitchen where cockroaches are more likely to exist.

Focus outdoors to prevent an indoor infestation

To prevent cockroach infestations, maintain clean outdoor areas by removing potential food sources, securing trash cans with tight lids away from entrances, and emptying pet food bowls at night. Additionally, minimize cockroach hiding spots by keeping vegetation trimmed and away from the home’s exterior, avoiding the placement of plants directly against walls, and storing firewood away from the house and porch.

cockroach crawling on bed

Leave roaches behind

If you're getting ready to move, you'll need to take special care to ensure you don't bring any unwanted guests with you to your new home. You might not think about it, but if you have roaches at your old place, there is a chance that they might hitch a ride to your new one. This makes it essential that you have a game plan for keeping roaches from moving with you. Here are a few tips for roach prevention:

  • Take preventative measures – Seal cracks and crevices that may allow roaches to enter.
  • Be cockroach-aware– Check common hiding places for any signs of an infestation.
  • Use the right packing materials - Avoid reusing cardboard boxes and use plastic containers if possible.
  • Check your furniture – Roaches can hide in bedframes, bedside tables, and more.
  • Clean your kitchen items – Cockroaches are the most common in the kitchen.
  • Check your pet’s food and belongings – Cockroaches can commonly be found in pet food, blankets, bedding, and bowls.
  • Check plants, pots, and gardening supplies – Cockroaches and other insects can hide in these areas.
  • Check electronics and appliances – These are ideal environments for cockroaches to nest.
  • Carefully unpack – Inspect boxes and your new place for roaches.
  • Plan ahead - Get started with cockroach control with Terminix for effective cockroach prevention and control.

Call in the professionals

Knowing how to prevent roaches can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be impossible. While there are many steps you can take to prevent cockroaches, sometimes the infestation may be beyond the scope of DIY methods. Terminix has the experience and expertise you need to eliminate these resilient insects from your home. Investing in professional pest control can not only eliminate a current infestation but also help keep roaches away in the future.