How Do I Get Rid Of Cockroaches In My Kitchen?

When you find cockroaches in your kitchen, it is more than a little disturbing. You're ready to take action whether you see one big one or lots of little ones. Perhaps you've already acted, and you're still seeing roaches returning repeatedly. Let's look at how cockroaches get in, what attracts them to your kitchen, why they won't stay only in your kitchen, and what you can do to completely rid your home of these pests.

How cockroaches get into homes

Cockroaches climb walls and run across ceilings. When they find a thin gap, they squeeze into it, compress their body, and scrape outward and to the sides with their legs. By doing this, a full-sized American cockroach can enter a home through a surprisingly thin gap. Smaller cockroaches and baby American cockroaches can also enter through gaps you may not even be able to see. If you don't have routine pest control treatments around your exterior, you have little chance of keeping cockroaches out.

Another factor to consider is an unprotected and or damp crawl space. If your home has one, it is likely to invite cockroaches. These insects are attracted to dark, humid, secluded spaces. They also love tight spaces provided by a pile of stored items. Since many crawl spaces are storage areas, they are even more susceptible. Homeowners can combat this by getting professional moisture control services.  

Why are cockroaches attracted to your kitchen?

Does this sound like a silly question? Your kitchen is where most of your food is found, and cockroaches eat food, right? Yes, this is true. But your food may not have attracted the cockroaches. Roaches are drawn into kitchens by smells that are not appetizing to humans. While they may certainly follow the scent of blueberry muffins, they're more likely to pick up and follow the scent of trash. An uncovered trash or dirty receptacle is a big attractant. Cockroaches can also smell a decaying juice spot on the floor, a dirty garbage disposal, dirty dishes, a dirty mop bucket, and more. Sanitation and trash management are essential for cockroach prevention.

What causes cockroaches to spread?

When cockroaches get into your kitchen, it is only the beginning. Their attraction to unsanitary environments will cause them to spread out. Here are a few examples:

• Cockroaches are drawn to bathrooms because of the elevated humidity, tight hiding places, and food options. Their diet is surprisingly vast. They eat hair, toothpaste, dead skin, fecal matter, and more.
• Cockroaches are drawn to any room that has carpets. They hide in the tight spaces under carpets and feed on dead skin and hair in carpets.
• Cockroaches get into closets. They can damage clothing and other fabrics in the same way silverfish do.
• Cockroaches get into attic spaces because they are warm, and have plenty of tight spaces, and food options. In an attic, they'll feed on dead insects, paper products, clothing, and more.

It is incredibly difficult to get rid of cockroaches because they can survive on so many food sources and hide in places that are hard to treat.

Simple cockroach prevention tips

What can you do about cockroaches in your kitchen and other parts of your home? Here are some suggestions that use the facts we've shared in this article:

• Use a caulking gun or expanding foam to seal obvious (and not-so-obvious) entry points roaches may use to enter your home.
• Check your exterior doors and replace weatherproofing if you see any light leaking in through tiny gaps.
• Keep your indoor trash cans clean.
• Keep your kitchen clean and protect food left out on your counters.
• Wash dishes after every use, and do not leave a sinkful of dirty dishes overnight.
• Deep clean to remove hidden food options.
• Repair leaking faucets and install a dehumidifier to address the moisture cockroaches require for survival.
• Check your groceries or any items you bring into your home, paying close attention to cardboard boxes and other items from the garage, shed, or other storage area.

Steps like these will make your home less inviting to cockroaches and harder for them to infiltrate. If you have low cockroach pressure in your yard, you may not need any more protection than these steps provide. 

Professional cockroach control

Keeping everything clean enough to keep cockroaches out of your home is hard work and is not always successful. Fortunately, there is a solution. A pest control service provider, like Getem Services, can eliminate cockroaches in your home and provide ongoing pest protection to keep roaches and other pests out.

Our home pest control services, available in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and throughout Hampton Roads include:

• An initial pest inspection and treatment.
• Quarterly pest services to prevent new infestations.
• Exterior pest treatments that create a barrier of protection around the house.
• Interior pest treatments if covered pest problems develop.
• And more!

At the first sign of a cockroach problem, contact Getem Services. Better yet, give us a call before insects and rodents infest your home and property!