How to get rid of cockroaches:
Capital Projects has received an increase in complaints about the presence of cockroaches in the community.
If you have noticed cockroaches in your home, please take the following precautions to get rid of these dangerous pests.
What are cockroaches?
Cockroaches are insects that are dangerous to humans. They contaminate food and spread disease from garbage and/or sewers into your home.
The German cockroach is the most commonly found in Canada and thrives in areas that have the three things they need to survive: food, shelter, and damp conditions.
In homes, cockroaches can most often be found in bathrooms and kitchens (around stoves, fridges, and dishwashers).
The presence of cockroaches does not necessarily mean unclean conditions exist but cleaning is required in order to get rid of them.
Cleaning
Preventing access to food, water, and shelter, and keeping a clean home are important steps in preventing any pest infestation.
Starve them out: get rid of any opportunity for them to eat
- Keep food in tightly sealed plastic or glass containers, rather than in paper or cardboard that roaches can chew through and lay eggs in.
- Store garbage in sealed plastic containers and dispose of it daily.
- Do not allow dirty dishes to pile up, especially overnight. If you cannot wash them immediately, leave them to soak in detergent and water.
- Vacuum often to help remove food particles and insect egg masses.
- Scrub stovetops including under the burners, inside oven and oven drawer
- Clean range hood and behind the stove if possible; cockroaches are really attracted to grease and food bits
- Only eat in one designated area of the home (kitchen or dining room), to prevent the spread of food sources for cockroaches
- Remove any cockroach carcasses, as they are a food source for the living cockroaches
Dry them out: cockroaches can’t live without water
- Clean up spills immediately. Do not leave pet water and food out 24 hours a day.
- Regularly clean dark and/or damp areas close to a food source (for example beneath and behind appliances).
- Wrap or insulate pipes that have excess condensation. Repair leaky faucets and pipes. Ventilate bathrooms and dehumidify moist areas to reduce sources of water.
Keep them out: Get rid of any attractants or places they like to hide
- Clear clutter from the floor, dressers, counters and appliances
- Ensure all baseboards are exposed (pull furniture one foot from wall)
- Ensure all clothing is folded, put away in sealed bins or dressers
- Keep all food in sealed containers (no open bags or boxes of food)
- Ensure furniture is raised up off the floor on legs or strategically placed blocks
- Seal and caulk all cracks, crevices, and pipe openings to reduce cockroach hiding places. Put a fine mesh screen over cracks and crevices, vents, open pipes, and drains to reduce access to your home.
- Children’s toys – clean regularly so that they do not become hiding places for pests
- Beds, blankets, and other bedding – run through the washer and make sure to dry on hot heat for at least an hour, and store unused items in sealed bins
- Clothes inside of dressers, and piles of clothes – go through dressers regularly to make sure cockroaches are not hiding there. Suggest cleaning clothes and placing in sealed bins during the fumigation process
- Stacks of newspapers, books, and cardboard boxes – are good hiding places, suggest cleaning and storing items in sealed plastic bins and not cardboard boxes
