Can cockroach infest in apartments? Where do cockroaches come from in apartment? If you are homeowner, cockroach infestation can be annoying. Cockroaches are everywhere. This could be a sign of poor hygiene but not necessarily all the time. Cockroaches can come in apartment for many reasons. How do you get rid of cockroaches naturally or with pesticides? Read more in this post.
Sometimes roaches in apartments is not just a cause of poor hygiene. Roaches can come inside in a number of ways other than food, shelter and water. They may live in apartment for a long period of time and reproduce unless you get rid of them with either natural methods or the use of insecticides.
To get rid of roaches in apartment, you may need to follow a few steps in order to completely get rid of them. You may need to first clean your entire apartment thoroughly. Identification of the pests and finding their shelters is a sure way of killing them for good. Use cockroach baits or dust to eliminate them for good. Finally, establish a strict hygiene routine for keeping your home clean. Keep on reading to understand more.
Where Do Cockroaches Come from in Apartments?
Cockroaches like most indoor insects, get attracted to food, shelter and moisture. Cockroaches can establish a shelter where all these conditions. They can build shelters where they thrive especially if they get food and moisture.
Cockroaches can get into your apartment through the most common way like cracks, small holes, and drains and simply crawl. It is possible to carry roaches around in luggage, grocery bags, shoes etc.
Causes Cockroaches in Apartments?
One of the common cause of having roaches inside apartment is poor hygiene. That is what most people think. Hygiene is one of the cause but sometimes it is not always the cause. There are other possible reasons for roaches to come inside apartments.
But if hygiene is not well maintained every time now and then, then this is one of the perfect living condition for them to thrive. Roaches like to living in crowded where there is place can hide and get enough food.
Having old pipes and drains could be the other reason. You need to repair them if you successfully want to get rid of them. Old pipes tend to provide moisture and the sludge from the drain as food.
How Do Cockroaches Get in Apartments?
Cockroaches are known to access your house and in apartments through small holes and crack. They can easily crawl through the pipes, drains and even the windows and doors. They are commonly found in the kitchen cabinets and bathroom drains. These are the places they inhabit the most. Some cockroaches come in your apartment through carrying them on your clothes, shoes, bags. As time goes by, they will reproduce and grow rapidly in population.
How Common Are Cockroaches in Apartments?
We tend to ignore the fact that roaches can live in apartments and grow in number rapidly. Sometimes it has nothing to do with poor hygiene. Even in the cleanest apartment, they can get inside and inhabit.
The good news is that, inside a clean apartment, it is much easier to get rid of them easily. If you establish a regular cleaning habit such that there is no food available, no trash and dirty sink chances are the roaches will move and the infestation will be lower than having a filthy apartment.
Why Do I Have Roaches in My Clean Apartment?
This is an obvious question. You would expect since the apartment is clean, cockroaches should be seen in your apartment. That is all what we expect and probably want. Roaches are generally attracted with dirty environment. FACT. But they are also likely to survive in clean homes. One of the conditions that makes cockroaches get attracted to your clean apartment is dampness or moisture.
Cockroaches are known to survive around standing water, condensation coming from an air conditioner and refrigerators. Remember also reaches are nocturnal and they enjoy darkness where they can easily build their shelters. If you apartment is not well ventilated and doesn’t receive enough light, roaches can still be a problem.
How to Remove and Eliminate Cockroaches from Apartment -Steps
Here is how to remove and eliminate cockroach from apartments. Follow these steps:
1. Clean Your Apartment
To remove and eliminate roaches in apartment requires you to first clear the room you want to apply pesticides. It would be good if you clear the entire apartment. Begin by emptying your bathroom, kitchen and all other places you may suspects roaches are living.
Clean up all the food, dirty dishes, and leftovers. Remember to also take out the trash. Make sure that food is completely sealed such that no food is there to attract the roaches.
2. Repair Old Pipes and Seal holes
One of the key attractants for the roaches is moisture or water. Fix all the leaks, old pipes and clogged drains. Fix all the tiny holes and seal the cracks in walls.
3. Application of Insecticides for Roaches
The next step is to apply insecticides for roaches. There are quite a number of insecticides including bait, dust, gels, powders and natural methods that can you can use to eliminate roaches in apartment.
Baits or dust would be perfect to use in this case. Although it may take days to week for the roaches to removed completely but it safe especially for kids and pets.
Sprays are also effective but you may need to take precautions to avoid inhaling the fumes. It is important to use disposable protective equipment such as mask and gloves.
Here are some of the best roach insecticides to use:
b) HARRIS Boric Acid Roach Killer
c) Ortho Home Defense Max Spray
4. Establish a Cleaning Habit
Once you apply the insecticides such that no roaches are no longer crawling, you have to come up with cleaning habit. Roaches are filthy and can only survive in a poor hygiene. Use disinfectant to clean the treated areas.
How Long Does It Take To Get Rid Of Roaches In An Apartment?
The period it takes to get rid of roaches in an apartment depends on two factors: the level of infestation and the pest control method applied.
