Your home is a sacred space where you spend quality time with your loved ones (or get some much-needed me-time). It should be your escape from the world outside, which means that it’s essential to keep it clean, safe, and healthy. You certainly don’t want creepy crawlies peeping out in corners of your beautiful home when you least expect it, right? However, the dreaded cockroach problem is one that can happen in any home, but it’s also a preventable problem. Our home decor experts are explaining how cockroaches get attracted to your home and how you can prevent a cockroach infestation.

What Attracts Cockroaches to Your Home

  • Dirty dishes in the kitchen – Leaving used dishes in the sink or on the kitchen counter is one of the most common reasons that cockroaches may be attracted to your home.
  • Improper garbage disposal – Garbage, especially wet garbage, that’s left out in the open can give you a cockroach problem. Make sure that all wet garbage is contained in a closed bin that can’t be easily opened by rodents or other pests.
  • Leftover food in empty containers –  If leftover food or drinks is remaining in containers, they can attract all kinds of pests. All containers should be cleaned out and shouldn’t be left around the home
  • Dirty holes in kitchen or bathroom – Crevices and holes are the most common entry points for all kinds of pests in your house. You must do a proper check of these entry points for pest prevention.
  • Food on the floor – Food dust, breadcrumbs, and the likes typically found on kitchen floors. These are food sources that cockroaches will love. Make sure that you clean up after yourself every time you use the kitchen or at night before you switch off the lights.
  • Excessive moisture -Cockroaches thrive in places with excessive moisture.  Make sure your bathrooms, kitchen, and other susceptible areas are not wet all day. Wipe down everything with a dry cloth after washing or switch on the fan to let it air dry.

Pest prevention is an essential part of maintaining a home. If you don’t take the right steps for it, pest infestation in your home can affect your health!

Whether you already have a cockroach problem on hand or want to make sure that you never have one, here are some tried-and-tested home remedies and some chemicals that will help you in the fight against these nasty disease-spreaders.

Home Remedies to Prevent Cockroaches

  • Neem – Using neem is an age-old natural remedy that repels pests. Neem in the form of oil or even powder can kill cockroaches as it contains potent components. You can mix neem oil with water in a spray bottle and spray it in the infested areas or areas where there may be a chance of cockroaches entering. With the powder, you just have to sprinkle wherever required.
  • Bay leaves – If you are not keen on killing the creatures and simply want them out of your home, you can try using bay leaves. These leaves, often found in spice cabinets, will shoo the cockroaches away instead of killing them. There are two ways you can use these leaves. Either crush the leaves and sprinkle wherever the pests appear, or boil the leaves and sprinkle the water on the infested areas.
  • Peppermint oil – Peppermint oil is a type of essential oil that has varied benefits. It is super effective in keeping cockroaches away. All you need to do is take some peppermint oil and some salt water in a spray bottle and mix them before spraying the mixture in the infested areas. You can use this spray twice a day for a few days to see results.

Chemicals to get rid of Cockroaches

  • Boric acid – Boric acid is readily available in the market and is excellent for cockroach prevention. You can use this powder to kill the cockroaches in your house. Just sprinkle the powder in the corners, crevices, etc., and let it sit. As soon as the cockroaches come in contact with the powder, they will die. But as this is a chemical and is poisonous, you need to make sure that it’s kept away from children and pets.
  • Baking soda – Baking soda is found in every kitchen, and coincidently so are roaches! Simply mix baking soda with sugar and sprinkle it in the infected areas. Sugar granules will tempt the pests towards the concoction, and the soda will kill them.

We hope you try out these remedies to keep your home cockroach-free. For more home decor tips and tricks, check out other articles from HomeLane’s experts here.

Write A Comment

x

Meet a designer online

Please enter your name.
Please enter your email address.
Please enter your phone number.
Please enter pincode.

By submitting this form, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of use