If you apply baits in cockroach infested apartment, it may take about 1 – 3 days for the roaches to die. But for you to see a significant reduction in the infestation, it would take a couple of few weeks. A bait is considered safe since it has no odor and not cause any health risk to children and pets. With cockroach baits, you don’t have to empty your kitchen cabinets or cover food before treatment.
How to Get Rid of Cockroaches Naturally in Apartments?
Other than insecticides, you can opt to get rid of roaches in apartment with natural home remedies such as:
Diatomaceous Earth
Sprinkle this powder in the infested areas in apartment.
Boric Acid Baits
Boric acid is probably one of the commonly used natural remedies in getting rid of pests. Make boric acid bait to get rid of cockroach infestation.
- Put equal amount of boric acid and sugar
- Place near the shelters of the roaches
- Give it time
Sugar in boric acid will attract the cockroaches to feed on the bait. When they consume the bait, boric acid will kill them. Put the bait near all the nesting posting points such as under the refrigerator, inside drawers and cabinets.
Peppermint Essential Oils
Cockroaches hate the smell of essential oils such as peppermint, lavender and tea tree oils. If the smell is too high, it can kill the roaches. Here’s how to use peppermint oil to get rid of roaches in apartment:
- Put a few drops of peppermint oils in cotton swab
- Wipe the infested area with cotton swab
Alternatively, you can a peppermint oil to make a spray. Add the oil and water and make a spray to reach spaces and holes where the cockroaches are hiding. You can instead buy a commercial peppermint spray for cockroaches:
What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Roaches In An Apartment?
Here are quick tips on the fastest way to get rid of roaches in an apartment.
1. Use Bait
Baiting is one of the safest and most common way of getting rid of roaches in an apartment. They will either kill the roaches on contact or may take a few days before the roaches eventually die. Baits come in the form of gel and traps.
2. Dust the Infested Area
A little dusting especially in the infested areas and hard to reach places such as crevices, cracks and holes in the apartment should help you get rid of roaches. Boric acid, silica and diatomaceous earth area some of the dust you can use to get rid of roaches in apartments.
3. Use of Traps
You can also effectively get rid of roaches in an apartment by setting traps. Traps will stop roaches in their tracks and disrupt their pheromone.
4. Hire Exterminators
If you can afford the cost of professional exterminators, well and good. It is equally one of the effective and fastest way to get rid of roaches in an apartment.
How to Get Rid of Roaches Permanently for Good
Here are some of the way to eliminate roaches permanently:
1. Identify Infested areas
Examine the areas of your homes or apartment that is heavily infested with the roaches. It could be under the sink, refrigerator, crevices in cabinets and shelves, closet door, and bathroom cabinets.
You can then use glue strips to locate the large infestation then decide on the best treatment method to be used.
2. Use Caulk to Prevent Further Infestation
The use of traps can be effecting in eliminating the existing cockroach population but only those inside the apartment. This is where you use caulk to seal possible entry points like gaps between walls or tiles, crevices and entry holes.
3. Place Gel Bait Stations
To reduce roach infestation in your apartment, use gel bait stations. They come in form of tubes. You can apply under baseboards, in cracks and crevices and near all the possible nesting spots for the roaches.
4. Apply Boric Acid
For added effectiveness, use boric acid powder to eliminate the roaches permanently. Although it may not be safe near children and pets, it is one of the best roach killer. Boric acid can be mixed with sugar to attract the roaches such that when they feed on it, they die.
5. Hire Pest Management Professionals
Depending on the level of infestation in your apartment, you may decide to hire pest control professionals to have the job done. This is also an effective approach in getting rid of roaches. It removes nearly 99% of the roaches though it may cost you a dime.
Can You Break Your Lease if Your Apartment Has Cockroaches?
Having persistent roach infestation in you apartment can be bothersome especially if you just moved in. Yes, it may be possible to break your leak agreement on this account. But first trying to raise the issue with your landlord assuming that the neighbors are included.
The law recognizes that there is an implied “warranty of habitability” in all the residential leases that the premises are fit and habitable for human habitation. This is according to the CEO of LegalAdvice.com David Reischer.
But you should at least try to hire a professional exterminator that will eliminate the cockroach from the entire building. Do it alone can be overwhelming. If your landlord doesn’t cooperate or chooses to ignore, you have all the right to break the lease. It is provided for in the law.
What If You Can’t Break Your Lease?
What happens if you cannot break the lease and the roaches are still there? Sometime, legal process take time for justice to be executed. But doesn’t stop you from accessing your apartment, does it?
Of course, no one is expected to live among roaches. The best thing to do is trying to get rid of the roaches yourself or with your neighbors. Hiring a professional pest exterminator will be the effective way to eliminate roaches in the entire apartment.
Conclusion
Cockroach infestation can be irritating. They can be difficult to eliminate permanently and the problem tend to reoccur especially if your neighbors lack the goodwill to have the problem solved.
But at a personal level, you should try to eliminate the roaches with the methods discussed above. This helps to reduce the infestation. But if there is a constant influx have the matter brought to the attention of the landlord.
